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Wintrust Financial

wtfc · NASDAQ Financial Services
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Employees 1001-5000
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FY2021 Annual Report · Wintrust Financial
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UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-K 

☑

☐

Annual Report Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021 

Transition Report Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

For the Transition Period from       to 

Commission File Number 001-35077 
Wintrust Financial Corporation
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Illinois
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)

36-3873352
(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)

9700 W. Higgins Road, Suite 800 
Rosemont, Illinois 60018 
(Address of principal executive offices)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (847) 939-9000 
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Title of Each Class

Common Stock, no par value

Fixed-to-Floating Rate Non-Cumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock, Series D, no par value
Depositary Shares, Each Representing a 1/1,000th Interest in a Share of
6.875% Fixed-Rate Reset Non-Cumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock, Series E, no par value

Trading 
Symbol(s)

Name of Each Exchange on Which 
Registered

WTFC

The NASDAQ Global Select Market

WTFCM The NASDAQ Global Select Market

WTFCP

The NASDAQ Global Select Market

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:

None

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. þ Yes ¨ No

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act. ¨ Yes þ No 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant: (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter 
period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. þ Yes ¨ No

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the 
preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files). þ Yes ¨ No

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company or an emerging growth company. See the definition of 
“large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and "emerging growth company" in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

Large accelerated filer

Smaller reporting company

☑

☐

Accelerated filer

Emerging growth company

☐

☐

Non-Accelerated filer

☐

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided 
pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ¨

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management's assessment of the effectiveness of its internal controls over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of 
the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report. þ Yes ¨ No

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act). ☐ Yes ☑ No

The aggregate market value of the voting and non-voting common equity held by non-affiliates of the registrant on June 30, 2021 (the last business day of the registrant’s most recently completed second 
quarter), determined using the closing price of the common stock on that day of $75.63, as reported by the NASDAQ Global Select Market, was $4,278,341,370.

As of February 22, 2022, the registrant had 57,237,575 shares of common stock outstanding.

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

Portions of the Proxy Statement for the Company’s Annual Meeting of Shareholders to be held on May 26, 2022 are incorporated by reference into Part III.

 
 
TABLE OF CONTENTS

PART I

ITEM 1

Business      ............................................................................................................................................

ITEM 1A.

Risk Factors .......................................................................................................................................

ITEM 1B.

Unresolved Staff Comments   .............................................................................................................

ITEM 2.

Properties        .........................................................................................................................................

ITEM 3.

Legal Proceedings      ............................................................................................................................

ITEM 4.

Mine Safety Disclosures     ..................................................................................................................
PART II

ITEM 5.

Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of 
Equity Securities     ..............................................................................................................................

ITEM 6.

[Reserved]    .........................................................................................................................................

ITEM 7.

Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations     ..........

ITEM 7A.

Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk   ..........................................................

ITEM 8.

Financial Statements and Supplementary Data   .................................................................................

ITEM 9.

Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure       ..........

ITEM 9A.

Controls and Procedures      ..................................................................................................................

ITEM 9B.

Other Information    .............................................................................................................................

ITEM 9C.

Disclosure Regarding Foreign Jurisdictions that Prevent Inspections     ..............................................

PART III

ITEM 10.

Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance   ................................................................

ITEM 11.

ITEM 12.

Executive Compensation  ...................................................................................................................
Security  Ownership  of  Certain  Beneficial  Owners  and  Management  and  Related  Stockholder 
Matters       ..............................................................................................................................................

ITEM 13.

Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence    .................................

ITEM 14.

Principal Accountant Fees and Services     ...........................................................................................

PART IV

ITEM 15.

Exhibits, Financial Statement Schedules    ..........................................................................................

ITEM 16.

Form 10-K Summary     ........................................................................................................................

Signatures   ..........................................................................................................................................

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PART I

ITEM 1. BUSINESS

Overview

Wintrust Financial Corporation, an Illinois corporation (“we,” “Wintrust” or “the Company”), which was incorporated in 1992, 
is a financial holding company based in Rosemont, Illinois, with total assets of approximately $50.1 billion as of December 31, 
2021.  We  provide  community-oriented,  personal  and  commercial  banking  services  to  customers  located  in  the  Chicago 
metropolitan area, southern Wisconsin and northwest Indiana (“our market area”) through our fifteen wholly-owned-banking 
subsidiaries  (collectively,  the  “banks”),  as  well  as  the  origination  and  purchase  of  residential  mortgages  for  sale  into  the 
secondary market through Wintrust Mortgage, a division of Barrington Bank & Trust Company, N.A. (“Barrington Bank”). In 
addition,  we  provide  specialty  finance  services,  including  financing  for  the  payment  of  property  and  casualty  insurance 
premiums and life insurance premiums (“premium finance receivables”) on a national basis through FIRST Insurance Funding, 
a division of our wholly-owned subsidiary Lake Forest Bank & Trust Company, N.A. (“Lake Forest Bank”), and Wintrust Life 
Finance,  a  division  of  Lake  Forest  Bank,  and  in  Canada  through  our  premium  finance  company,  First  Insurance  Funding  of 
Canada (“FIFC Canada”), lease financing and other direct leasing opportunities through our wholly-owned subsidiary, Wintrust 
Asset  Finance,  Inc.  (“Wintrust  Asset  Finance”),  and  short-term  accounts  receivable  financing  and  outsourced  administrative 
services  through  our  wholly-owned  subsidiary,  Tricom,  Inc.  of  Milwaukee  (“Tricom”).  Further,  we  provide  a  full  range  of 
wealth management services primarily to customers in our market area through four separate subsidiaries, The Chicago Trust 
Company,  N.A.  (“CTC”),  Wintrust  Investments,  LLC  (“Wintrust  Investments”),  Great  Lakes  Advisors,  LLC  (“Great  Lakes 
Advisors”) and Chicago Deferred Exchange Company, LLC (“CDEC”). 

Our Business and Reporting Segments

As  set  forth  in  Note  24,  “Segment  Information,”  our  operations  consist  of  three  primary  segments:  community  banking, 
specialty  finance  and  wealth  management.  The  three  reportable  segments  are  strategic  business  units  that  are  separately 
managed  as  they  offer  different  products  and  services  and  have  different  marketing  strategies.  In  addition,  each  segment’s 
customer  base  has  varying  characteristics  and  each  segment  has  a  different  regulatory  environment.  While  the  Company’s 
management monitors each of the fifteen bank subsidiaries’ operations and profitability separately, these subsidiaries have been 
aggregated  into  one  reportable  operating  segment  due  to  the  similarities  in  products  and  services,  customer  base,  operations, 
profitability  measures  and  economic  characteristics.  All  segment  measurements  discussed  below  are  based  on  the  reportable 
segments and do not reflect intersegment eliminations.

Community Banking

Through our community banking segment, our banks provide community-oriented, personal and commercial banking services 
to customers located in our market area. Our customers include individuals, small to mid-sized businesses, local governmental 
units  and  institutional  clients  residing  primarily  in  the  banks’  local  service  areas.  The  banks  have  a  strategy  to  provide 
comprehensive community-focused banking services. In keeping with this strategy, the banks provide highly personalized and 
responsive  service,  a  characteristic  of  locally-owned  and  managed  institutions.  As  such,  the  banks  compete  for  deposits 
principally by offering depositors a variety of deposit programs, convenient office locations, hours and other services, and for 
loan  originations  primarily  through  the  interest  rates  and  loan  fees  they  charge,  the  efficiency  and  quality  of  services  they 
provide to borrowers and the variety of their loan and treasury management products. Using our multiple bank charter corporate 
structure to our advantage, we offer our MaxSafe® deposit accounts, which provide customers with expanded Federal Deposit 
Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”) insurance coverage by spreading a customer’s deposit across our fifteen banks. This product 
differentiates our banks from many of our competitors that have consolidated their bank charters into branches. We also have 
downtown Chicago and Milwaukee offices that work with each of our banks to capture commercial and industrial business. Our 
commercial and industrial lenders in our downtown offices operate in close partnership with lenders at our community banks. 
By combining our expertise in the commercial and industrial sector with our high level of personal service and a full suite of 
banking products, we believe we create another point of differentiation from both our larger and smaller competitors. Our banks 
also  offer  home  equity,  consumer,  and  real  estate  loans,  safe  deposit  facilities,  ATMs,  online  and  mobile  banking  and  other 
innovative and traditional services specially tailored to meet the needs of customers in their market areas.

We  developed  our  banking  franchise  through  a  combination  of  de  novo  organization  and  the  purchase  of  existing  bank 
franchises. The organizational efforts began in 1991, when a group of experienced bankers and local business people identified 
an unfilled niche in the Chicago metropolitan area retail banking market. As large banks acquired smaller ones and personal 
service  was  subjected  to  consolidation  strategies,  the  opportunity  increased  for  locally  owned  and  operated,  highly  personal 

3

 
service-oriented banks. As a result, Lake Forest Bank was founded in December 1991 to service the Lake Forest and Lake Bluff 
communities.  

As of December 31, 2021, we owned fifteen nationally chartered banks: Lake Forest Bank, Barrington Bank, Wintrust Bank, 
N.A.  (“Wintrust  Bank”),  Libertyville  Bank  &  Trust  Company,  N.A.  (“Libertyville  Bank”),  Northbrook  Bank  &  Trust 
Company, N.A. (“Northbrook Bank”), Village Bank & Trust, N.A. (“Village Bank”), Wheaton Bank & Trust Company, N.A. 
(“Wheaton  Bank”),  State  Bank  of  the  Lakes,  N.A.,  Crystal  Lake  Bank  &  Trust  Company,  N.A.  (“Crystal  Lake  Bank”), 
Schaumburg Bank & Trust Company, N.A. (“Schaumburg Bank”), Beverly Bank & Trust Company, N.A. (“Beverly Bank”), 
Old Plank Trail Community Bank, N.A. (“Old Plank Trail Bank”), Hinsdale Bank & Trust Company, N.A. (“Hinsdale Bank”), 
St.  Charles  Bank  &  Trust  Company,  N.A.  (“St.  Charles  Bank”)  and  Town  Bank,  N.A.  (“Town  Bank”).  As  of  December  31, 
2021,  we  had  173  banking  locations.  Each  nationally-chartered  bank  is  subject  to  regulation,  supervision  and  regular 
examination by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (“OCC”).

We also engage in the retail origination and purchase of residential mortgages through Wintrust Mortgage as well as consumer 
direct  lending  primarily  to  veterans  through  our  Veterans  First  brand.  Certain  originated  loans  are  sold  to  unaffiliated 
companies  or  the  Company’s  banks  with  servicing  remaining  within  Wintrust  Mortgage  operations.  Wintrust  Mortgage 
maintains retail mortgage offices in a number of states, with the largest concentration located in the Chicago, Minneapolis, Salt 
Lake City and Los Angeles metropolitan areas. 

We  also  offer  several  niche  lending  products  through  several  of  the  banks.  These  include  Barrington  Bank’s  Community 
Advantage  program,  which  provides  lending,  deposit  and  treasury  management  services  to  condominium,  homeowner  and 
community associations; Hinsdale Bank’s mortgage warehouse lending program, which provides loan and deposit services to 
mortgage  brokerage  companies  located  predominantly  in  the  Chicago  metropolitan  area;  and  Lake  Forest  Bank’s  franchise 
lending  program,  which  provides  lending  to  restaurant  franchisees.  Other  niches  offered  throughout  our  banking  franchise 
include Wintrust Commercial Finance, which offers direct leasing opportunities; Wintrust Business Credit, which specializes in 
asset-based  lending  for  middle-market  companies;  Wintrust  SBA  Lending,  which  is  dedicated  to  offering  expertise  in  Small 
Business Administration loans; Wintrust Commercial Real Estate, which concentrates on real estate lending solutions including 
commercial mortgages and construction loans; and Wintrust Government, Non-Profit & Hospital, which focuses on financial 
solutions  for  mission-based  organizations  such  as  hospitals,  non-profits,  educational  institutions  and  local  government 
operations. In addition, we offer a niche deposit service through our Northbrook Bank’s Funds Group.

For the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019, the community banking segment had net revenues of $1.3 billion, $1.3 
billion  and  $1.1  billion,  respectively,  and  net  income  of  $319  million,  $164  million  and  $238  million,  respectively.  The 
community banking segment had total assets of $40.3 billion, $36.8 billion and $29.6 billion as of December 31, 2021, 2020 
and 2019, respectively. The community banking segment accounted for approximately 74% of our consolidated net revenues, 
excluding intersegment eliminations, for the year ended December 31, 2021. 

Specialty Finance

Through  our  specialty  finance  segment,  we  offer  financing  of  insurance  premiums  for  businesses  and  individuals;  accounts 
receivable financing, value-added, out-sourced administrative services; and other specialty finance businesses. FIRST Insurance 
Funding  and  Wintrust  Life  Finance  engage  in  the  premium  finance  receivables  business,  our  most  significant  specialized 
lending niche, including property and casualty insurance premium finance and life insurance premium finance. We also engage 
in property and casualty insurance premium finance in Canada through our wholly-owned subsidiary FIFC Canada.  

In their property and casualty insurance premium finance operations, FIRST Insurance Funding and FIFC Canada make loans 
to businesses to finance the insurance premiums they pay on their property and casualty insurance policies. Approved medium 
and large insurance agents and brokers located throughout the United States and Canada assist FIRST Insurance Funding and 
FIFC Canada, respectively, in arranging each commercial premium finance loan between the borrower and FIRST Insurance 
Funding or FIFC Canada, as the case may be. FIRST Insurance Funding or FIFC Canada evaluates each loan request according 
to its own underwriting criteria including the amount of the down payment on the insurance policy, the term of the loan, the 
credit  quality  of  the  insurance  company  providing  the  financed  insurance  policy,  the  interest  rate,  the  borrower's  previous 
payment history, if any, and other factors deemed appropriate. Upon approval of the loan by FIRST Insurance Funding or FIFC 
Canada, as the case may be, the borrower makes a down payment on the financed insurance policy, which is generally done by 
providing payment to the agent or broker, who then forwards it to the insurance company. FIRST Insurance Funding or FIFC 
Canada may either forward the financed amount of the remaining policy premiums directly to the insurance carrier or to the 
agent or broker for remittance to the insurance carrier on FIRST Insurance Funding’s or FIFC Canada’s behalf. In some cases 
the agent or broker may hold our collateral, in the form of the proceeds of the unearned insurance premium from the insurance 
company, and forward it to FIRST Insurance Funding or FIFC Canada in the event of a default by the borrower. This lending 

4

involves relatively rapid turnover of the loan portfolio and high volume of loan originations. Because the agent or broker is the 
primary contact to the ultimate borrowers who are located nationwide and because proceeds and our collateral may be handled 
by the agent or brokers during the term of the loan, FIRST Insurance Funding and FIFC Canada may be more susceptible to 
third party (i.e., agent or broker) fraud. The Company performs various controls and procedures including ongoing credit and 
other reviews of the agents and brokers as well as performs various internal audit steps to mitigate against the risk of material 
fraud.

The commercial and property premium finance business is subject to regulation in the majority of states. Regulation typically 
governs notices to borrowers prior to cancellation of a policy and required communication to insurance agents and insurance 
companies. FIRST Insurance Funding offers financing of property and casualty insurance policies in all 50 states, the District of 
Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.  FIRST Insurance Funding’s legal department regularly monitors changes 
to regulations and updates policies and programs accordingly.

Wintrust Life Finance finances life insurance policy premiums generally used for estate planning purposes of high net-worth 
borrowers.  These  loans  are  originated  directly  with  the  borrowers  with  assistance  from  life  insurance  carriers,  independent 
insurance agents, financial advisors and legal counsel. The cash surrender value of the life insurance policy is the primary form 
of collateral. In addition, these loans often are secured with a letter of credit, marketable securities or certificates of deposit. In 
some cases, Wintrust Life Finance may make a loan that has a partially unsecured position. 

The life insurance premium finance business is subject to banking regulations but is not subject to additional regulatory regimes 
(e.g. additional state regulation). Wintrust Life Finance’s compliance department regularly monitors the regulatory environment 
and  the  company’s  compliance  with  existing  regulations.  Wintrust  Life  Finance  maintains  a  policy  prohibiting  the  known 
financing  of  stranger-originated  life  insurance  and  has  established  procedures  to  identify  and  prevent  the  company  from 
financing  such  policies.  While  a  carrier  could  potentially  put  at  risk  the  cash  surrender  value  of  a  policy,  which  serves  as 
Wintrust Life Finance’s primary collateral, by challenging the validity of the insurance contract for lack of an insurable interest, 
Wintrust  Life  Finance  believes  it  has  strong  counterclaims  against  any  such  claims  by  carriers,  in  addition  to  recourse  to 
borrowers and guarantors as well as to additional collateral in certain cases.

Premium finance loans made by FIRST Insurance Funding, Wintrust Life Finance and FIFC Canada are primarily secured by 
the  insurance  policies  financed  by  the  loans.  These  insurance  policies  are  written  by  a  large  number  of  insurance  companies 
geographically  dispersed  throughout  the  United  States  and  Canada.  Our  premium  finance  receivables  balances  finance 
insurance policies that are spread among a large number of insurers, however, the top three insurers represents approximately 
14%, 6% and 5% of such balances. FIRST Insurance Funding, Wintrust Life Finance and FIFC Canada consistently monitor 
carrier ratings and financial performance of our carriers. In the event ratings fall below certain levels, most of Wintrust Life 
Finance’s  life  insurance  premium  finance  policies  provide  for  an  event  of  default  and  allow  Wintrust  Life  Finance  to  have 
recourse to borrowers and guarantors as well as to additional collateral in certain cases. For the commercial premium finance 
business,  the  term  of  the  loans  is  sufficiently  short  such  that  in  the  event  of  a  decline  in  carrier  ratings,  FIRST  Insurance 
Funding or FIFC Canada, as the case may be, can restrict or eliminate additional loans to finance premiums to such carriers. 
The majority of premium finance receivables are purchased by the banks in order to more fully utilize their lending capacity as 
these loans generally provide the banks with higher yields than alternative investments.

Through  our  wholly-owned  subsidiary  Wintrust  Asset  Finance,  we  provide  equipment  financing  through  structured  loan  and 
lease products to customers in a variety of industries throughout the United States. Wintrust Asset Finance provides financing 
of  fixed  assets  consisting  of  property,  plant  and  equipment,  transportation  (trucks,  trailers,  rail,  marine,  buses),  construction, 
manufacturing equipment, technology, oil and gas, restaurant equipment, medical and healthcare. As of December 31, 2021, the 
Company’s  leasing  portfolio,  including  direct  financing  leases,  loans  and  equipment  on  operating  leases,  totaled  $2.4  billion 
compared  to    $2.1  billion  as  of  December  31,  2020.  During  2021,  Wintrust  Asset  Finance  contributed  approximately  $72.5 
million to our revenue, which does not reflect intersegment eliminations.

Through our wholly-owned subsidiary Tricom, we provide high-yielding, short-term accounts receivable financing and value-
added,  outsourced  administrative  services,  such  as  data  processing  of  payrolls,  billing  and  cash  management  services  to  the 
temporary staffing industry. Tricom’s clients, located throughout the United States, provide staffing services to businesses in 
diversified  industries.  During  2021,  Tricom  processed  payrolls  with  associated  client  billings  of  approximately  $723  million 
and  contributed  approximately  $12.3  million  to  our  revenue,  net  of  interest  expense,  which  does  not  reflect  intersegment 
eliminations.

In  2021,  our  commercial  premium  finance  operations,  life  insurance  premium  finance  operations,  leasing  operations  and 
accounts  receivable  finance  operations  accounted  for  42%,  29%,  25%  and  4%,  respectively,  of  the  total  revenues  of  our 
specialty  finance  business.  For  the  years  ended  December  31,  2021,  2020  and  2019  the  specialty  finance  segment  had  net 

5

revenues of $294 million, $263 million and $241 million, respectively, and net income of $109 million, $100 million and $89 
million,  respectively.  The  specialty  finance  segment  had  total  assets  of  $8.4  billion,  $7.0  billion  and  $5.9  billion  as  of 
December  31,  2021,  2020  and  2019,  respectively.  The  specialty  finance  segment  accounted  for  17%  of  our  consolidated  net 
revenues, excluding intersegment eliminations, for the year ended December 31, 2021.

Wealth Management

Through  our  wealth  management  segment,  we  offer  a  full  range  of  wealth  management  services  through  four  separate 
subsidiaries (Wintrust Investments, CTC, Great Lakes Advisors and CDEC): trust and investment services, tax-deferred like-
kind exchange services, asset management, securities brokerage services and 401(k) and retirement plan services.

Wintrust  Investments,  our  registered  broker/dealer  subsidiary  which  has  been  operating  since  1931,  provides  a  full  range  of 
private  client  and  securities  brokerage  services  to  clients  located  primarily  in  the  Midwest.  Wintrust  Investments  is 
headquartered in downtown Chicago, operates an office in Appleton, Wisconsin, and has established branch locations in offices 
at a majority of our banks. Wintrust Investments also provides a full range of investment services to clients through a network 
of relationships with community-based financial institutions primarily located in Illinois. Wintrust Investments is regulated by 
the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) as a registered 
broker-dealer, as well as by the SEC as a registered investment adviser.

CTC,  our  trust  subsidiary,  offers  trust  and  investment  management  services  to  clients  through  offices  located  in  downtown 
Chicago and at various banking offices of our fifteen banks. CTC is subject to regulation, supervision and regular examination 
by the OCC. 

Great Lakes Advisors, our registered investment adviser with locations in downtown Chicago and Tampa, Florida, as well as in 
various  banking  offices  of  our  fifteen  banks,  provides  money  management  services  and  advisory  services  to  individuals, 
institutions,  and  municipal  and  tax-exempt  organizations.  Great  Lakes  Advisors  also  provides  portfolio  management  and 
financial advisory services for a wide range of pension and profit-sharing plans as well as money management and advisory 
services to CTC. Great Lakes Advisors is regulated by the SEC as a registered investment adviser.

CDEC, our provider of tax-deferred like-kind exchange services, provides Qualified Intermediary services (as defined by U.S. 
Treasury regulations) for taxpayers seeking to structure tax-deferred like-kind exchanges under Internal Revenue Code (“IRC”) 
Section 1031. Under IRC Section 1031, a taxpayer may defer the gain on the sale of certain investment property if the taxpayer 
utilizes  the  services  of  a  Qualified  Intermediary.  These  transactions  typically  generate  customer  deposits  during  the  period 
following the sale of the property until such proceeds are used to purchase a replacement property.  These deposits may flow 
into our banks as a source of low-cost deposits. CDEC is the subsidiary of Elektra Holding Company, LLC (“Elektra”), which 
was acquired by the Company in December of 2018. 

As  of  December  31,  2021,  the  Company’s  wealth  management  subsidiaries  had  approximately  $35.5  billion  of  assets  under 
administration,  which  included  $5.3  billion  of  assets  owned  by  the  Company  and  its  subsidiary  banks.  For  the  years  ended 
December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019, the wealth management segment had net revenues of $161 million, $134 million and $130 
million,  respectively,  and  net  income  of  $38  million,  $29  million  and  $28  million,  respectively.  The  wealth  management 
segment had total assets of $1.5 billion, $1.3 billion and $1.1 billion as of December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019, respectively. 
The wealth management segment accounted for 9% of our consolidated net revenues, excluding intersegment eliminations, for 
the year ended December 31, 2021. 

Strategy and Competition

The Company has employed certain strategies since 2013 to achieve strong net income amid an environment characterized by 
low  interest  rates  and  increased  competition.  In  general,  the  Company  has  taken  a  steady  and  measured  approach  to  grow 
strategically and manage expenses. Specifically, the Company has:

•

Leveraged  its  internal  loan  pipeline  and  external  growth  opportunities  to  grow  earnings  assets  to  increase  net  interest 
income;
Continued efforts to reduce interest costs by improving our funding mix;

•
• Written call option contracts on certain securities as an economic hedge to mitigate overall interest rate risk and enhance 

the securities’ overall return by using fees generated from these options;
Entered into mirror-image swap transactions to both satisfy customer preferences and maintain variable rate exposure;
Completed strategic acquisitions to expand our presence in existing and complimentary markets;

•
•

6

•

•

Focused on cost control and leveraging our current infrastructure to grow without a commensurate increase in operating 
expenses; and
Expanded the Wintrust Asset Finance direct leasing niche.

Our strategy and competitive position for each of our business segments is summarized in further detail, below.

Community Banking

We compete in the commercial banking industry through our banks in the communities they serve. The commercial banking 
industry  is  highly  competitive  and  the  banks  face  strong  direct  competition  for  deposits,  loans  and  other  financial  related 
services. The banks compete with other commercial banks, thrifts, credit unions, stockbrokers, government-sponsored entities, 
mutual  fund  companies,  insurance  companies,  factoring  companies  and  other  commercial  entities  offering  financial  services 
products, including non-bank financial companies and entities commonly known as financial technology companies. Some of 
these competitors are local, while others are statewide or nationwide.

As  a  $50  billion  asset  financial  services  company,  we  expect  to  benefit  from  greater  access  to  financial  and  managerial 
resources than our smaller local competitors while maintaining our commitment to local decision-making and to our community 
banking philosophy. In particular, we are able to provide a wider product selection and larger credit facilities than many of our 
smaller  competitors,  and  we  believe  our  service  offerings  help  us  in  recruiting  talented  staff.  We  continue  to  add  lenders 
throughout  the  community  banking  organization,  many  of  whom  have  joined  us  because  of  our  ability  to  offer  a  range  of 
products and level of services which compete effectively with both larger and smaller market participants. We have continued 
to expand our product delivery systems, including a wide variety of electronic banking options for our retail and commercial 
customers which allow us to provide a level of service typically associated with much larger banking institutions. Additionally, 
we  have  access  to  public  capital  markets  whereas  many  of  our  local  competitors  are  privately  held  and  may  have  limited 
capital-raising capabilities.

Management views service as a great equalizer to offset some of the inherent advantages of its significantly larger competitors. 
We also believe we are positioned to compete effectively with other larger and more diversified banks, bank holding companies 
and other financial services companies due to the multi-chartered approach that pushes accountability for building a franchise 
and  a  high  level  of  customer  service  down  to  each  of  our  banking  franchises.  Additionally,  we  believe  that  we  provide  a 
relatively  complete  portfolio  of  products  that  is  responsive  to  the  majority  of  our  customers’  needs  through  the  retail  and 
commercial operations supplied by our banks, and through our mortgage and wealth management operations. The breadth of 
our product mix allows us to compete effectively with our larger competitors, while our multi-chartered approach with local and 
accountable management provides for what we believe is superior customer service relative to our larger and more centralized 
competitors.  We  continue  to  grow  our  digital  service  offerings  while  maintaining  our  expectations  of  high  quality,  more 
traditional banking services.

Wintrust  Mortgage  competes  with  large  mortgage  brokers  as  well  as  other  banking  organizations.  Consolidation,  margin 
compression,  enhanced  regulatory  guidance  and  the  promise  of  equal  oversight  for  both  banks  and  independent  mortgage 
lenders  have  created  challenges  for  small  and  medium-sized  independent  mortgage  lenders.  Wintrust  Mortgage’s  size,  bank 
affiliation,  regulatory  competency,  branding,  technology,  business  development  tools  and  reputation  make  the  firm  well 
positioned  to  compete  in  this  environment.  Our  continued  ability  to  retain  the  majority  of  servicing  on  loans  sold,  including 
those loans sold to the Company's banks, allows Wintrust Mortgage to continue to grow a more stable revenue stream. While 
earnings  will  fluctuate  with  the  rise  and  fall  of  long-term  interest  rates,  we  expect  that  mortgage  banking  revenue  will  be  a 
continuous source of revenue for us and our mortgage lending relationships will continue to provide franchise value to our other 
financial service businesses. 

We continue to review our branch footprint and in 2021, the Company opened four new branch locations. The new branches 
included  three  locations  in  the  Chicago  metropolitan  area  and  one  location  in  Whitefish  Bay,  Wisconsin.  Also  in  2021,  we 
recorded  an  impairment  charge  of  $1.1  million  associated  with  a  2021  branch  closing.  In  addition,  in  2021,  the  Company 
completed the sale of three branches in southwestern Wisconsin and the closure of nine branches both previously announced in 
2020.  These  were  predominantly  smaller  locations  in  close  proximity  to  other  Wintrust  locations.  As  such,  there  was  no 
material  attrition  or  customer  disruption.  In  the  fourth  quarter  of  2020,  we  recorded  an  impairment  charge  of  $1.4  million 
associated  with  the  closing  of  the  nine  locations.  During  2021,  leases  were  terminated  and  updated  appraisals  received  and 
approximately $900,000 of additional impairment was recorded associated with the closing of the nine locations. Collectively, 
the net reduction of eight locations during the year ended December 31, 2021, represented approximately 5% of the Wintrust 
retail banking locations as of December 31, 2021. It is important to note that while we see increased use of electronic services 
and are investing heavily in digital capabilities to allow clients to choose how they want to be served, Wintrust will continue to 
selectively open branches in areas where we are not represented.

7

Specialty Finance

FIRST  Insurance  Funding  and  Wintrust  Life  Finance  encounter  intense  competition  from  numerous  other  firms,  including  a 
number  of  national  commercial  premium  finance  companies,  companies  affiliated  with  insurance  carriers,  independent 
insurance brokers who offer premium finance services and other lending institutions. Some of our competitors are larger and 
have greater financial and other resources. FIRST Insurance Funding and Wintrust Life Finance compete with these entities by 
emphasizing a high level of knowledge of the insurance industry, flexibility in structuring financing transactions, and the timely 
funding of qualifying contracts. We believe that our commitment to service also distinguishes us from our competitors. FIFC 
Canada competes with one national commercial premium finance company and a few regional providers. 

Wintrust  Asset  Finance  competes  with  other  bank-affiliated,  independent,  captive  and  vendor  equipment  leasing  and  finance 
companies.  Wintrust  Asset  Finance  believes  a  customer-focused  origination  philosophy,  an  experienced  team,  strong 
underwriting discipline and expert asset management enables them to compete effectively in a growing and dynamic market.

Tricom  competes  with  numerous  other  firms,  including  a  small  number  of  similar  niche  finance  companies  and  payroll 
processing  firms,  as  well  as  various  finance  companies,  banks  and  other  lending  institutions.  Tricom’s  management  believes 
that its commitment to service distinguishes it from competitors. 

Wealth Management

Our wealth management companies (CTC, Wintrust Investments, Great Lakes Advisors and CDEC) compete with larger wealth 
management  subsidiaries  of  other  larger  bank  holding  companies  as  well  as  with  other  trust  companies,  brokerage  and  other 
financial  service  companies,  stockbrokers  and  financial  advisors.  We  believe  we  can  successfully  compete  for  trust,  tax 
services, asset management and brokerage business by offering personalized attention and customer service to small to midsize 
businesses and affluent individuals. We continue to recruit and hire experienced wealth management professionals from within 
the larger Chicago metropolitan area as well as Wisconsin, which is expected to help in attracting new customer relationships.

Supervision and Regulation 

Regulatory Environment

Our business is heavily regulated and supervised by both federal and state agencies. Both the scope of the laws and regulations 
and the intensity of the supervision to which our business is subject have increased in recent years, initially in response to the 
financial crisis, and more recently in light of other factors such as technological and market changes. Regulatory enforcement 
and fines have also increased across the banking and financial services sector. Many of these changes have occurred as a result 
of  the  Dodd-Frank  Wall  Street  Reform  and  Consumer  Protection  Act  (“Dodd-Frank  Act”)  and  its  implementing  regulations, 
most  of  which  are  now  in  place.  We  expect  that  our  business  will  remain  subject  to  extensive  regulation  and  supervision. 
Further, the scope and the intensity of regulation and supervision will likely be higher in the Biden Administration.

The Company is a bank holding company under the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, as amended (the “BHC Act”), subject 
to  regulation,  supervision,  and  examination  by  the  Federal  Reserve.  The  Company  is  also  subject  to  the  disclosure  and 
regulatory requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, both 
as administered by the SEC, as well as the rules of NASDAQ that apply to companies with securities listed on the NASDAQ 
Global Select Market. Each nationally-chartered bank is subject to regulation, supervision and regular examination by the OCC. 
The  deposits  of  all  of  our  subsidiary  banks  are  insured  by  the  Deposit  Insurance  Fund  (“DIF”)  and,  as  such,  the  FDIC  has 
additional  oversight  authority  over  the  banks.  The  supervision,  regulation  and  examination  of  banks  and  bank  holding 
companies by bank regulatory agencies are intended primarily for the protection of depositors, the DIF, and the banking system 
as  a  whole,  rather  than  shareholders  of  banks  and  bank  holding  companies,  and  in  some  instances  may  be  contrary  to 
shareholders’ interests.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (“CFPB”) has broad rulemaking authority over a wide range of federal consumer 
protection laws applicable to the business of our subsidiary banks and some other operating subsidiaries.  Because each of our 
subsidiary  banks  has  less  than  $10  billion  in  total  consolidated  assets,  our  subsidiary  banks’  federal  banking  agency,  not  the 
CFPB, is responsible for examining and supervising the subsidiary banks’ compliance with federal consumer protection laws 
and  regulations.  Our  non-bank  subsidiaries  are  subject  to  regulation  by  their  functional  regulators,  including  applicable  state 
finance and insurance agencies, the applicable exchanges, the SEC, FINRA, and the OCC, as well as by the Federal Reserve.

8

Federal and state laws, and the regulations of the bank regulatory agencies issued under them, affect the scope of business, the 
kinds and amounts of investments banks may make, reserve requirements, capital levels, the nature and amount of collateral for 
loans, the establishment of branches, the ability to merge, consolidate and acquire, dealings with insiders and affiliates and the 
payment of dividends. The regulatory agencies have broad discretion to impose restrictions and limitations on the operations of 
a regulated entity where the agencies determine, among other things, that such operations are unsafe or unsound, fail to comply 
with applicable law or are otherwise inconsistent with laws and regulations or with the supervisory policies of these agencies.

The following is a description of some of the laws and regulations that affect our business. By necessity, the descriptions below 
are  summaries  that  do  not  purport  to  be  complete,  and  that  are  qualified  in  their  entirety  by  reference  to  those  statutes  and 
regulations  discussed,  and  all  regulatory  interpretations  thereof.  Any  changes  in  applicable  laws,  regulations,  or  the 
interpretations thereof could have a material adverse effect on our business or the business of our subsidiaries.

Bank Holding Company Regulation

The Company is a bank holding company that has elected to be treated as a financial holding company. The activities of bank 
holding companies generally are limited to the business of banking, managing or controlling banks, and certain other activities 
determined  by  the  Federal  Reserve  to  be  closely  related  to  banking.  As  a  financial  holding  company,  we  may  engage  in  an 
expanded range of activities, including activities that are considered to be financial in nature. Financial holding companies may 
also  engage  in  activities  incidental  or  complementary  to  financial  activities,  if  the  Federal  Reserve  determines  that  such 
activities  pose  no  substantial  risk  to  the  safety  or  soundness  of  depository  institutions  or  the  financial  system  in  general. 
Impermissible activities for financial holding companies and their subsidiaries include activities that are related to commerce, 
such  as  sales  of  nonfinancial  products  or  manufacturing.  As  a  result,  subject  to  certain  exceptions,  the  BHC  Act  generally 
prohibits us from acquiring direct or indirect ownership or control of voting shares of any company engaged in activities that 
are not permissible for us to engage in.

Maintaining our financial holding company status requires that the Company and each of our subsidiary banks remain “well-
capitalized”  and  “well-managed”  as  defined  by  regulation  and  that  each  of  our  subsidiary  banks  maintain  at  least  a 
“satisfactory” rating under the Community Reinvestment Act (“CRA”). If we or our subsidiary banks fail to continue to meet 
these  requirements,  we  could  be  subject  to  restrictions  on  new  activities  and  acquisitions,  and/or  be  required  to  cease  and 
possibly  divest  operations  that  conduct  existing  activities  that  are  not  permissible  for  a  bank  holding  company  that  is  not  a 
financial holding company.

The  BHC  Act  generally  requires  us  to  obtain  prior  approval  from  the  Federal  Reserve  before  acquiring  direct  or  indirect 
ownership  or  control  of  more  than  5%  of  the  voting  shares  of  an  additional  bank  or  bank  holding  company,  or  to  merge  or 
consolidate with another bank holding company. The Bank Merger Act generally requires our subsidiary banks to obtain prior 
regulatory  approval  to  merge  or  consolidate  with,  or  acquire  substantially  all  of  the  assets  of  or  assume  deposits  of,  another 
bank. We must also be well-capitalized and well-managed, in order to acquire a bank located outside of our home state. 

The  Federal  Deposit  Insurance  Act  (“FDIA”)  and  Federal  Reserve  regulations  and  policy  require  us  to  serve  as  a  source  of 
financial and managerial strength for our subsidiary banks, and to commit resources to support the banks. This support may be 
required even if doing so may adversely affect our ability to meet other obligations.

Acquisitions of Ownership of the Company

Acquisitions  of  the  Company’s  voting  stock  above  certain  thresholds  may  be  subject  to  prior  regulatory  notice  or  approval 
under  applicable  federal  banking  laws.  Investors  are  responsible  for  ensuring  that  they  do  not,  directly  or  indirectly,  acquire 
shares of our stock in excess of the amount that can be acquired without regulatory approval or notice under the BHC Act and 
the Change in Bank Control Act.

Volcker Rule

We  are  prohibited  under  the  Volcker  Rule  from  (1)  engaging  in  short-term  proprietary  trading  for  our  own  account,  and 
(2)  having  certain  ownership  interests  in  and  relationships  with  hedge  funds  or  private  equity  funds.  The  fundamental 
prohibitions of the Volcker Rule apply to banking entities of any size, including the Company and its bank subsidiaries. The 
Volcker  Rule  regulations  contain  exemptions  for  market-making,  hedging,  underwriting,  trading  in  U.S.  government  and 
agency obligations and also permit certain ownership interests in certain types of funds to be retained.  They also permit the 
offering  and  sponsoring  of  funds  under  certain  conditions.  The  Volcker  Rule  regulations  impose  significant  compliance  and 
reporting obligations on banking entities. The Company has put in place the compliance programs required by the Volcker Rule 
and has either divested or received extensions for any holdings in illiquid funds. 

9

As  of  October  2019,  the  five  regulatory  agencies  charged  with  implementing  the  Volcker  Rule  finalized  amendments  to  the 
Volcker  Rule’s  proprietary  trading  and  compliance  provisions.  These  amendments  tailor  the  Volcker  Rule’s  compliance 
requirements to the amount of a firm’s trading activity, revise the definition of trading account, clarify certain key provisions in 
the Volcker Rule, and modify the information companies are required to provide the federal agencies. 

In  June  2020,  the  five  regulatory  agencies  again  modified  the  Volcker  Rule,  effective  October  1,  2020.  These  modifications 
permit  banking  entities  to  engage  in  certain  fund  activities,  expand  permissible  transactions  with  covered  funds,  reduce 
extraterritorial effects on foreign funds, and clarify the Volcker Rule. These requirements did not have a material impact on the 
Company’s investing and trading activities. The Company will continue to monitor the Volcker Rule-related developments and 
assess their impact on its operations as necessary. 

Capital Requirements of the Company and Subsidiary Banks

We  and  our  subsidiary  banks  are  required  to  maintain  minimum  risk-based  and  leverage  capital  ratios,  as  well  as  a  capital 
conservation buffer (“Capital Conservation Buffer”), pursuant to regulations adopted by the Federal Reserve and the OCC to 
implement the Basel III capital framework (“U.S. Basel III Rule”). 

Regulatory Capital and Risk-weighted Assets

Regulatory capital requirements apply to Common Equity Tier 1 capital, Tier 1 capital and total capital.

•

•

•

Common Equity Tier 1 capital consists primarily of common stock and related surplus (net of treasury stock), retained 
earnings,  and  certain  minority  interests,  subject  to  certain  regulatory  adjustments.  For  us  and  our  subsidiary  banks, 
Common Equity Tier 1 capital does not include most elements of accumulated other comprehensive income (“AOCI”) 
because we exercised an opt-out election that was available to us with respect to certain changes in the capital treatment 
of AOCI. We made this election to avoid variations in the level of our capital depending on fluctuations in the fair value 
of our securities and derivatives portfolio.
Tier  1  capital  is  composed  of  Common  Equity  Tier  1  capital  and  Additional  Tier  1  capital.  Additional  Tier  1  capital 
consists primarily of non-cumulative perpetual preferred stock and related surplus, certain minority interests and, subject 
to  certain  regulatory  limits,  certain  grandfathered  cumulative  perpetual  preferred  stock  and  certain  grandfathered  trust 
preferred securities.  
Total capital is composed of Tier 1 capital and Tier 2 capital. Tier 2 capital consists primarily of capital instruments and 
related  surplus  meeting  specified  requirements,  and  may  include  cumulative  preferred  stock  and  long-term  perpetual 
preferred  stock,  mandatory  convertible  securities,  intermediate  preferred  stock,  certain  trust  preferred  securities  and 
subordinated debt. Also included in Tier 2 capital is the allowance for credit losses limited to a maximum of 1.25% of 
risk-weighted  assets  (“RWAs”)  and,  for  institutions  that  have  exercised  the  opt-out  election  regarding  the  treatment  of 
AOCI  up  to  45%  of  net  unrealized  gains  on  available-for-sale  equity  securities  with  readily  determinable  fair  market 
values. 

Certain adjustments to and deductions from capital are required for purposes of calculating these regulatory capital measures, 
including  with  respect  to  goodwill,  intangible  assets,  certain  deferred  tax  assets,  AOCI  and  investments  in  the  capital 
instruments of unconsolidated financial institutions. In July 2019, the U.S. bank regulators finalized changes to certain aspects 
of the U.S. Basel III capital rules that simplified, for certain bank holding companies and banks, including us and our subsidiary 
banks,  the  framework  for  capital  deductions  for  mortgage  servicing  assets,  certain  deferred  tax  assets  and  investments  in  the 
capital instruments of unconsolidated financial institutions, and the recognition of minority interests in regulatory capital. These 
amendments were effective as of April 1, 2020. The final rule also supersedes the transition rule that the U.S. bank regulators 
adopted in 2017 to allow certain banking organizations to continue to apply the transition treatment in effect in 2017 while the 
U.S. bank regulators considered the capital simplification proposals. 

In addition, in December 2018, the U.S. federal banking agencies finalized rules that permit BHCs and banks to phase in, for 
regulatory  capital  purposes,  the  day-one  impact  of  Accounting  Standards  Update  (“ASU”)  2016-13  Financial  Instruments  - 
Credit Losses (Topic 326) (“CECL”) on retained earnings over a period of three years. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, 
in 2020, the OCC, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, and the FDIC published another final rule to delay 
the estimated impact on regulatory capital stemming from the implementation of CECL. The final rule maintains the three-year 
transition  option  in  the  previous  rule  and  provides  banks  the  option  to  delay  for  two  years  an  estimate  of  CECL’s  effect  on 
regulatory capital, relative to the incurred loss methodology’s effect on regulatory capital, followed by a three-year transition 
period (five-year transition option). The Company is adopting the capital transition relief over the permissible five-year period. 
For further discussion of the new CECL accounting standard, including the Company’s implementation of such guidance, see 

10

“Summary of Critical Accounting Estimates” under Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results 
of Operations in Item 7 and Note 2 “Recent Accounting Pronouncements,” to the Consolidated Financial Statements presented 
under Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Capital Ratio Requirements

Under the U.S. Basel III Rule, we and our subsidiary banks are required to maintain the following minimum capital ratios: 

•
•
•
•

Common Equity Tier 1 capital to RWAs ratio (“Common Equity Tier 1 Capital Ratio”) of 4.5%;
Tier 1 capital to RWAs ratio (“Tier 1 Capital Ratio”) of 6.0%;
Total capital to RWAs ratio (“Total Capital Ratio”) of 8.0%; and 
Tier  1  capital  to  quarterly  average  assets  (net  of  goodwill,  certain  other  intangible  assets  and  certain  other  deductions) 
ratio (“Tier 1 Leverage Ratio”) of 4.0%. 

To be well-capitalized, our subsidiary banks must maintain the following capital ratios: 

•
•
•
•

Common Equity Tier 1 Capital Ratio of 6.5% or greater;
Tier 1 Capital Ratio of 8.0% or greater;
Total Capital Ratio of 10.0% or greater; and 
Tier 1 Leverage Ratio of 5.0% or greater.

The Federal Reserve has not yet revised the well-capitalized standard for bank holding companies to reflect the higher capital 
requirements  imposed  under  the  U.S.  Basel  III  Rule.  For  purposes  of  the  Federal  Reserve’s  Regulation  Y,  including 
determining  whether  a  bank  holding  company  meets  the  requirements  to  be  a  financial  holding  company,  bank  holding 
companies, such as the Company, must maintain a Tier 1 Capital Ratio of 6.0% or greater and a Total Capital Ratio of 10.0% or 
greater to be well-capitalized. If the Federal Reserve were to apply the same or a very similar well-capitalized standard to bank 
holding  companies  as  that  applicable  to  our  subsidiary  banks,  the  Company’s  capital  ratios  as  of  December  31,  2021  would 
exceed  such  revised  well-capitalized  standard.  The  Federal  Reserve  may  require  bank  holding  companies,  including  us,  to 
maintain capital ratios substantially in excess of mandated minimum levels, depending upon general economic conditions and a 
bank holding company’s particular condition, risk profile and growth plans.

Failure  to  be  well-capitalized  or  to  meet  minimum  capital  requirements  could  result  in  certain  mandatory  and  possible 
additional discretionary actions by regulators, including restrictions on our or our subsidiary banks’ ability to pay dividends or 
otherwise distribute capital or to receive regulatory approval of applications, or other restrictions on growth. Such actions, if 
undertaken, could have an adverse material effect on our operations or financial condition. 

In addition to meeting the minimum capital requirements, under the U.S. Basel III Rule, we and our banking subsidiaries must 
also  maintain  the  required  Capital  Conservation  Buffer  to  avoid  becoming  subject  to  restrictions  on  capital  distributions  and 
certain discretionary bonus payments to management. The Capital Conservation Buffer is 2.5% and is calculated as a ratio of 
Common Equity Tier 1 capital to RWAs and it effectively increases the required minimum risk-based capital ratios. The Tier 1 
Leverage  Ratio  is  not  impacted  by  the  Capital  Conservation  Buffer,  and  a  banking  institution  may  be  considered  well-
capitalized while remaining out of compliance with the Capital Conservation Buffer.

The  table  below  summarizes  the  capital  requirements  that  we  and  our  subsidiary  banks  must  satisfy  to  avoid  limitations  on 
capital  distributions  and  certain  discretionary  bonus  payments  (i.e.,  the  required  minimum  capital  ratios  plus  the  Capital 
Conservation Buffer):

Common Equity Tier 1 Capital Ratio

Tier 1 Capital Ratio
Total Capital Ratio

Minimum Regulatory Capital Ratio Plus 
Capital Conservation Buffer

 7.00 %

8.50 
10.50 

As of December 31, 2021, our Company’s and our subsidiary banks’ regulatory capital ratios were above the well-capitalized 
standards and met the Capital Conservation Buffer. Based on current estimates, we believe that we and our subsidiary banks 
will  continue  to  exceed  all  applicable  well-capitalized  regulatory  capital  requirements  and  the  Capital  Conservation  Buffer. 
Please refer to the table below for a summary of our regulatory capital ratios as of December 31, 2021, calculated using the 
regulatory capital methodology applicable to us during 2021.

11

 
 
 
Company Regulatory Capital Ratios

Minimum 
Regulatory 
Capital Ratio 
for the 
Company

Minimum 
Ratio + Capital 
Conservation 
Buffer(1)

Well-
Capitalized 
Minimum
for the 
Company(2)

Common Equity Tier 1 Capital Ratio
Tier 1 Capital Ratio
Total Capital Ratio

Tier 1 Leverage Ratio

 4.50 %
6.00 
8.00 

4.00 

 7.00 %
8.50 
10.50 

N/A

The Company
 8.6 %
9.6 
11.6 

N/A
6.00 
10.00 

N/A  

8.0 

(1) Reflects the Capital Conservation Buffer of 2.50%.
(2) Reflects the well-capitalized standard applicable to the Company for purposes of the Federal Reserve’s Regulation Y. The 
Federal  Reserve  has  not  yet  revised  the  well-capitalized  standard  for  BHCs  to  reflect  the  higher  capital  requirements 
imposed  under  the  U.S.  Basel  III  Rule  or  to  add  Common  Equity  Tier  1  capital  ratio  and  Tier  1  leverage  ratio 
requirements to this standard.  As a result, the Common Equity Tier 1 capital ratio and Tier 1 leverage ratio are denoted 
as “N/A” in this column.  If the Federal Reserve were to apply the same or a very similar well-capitalized standard to 
BHCs as the standard applicable to our subsidiary banks, the Company’s capital ratios as of December 31, 2021 would 
exceed such revised well-capitalized standard.

In addition to the above, as a result of participation in mortgage programs with certain government-sponsored entities as well as 
other investors, the Company has specific net worth requirements for continued participation. As of December 31, 2021, the 
Company remained in compliance with such requirements.

Payment of Dividends and Share Repurchases

We are a legal entity separate and distinct from our banking and non-banking subsidiaries. Since our consolidated net income 
consists  largely  of  net  income  of  our  bank  and  non-bank  subsidiaries,  our  ability  to  pay  dividends  and  repurchase  shares 
depends upon our receipt of dividends from our subsidiaries. There are various federal and state law limitations on the extent to 
which  our  banking  subsidiaries  can  declare  and  pay  dividends  to  us,  including  regulatory  capital  requirements,  general 
regulatory  oversight  to  prevent  unsafe  or  unsound  practices  and  federal  and  state  banking  law  requirements  concerning  the 
payment of dividends out of net profits or surplus. Applicable banking laws also prohibit, without prior regulatory approval, 
insured depository institutions, such as our bank subsidiaries, from making dividend distributions if such distributions are not 
paid  out  of  available  earnings.  In  addition,  our  right,  and  the  right  of  our  shareholders  and  creditors,  to  participate  in  any 
distribution of the assets or earnings of our bank and non-bank subsidiaries is further subject to the prior claims of creditors of 
our subsidiaries. No assurances can be given that the banks will, in any circumstances, pay dividends to the Company.

We  and  our  bank  subsidiaries  must  maintain  the  applicable  Common  Equity  Tier  1  Capital  Conservation  Buffer  to  avoid 
becoming subject to restrictions on capital distributions, including dividends. The Capital Conservation Buffer is currently at its 
fully phased-in level of 2.5%. For more information on the Capital Conservation Buffer, see above.

Our ability to declare and pay dividends to our shareholders is similarly limited by federal banking law and Federal Reserve 
regulations and policy. Federal Reserve policy provides that a bank holding company should not pay dividends unless (1) the 
bank holding company’s net income over the last four quarters (net of dividends paid) is sufficient to fully fund the dividends, 
(2)  the  prospective  rate  of  earnings  retention  appears  consistent  with  the  capital  needs,  asset  quality  and  overall  financial 
condition of the bank holding company and its subsidiaries and (3) the bank holding company will continue to meet minimum 
required  capital  adequacy  ratios.  The  policy  also  provides  that  a  bank  holding  company  should  inform  the  Federal  Reserve 
reasonably in advance of declaring or paying a dividend that exceeds earnings for the period for which the dividend is being 
paid or that could result in a material adverse change to the bank holding company’s capital structure. Bank holding companies 
also are required to consult with the Federal Reserve before materially increasing dividends. The Federal Reserve could prohibit 
or limit the payment of dividends by a bank holding company if it determines that payment of the dividend would constitute an 
unsafe or unsound practice. 

FDICIA and Prompt Corrective Action

The  Federal  Deposit  Insurance  Corporation  Improvement  Act  of  1991  (“FDICIA”)  requires  the  federal  bank  regulatory 
agencies  to  take  “prompt  corrective  action”  regarding  FDIC-insured  depository  institutions  that  do  not  meet  certain  capital 
adequacy standards. A depository institution’s treatment for purposes of the prompt corrective action provisions depends upon 

12

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
its level of capitalization and certain other factors. An institution that fails to remain well-capitalized becomes subject to a series 
of restrictions that increase in severity as its capital condition weakens. Such restrictions may include a prohibition on capital 
distributions,  restrictions  on  asset  growth  or  restrictions  on  the  ability  to  receive  regulatory  approval  of  applications.  The 
FDICIA  also  provides  for  enhanced  supervisory  authority  over  undercapitalized  institutions,  including  authority  for  the 
appointment of a conservator or receiver for the institution. In certain instances, a bank holding company may be required to 
guarantee the performance of an undercapitalized subsidiary bank’s capital restoration plan.

As of December 31, 2021, each of the Company’s banks was categorized as “well-capitalized” and, in addition, met additional 
requirements under the Capital Conservation Buffer. 

Enforcement Authority

The federal bank regulatory agencies have broad authority to issue orders to depository institutions and their holding companies 
prohibiting  activities  that  constitute  violations  of  law,  rule,  regulation,  or  administrative  order,  or  that  represent  unsafe  or 
unsound banking practices, as determined by the federal banking agencies. The federal banking agencies also are empowered to 
require affirmative actions to correct any violation or practice; issue administrative orders that can be judicially enforced; direct 
increases  in  capital;  limit  dividends  and  distributions;  restrict  growth;  assess  civil  money  penalties  against  institutions  or 
individuals  who  violate  any  laws,  regulations,  orders,  or  written  agreements  with  the  agencies;  order  termination  of  certain 
activities of holding companies or their non-bank subsidiaries; remove officers and directors; order divestiture of ownership or 
control  of  a  non-banking  subsidiary  by  a  holding  company;  or  terminate  deposit  insurance  and  appoint  a  conservator  or 
receiver. 

Safety and Soundness

The federal bank regulatory agencies have adopted a set of guidelines prescribing safety and soundness standards relating to 
internal  controls  and  information  systems,  informational  security,  internal  audit  systems,  loan  documentation,  credit 
underwriting,  interest  rate  exposure,  asset  growth,  and  compensation,  fees  and  benefits.  The  guidelines  prohibit  excessive 
compensation  as  an  unsafe  and  unsound  practice,  and  describe  compensation  as  excessive  when  the  amounts  paid  are 
unreasonable or disproportionate to the services performed by an executive officer, employee, director or principal shareholder.

During  the  past  decade,  properly  managing  risks  has  been  identified  as  critical  to  the  conduct  of  safe  and  sound  banking 
activities  and  has  become  even  more  important  as  new  technologies,  product  innovation,  and  the  size  and  speed  of  financial 
transactions  have  changed  the  nature  of  banking  markets.  The  agencies  have  identified  a  spectrum  of  risks  facing  banking 
institutions  including,  but  not  limited  to,  credit,  market,  liquidity,  operational,  legal,  and  reputational  risk.  Some  of  the 
regulatory  pronouncements  have  focused  on  operational  risk,  which  arises  from  the  potential  that  inadequate  information 
systems, operational problems, breaches in internal controls, fraud, or unforeseen catastrophes will result in unexpected losses. 
New products and services, third-party risk management and cybersecurity are critical sources of operational risk that financial 
institutions  are  expected  to  address  in  the  current  environment.  Our  subsidiary  banks  are  expected  to  have  active  board  and 
senior  management  oversight;  adequate  policies,  procedures,  and  limits;  adequate  risk  measurement,  monitoring,  and 
management information systems; and comprehensive and effective internal controls. 

Cross-Guarantee

Under the cross-guarantee provision of the FDIA, insured depository institutions such as our subsidiary banks may be liable to 
the FDIC for any losses incurred, or reasonably expected to be incurred, by the FDIC resulting from the default of, or FDIC 
assistance  to,  any  other  commonly  controlled  insured  depository  institution.  An  FDIC  cross-guarantee  claim  against  a 
depository institution is superior in right of payment to claims of the holding company and its affiliates against such depository 
institution. All of our subsidiary banks are commonly controlled within the meaning of the cross-guarantee provision.

Insurance of Deposit Accounts

The  deposits  of  each  of  our  subsidiary  banks  are  insured  by  the  Depositors  Insurance  Fund  (“DIF”)  up  to  the  standard 
maximum  deposit  insurance  amount  of  $250,000  per  depositor.  Each  of  our  subsidiary  banks  is  subject  to  deposit  insurance 
assessments based on the risk it poses to the DIF, as determined by the capital category and supervisory category to which it is 
assigned. The FDIC has authority to raise or lower assessment rates on insured deposits in order to achieve statutorily required 
reserve  ratios  in  the  DIF  and  to  impose  special  additional  assessments.  There  is  a  risk  that  our  subsidiary  banks’  deposit 
insurance premiums will increase if failures of insured depository institutions deplete the DIF or if the FDIC were to change its 
view of the risk that they pose to the DIF.

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In addition, the Deposit Insurance Fund Act of 1996 authorized the Financing Corporation (“FICO”) to impose assessments on 
DIF  assessable  deposits  in  order  to  service  the  interest  on  FICO’s  bond  obligations.  The  FICO  assessment  rate  was  adjusted 
quarterly  through  the  final  collection  in  the  second  quarter  of  2019.  The  rate  was  approximately  0.120  basis  points  for  the 
second quarter of 2019 (12 cents per $10,000 of assessable deposits).

Assessment rates remain unchanged since the DIF reserve ratio fell to 1.30% in June 2020. The FDIC, as required under the 
Federal Deposit Insurance Act, established a plan on September 15, 2020, to restore the DIF reserve ratio to meet or exceed 
1.35% within eight years. The FDIC’s restoration plan projects the reserve ratio to exceed 1.35% without increasing the deposit 
insurance  assessment  rate,  subject  to  ongoing  monitoring  over  the  next  eight  years.  The  FDIC  could  increase  the  deposit 
insurance assessments for certain insured depository institutions, including our subsidiary banks, if the DIF reserve ratio is not 
restored as projected.

Limits on Loans to One Borrower and Loans to Insiders

Federal banking laws impose limits on the amount of credit a bank can extend to any one person (or group of related persons). 
For  national  banks,  this  limit  includes  credit  exposures  arising  from  derivative  transactions,  repurchase  agreements,  and 
securities lending and borrowing transactions. 

Applicable  banking  laws  and  regulations  also  place  restrictions  on  loans  by  FDIC-insured  banks  and  their  affiliates  to  their 
directors, executive officers and principal shareholders.

Lending Standards and Guidance

The federal banking agencies have adopted uniform regulations prescribing standards for extensions of credit that are secured 
by  liens  or  interests  in  real  estate  or  made  for  the  purpose  of  financing  permanent  improvements  to  real  estate.  Under  these 
regulations,  all  insured  depository  institutions,  such  as  our  subsidiary  banks,  must  adopt  and  maintain  written  policies 
establishing appropriate limits and standards for extensions of credit that are secured by liens or interests in real estate or are 
made  for  the  purpose  of  financing  permanent  improvements  to  real  estate.  These  policies  must  establish  loan  portfolio 
diversification  standards,  prudent  underwriting  standards  (including  loan-to-value  limits)  that  are  clear  and  measurable,  loan 
administration  procedures,  and  documentation,  approval  and  reporting  requirements.  The  real  estate  lending  policies  must 
reflect consideration of the federal bank regulators’ Interagency Guidelines for Real Estate Lending Policies.

De Novo Branching and De Novo Banks

With the approval of applicable regulators, national banks and state banks may establish de novo branches in states other than 
their home state as if such state was the bank’s home state.

For  a  three-year  period,  newly  chartered  banks  are  subject  to  enhanced  supervisory  procedures,  including  higher  capital 
requirements, more frequent examinations and other requirements.

Anti-Tying Provisions

Each of our subsidiary banks is prohibited from conditioning the availability of any product or service, or varying the price for 
any product or service, on the requirement that the customer obtain some additional product or service from the bank or any of 
its affiliates, other than loans, deposits and trust services.

Transactions with Affiliates

Certain  transactions  between  a  bank  and  its  holding  company  or  other  non-bank  affiliates  are  subject  to  various  restrictions 
imposed by state and federal law and regulation. Such “covered transactions” include loans and other extensions of credit by the 
bank to the affiliate, investments in securities issued by the affiliate, purchases of assets from the affiliate, certain derivative 
transactions  that  create  a  credit  exposure  to  an  affiliate,  the  acceptance  of  securities  issued  by  the  affiliate  as  collateral  for  a 
loan,  and  the  issuance  of  a  guarantee,  acceptance  or  letter  of  credit  on  behalf  of  the  affiliate.  In  general,  these  affiliate 
transaction rules limit the amount of covered transactions between an institution and a single affiliate, as well as the aggregate 
amount of covered transactions between an institution and all of its affiliates. In addition, covered transactions that are credit 
transactions  must  be  secured  by  acceptable  collateral,  and  all  affiliate  transactions,  including  those  that  do  not  qualify  as 
covered transactions, must be on terms that are at least as favorable to the bank as then-prevailing in the market for comparable 
transactions  with  unaffiliated  entities.  Transactions  between  affiliated  banks  may  be  subject  to  certain  exemptions  under 
applicable federal law.

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Community Reinvestment Act

Under the CRA, insured depository institutions, including our subsidiary banks, have a continuing and affirmative obligation to 
help  meet  the  credit  needs  of  its  entire  community,  including  low  and  moderate-income  neighborhoods.  The  CRA  does  not 
establish specific lending requirements or programs for insured depository institutions nor does it limit an insured depository 
institution’s discretion to develop the types of products and services that it believes are best suited to its particular community, 
consistent with the CRA. However, insured depository institutions are rated on their performance in meeting the needs of their 
communities.  The  CRA  requires  each  federal  banking  agency  to  take  an  insured  depository  institution’s  CRA  record  into 
account  when  evaluating  certain  applications  by  the  insured  depository  institution  or  its  holding  company,  including 
applications  for  charters,  branches  and  other  deposit  facilities,  relocations,  mergers,  consolidations,  acquisitions  of  assets  or 
assumptions of liabilities, and bank and savings association acquisitions. An unsatisfactory record of performance may be the 
basis for denying or conditioning approval of an application by an insured depository institution or its holding company. The 
CRA  also  requires  that  all  institutions  publicly  disclose  their  CRA  ratings.  Each  of  our  subsidiary  banks  received  a 
“satisfactory” or better rating from the Federal Reserve or the OCC on its most recent CRA performance evaluation.

In June 2020, the OCC adopted the CRA rules in final form (June 2020 Rule), which would have applied to national banks, 
including our subsidiary banks. In December 2021, the OCC issued a final rule to rescind the June 2020 Rule and replace it 
with a rule based largely on the prior rules adopted jointly by the federal banking agencies in 1995, as amended, that existed 
prior to the June 2020 Rule. The OCC has also issued a joint statement with the FDIC and Federal Reserve stating that they are 
committed to working jointly to modernize the CRA rules.

Compliance with Consumer Protection Laws

Our subsidiary banks and some other operating subsidiaries are subject to a variety of federal and state statutes and regulations 
designed  to  protect  consumers.  The  CFPB  has  broad  rulemaking  authority  over  a  wide  range  of  federal  consumer  protection 
laws  that  apply  to  banks  and  other  providers  of  financial  products  and  services,  including  the  authority  to  prohibit  “unfair, 
deceptive  or  abusive”  acts  and  practices,  but  examination  and  supervision  is  carried  out  by  each  subsidiary  bank’s  primary 
federal banking agency and, where applicable, state banking agency, not the CFPB. In addition, the Dodd-Frank Act authorizes 
state attorneys general and other state officials to enforce consumer protection rules issued by the CFPB. State authorities have 
recently increased their focus on and enforcement of consumer protection rules.

Interest  and  other  charges  collected  or  contracted  for  by  banks  are  subject  to  state  usury  laws  and  federal  laws  concerning 
interest rates. Loan operations are also subject to federal laws applicable to credit transactions, such as: 

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

the  federal  Truth-In-Lending  Act  and  Regulation  Z  issued  by  the  CFPB,  governing  disclosures  of  credit  terms  to 
consumer borrowers;
The Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act and Regulation X issued by the CFPB, requiring that borrowers for mortgage 
loans  for  one-  to  four-family  residential  real  estate  receive  various  disclosures,  including  good  faith  estimates  of 
settlement costs, lender servicing and escrow account practices, and prohibiting certain practices that increase the cost of 
settlement services;
the  Home  Mortgage  Disclosure  Act  and  Regulation  C  issued  by  the  CFPB,  requiring  financial  institutions  to  provide 
information to enable the public and public officials to determine whether a financial institution is fulfilling its obligation 
to help meet the housing needs of the community it serves;
the  Equal  Credit  Opportunity  Act  and  Regulation  B  issued  by  the  CFPB,  prohibiting  discrimination  on  the  basis  of 
various prohibited factors in extending credit;
the Fair Credit Reporting Act and Regulation V issued by the CFPB, governing the use and provision of information to 
consumer reporting agencies;
the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act and Regulation F issued by the CFPB, governing the manner in which consumer 
debts may be collected by collection agencies;
the Service Members Civil Relief Act, applying to all debts incurred prior to commencement of active military service 
(including credit card and other open-end debt) and limiting the amount of interest, including service and renewal charges 
and any other fees or charges (other than bona fide insurance) that is related to the obligation or liability; and
the guidance of the various federal agencies charged with the responsibility of implementing such federal laws.

Deposit operations are subject to, among others:

•

the  Truth  in  Savings  Act  and  Regulation  DD  issued  by  the  CFPB,  which  require  disclosure  of  deposit  terms  to 
consumers;

15

•
•

•

Regulation CC issued by the Federal Reserve Board, which relates to the availability of deposit funds to consumers;
the Right to Financial Privacy Act, which imposes a duty to maintain the confidentiality of consumer financial records 
and prescribes procedures for complying with administrative subpoenas of financial records; and
the  Electronic  Fund  Transfer  Act  and  Regulation  E  issued  by  the  CFPB,  which  governs  automatic  deposits  to  and 
withdrawals from deposit accounts and customers’ rights and liabilities arising from the use of automated teller machines 
and other electronic banking services.

There are consumer protection standards that apply to functional areas of operation rather than applying only to loan or deposit 
products.  Our  subsidiary  banks  and  some  other  operating  subsidiaries  are  also  subject  to  certain  state  laws  and  regulations 
designed to protect consumers.

The CFPB has promulgated, and continues to promulgate, many mortgage-related final rules since it was established under the 
Dodd-Frank Act, including rules related to the ability to repay and qualified mortgage standards, mortgage servicing standards, 
loan  originator  compensation  standards,  high-cost  mortgage  requirements,  Home  Mortgage  Disclosure  Act  requirements  and 
appraisal  and  escrow  standards  for  higher  priced  mortgages.  Most  of  the  provisions  of  these  mortgage-related  final  rules  are 
currently  effective.  In  addition,  several  proposed  revisions  to  mortgage-related  rules  are  pending  finalization.  The  mortgage-
related  final  rules  issued  by  the  CFPB  have  materially  restructured  the  origination,  servicing  and  securitization  of  residential 
mortgages  in  the  United  States.  These  rules  have  impacted,  and  will  continue  to  impact,  the  business  practices  of  mortgage 
lenders, including the Company. 

In  order  to  ensure  compliance  with  all  mortgage-related  rules  and  regulations,  the  Company  consolidated  its  consumer 
mortgage  loan  origination  and  loan  servicing  operations  primarily  within  Wintrust  Mortgage.  All  consumer  mortgage 
applications  are  taken  through  Wintrust  Mortgage,  which  has  extensively  trained  loan  originators  located  at  many  of  our 
branches. While in certain limited cases our banks may offer specialized consumer mortgages to our customers, substantially all 
consumer mortgages for all of our banks are originated and closed by Wintrust Mortgage. Wintrust Mortgage then sells loans to 
third  parties  or  to  our  banks.  To  the  extent  that  we  retain  consumer  mortgage  loans  in  our  bank  portfolios,  our  banks  have 
engaged Wintrust Mortgage to provide loan servicing.

In January 2021, the OCC released a final rule that would require certain OCC-supervised banks to provide access to services, 
capital,  and  credit  based  on  their  risk  assessment  of  individual  customers,  rather  than  broad-based  decisions  affecting  whole 
categories  or  classes  of  customers,  which  includes  requiring  banks  to  make  each  financial  service  they  offer  available  to  all 
persons in the geographic market served by them on proportionally equal terms. The rule was scheduled to take effect on April 
1, 2021. However, the OCC announced that the next confirmed Comptroller of the Currency will review the final rule, and its 
future remains uncertain.

Changes  to  consumer  protection  regulations,  including  those  promulgated  by  the  CFPB,  could  affect  our  business  but  the 
likelihood, timing and scope of any such changes and the impact any such change may have on us cannot be determined with 
any certainty. See Item 1A. Risk Factors. 

Debit Interchange

We are subject to a statutory requirement that interchange fees for electronic debit transactions that are paid to or charged by 
payment  card  issuers,  including  our  bank  subsidiaries,  be  reasonable  and  proportional  to  the  cost  incurred  by  the  issuer. 
Interchange fees for electronic debit transactions are limited to 21 cents plus 0.05% of the transaction, plus an additional one 
cent per transaction fraud adjustment, impose requirements regarding routing and exclusivity of electronic debit transactions, 
and generally require that debit cards be usable in at least two unaffiliated networks.

Anti-Money Laundering Programs

The  Bank  Secrecy  Act  (“BSA”)  and  USA  PATRIOT  Act  of  2001  (“USA  PATRIOT  Act”)  contain  anti-money  laundering 
(“AML”) and financial transparency provisions intended to detect, and prevent the use of the U.S. financial system for, money 
laundering and terrorist financing activities. The BSA, as amended by the USA PATRIOT Act, requires depository institutions 
and their holding companies to undertake activities including maintaining an AML program, verifying the identity of clients, 
monitoring  for  and  reporting  suspicious  transactions,  reporting  on  cash  transactions  exceeding  specified  thresholds,  and 
responding to requests for information by regulatory authorities and law enforcement agencies. Each of our subsidiary banks is 
subject  to  the  BSA  and,  therefore,  is  required  to  provide  its  employees  with  AML  training,  designate  an  AML  compliance 
officer  and  undergo  an  annual,  independent  audit  to  assess  the  effectiveness  of  its  AML  program.  We  have  implemented 
policies,  procedures  and  internal  controls  that  are  designed  to  comply  with  these  AML  requirements.  In  May  2016,  the 
Financial  Crimes  Enforcement  Network  (“FinCEN”),  which  is  a  unit  of  the  Treasury  Department  that  drafts  regulations 

16

implementing the USA PATRIOT Act and other AML and BSA legislation, issued final rules governing enhanced customer 
due  diligence.  The  rules  impose  several  new  obligations  on  covered  financial  institutions  with  respect  to  their  “legal  entity 
customers,” including corporations, limited liability companies and other similar entities. For each such customer that opens an 
account (including an existing customer opening a new account), the covered financial institution must identify and verify the 
customer’s “beneficial owners,” who are specifically defined in the rules. The rules contain an exemption for certain insurance 
premium financing transactions. Bank regulators are focusing their examinations on anti-money laundering compliance, and we 
will  continue  to  monitor  and  augment,  where  necessary,  our  AML  compliance  programs.  The  federal  banking  agencies  are 
required,  when  reviewing  bank  and  bank  holding  company  acquisition  or  merger  applications,  to  take  into  account  the 
effectiveness of the anti-money laundering activities of the applicant.

The Anti-Money Laundering Act of 2020, enacted on January 1, 2021 as part of the National Defense Authorization Act, does 
not  directly  impose  new  requirements  on  banks,  but  requires  the  U.S.  Treasury  Department  to  issue  National  Anti-Money 
Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism Priorities, and conduct studies and issue regulations that may, over the 
next few years, significantly alter some of the due diligence, recordkeeping and reporting requirements that the Bank Secrecy 
Act and USA PATRIOT Act impose on banks. The Anti-Money Laundering Act of 2020 also contains provisions that promote 
increased  information-sharing  and  use  of  technology,  and  increases  penalties  for  violations  of  the  Bank  Secrecy  Act  and 
includes whistleblower incentives, both of which could increase the prospect of regulatory enforcement.

Office of Foreign Assets Control Regulation

The  U.S.  Department  of  the  Treasury’s  Office  of  Foreign  Assets  Control,  or  “OFAC,”  is  responsible  for  administering 
economic  sanctions  that  affect  transactions  with  designated  foreign  countries,  nationals  and  others,  as  defined  by  various 
Executive Orders and Acts of Congress.  OFAC-administered sanctions take many different forms.  For example, sanctions may 
include:  (1)  restrictions  on  trade  with  or  investment  in  a  sanctioned  country,  including  prohibitions  against  direct  or  indirect 
imports from and exports to a sanctioned country and prohibitions on U.S. persons engaging in financial transactions relating 
to, making investments in, or providing investment-related advice or assistance to, a sanctioned country; and (2) a blocking of 
assets in which the government or “specially designated nationals” of the sanctioned country have an interest, by prohibiting 
transfers of property subject to U.S. jurisdiction (including property in the possession or control of U.S. persons).  OFAC also 
publishes lists of persons, organizations, and countries suspected of aiding, harboring or engaging in terrorist acts, known as 
Specially  Designated  Nationals  and  Blocked  Persons.  Blocked  assets  (e.g.,  property  and  bank  deposits)  cannot  be  paid  out, 
withdrawn, set off or transferred in any manner without a license from OFAC.  Failure to comply with these sanctions could 
have serious legal and reputational consequences.

Protection of Client Information

Legal requirements concerning the use and protection of client information affect many aspects of the Company’s business, and 
are  continuing  to  evolve.  They  include  the  privacy  and  information  safeguarding  provisions  of  the  Gramm-Leach-Bliley  Act 
(“GLB  Act”),  the  Fair  Credit  Reporting  Act  (“FCRA”)  and  the  amendments  adopted  by  the  Fair  and  Accurate  Credit 
Transactions Act of 2003, as well as state law requirements. The GLB Act requires a financial institution to disclose its privacy 
policy  to  certain  customers,  and  requires  the  financial  institution  to  allow  those  customers  to  opt-out  of  some  sharing  of  the 
customers’  nonpublic  personal  information  with  nonaffiliated  third  persons.  In  accordance  with  these  requirements,  we  and 
each  of  our  banks  and  operating  subsidiaries  provide  a  written  privacy  notice  to  each  affected  customer  when  the  customer 
relationship begins and on an annual basis. As described in the privacy notice, we protect the security of information about our 
customers, educate our employees about the importance of protecting customer privacy, and allow affected customers to opt out 
of certain types of information sharing. We and our subsidiaries also require business partners with which we share information 
to have adequate security safeguards and to follow the requirements of the GLB Act. The GLB Act, as interpreted by the federal 
banking regulators, and state laws require us to take certain actions, including possible notice to affected customers, in the event 
that  sensitive  customer  information  is  compromised.  We  and/or  each  of  the  banks  and  operating  subsidiaries  may  need  to 
amend  our  privacy  policies  and  adapt  our  internal  procedures  in  the  event  that  these  legal  requirements,  or  the  regulators’ 
interpretation of them, change, or if new requirements are added.

Data privacy and data protection are areas of increasing state legislative focus. For example, in June of 2018, the Governor of 
California signed into law the California Consumer Privacy Act (“CCPA”). The CCPA, which became effective on January 1, 
2020, applies to for-profit businesses that conduct business in California and meet certain revenue or data collection thresholds. 
The  CCPA  contains  several  exemptions,  including  that  many,  but  not  all,  requirements  of  the  CCPA  are  inapplicable  to 
information that is collected, processed, sold or disclosed pursuant to the GLB Act. California voters also recently passed the 
California Privacy Rights Act, which will take effect on January 1, 2023 and significantly modifies the CCPA. The California 
Privacy Rights Act imposes additional obligations on covered companies and expands California consumers’ rights with respect 

17

to certain sensitive personal information, resulting in further uncertainty and potentially requiring us to incur additional costs 
and expenses in an effort to comply with these requirements. 

The CCPA may be interpreted or applied in a manner inconsistent with our understanding or similar laws may be adopted by 
other states where we do business. The impact of the CCPA on our business is yet to be determined. The federal government 
may also pass data privacy or data protection legislation.

Like other lenders, the banks and several of our operating subsidiaries use credit bureau data in their underwriting activities. 
Use  of  such  data  is  regulated  under  the  FCRA,  and  the  FCRA  also  regulates  reporting  information  to  credit  bureaus, 
prescreening  individuals  for  credit  offers,  sharing  of  information  between  affiliates,  and  using  affiliate  data  for  marketing 
purposes. Similar state laws may impose additional requirements on us, the banks and our operating subsidiaries.

In November 2021, the Federal Reserve, OCC, and FDIC adopted a new regulation that, among other things, requires a banking 
organization  to  notify  its  primary  federal  regulators  within  36  hours  after  identifying  a  “computer-security  incident”  that  the 
banking  organization  believes  in  good  faith  could  materially  disrupt  or  degrade  its  business  or  operations  in  a  manner  that 
would, among other things, jeopardize the viability of its operations, result in customers being unable to access their deposit and 
other  accounts,  result  in  a  material  loss  of  revenue,  profit  or  franchise  value,  or  pose  a  threat  to  the  financial  stability  of  the  
United States.

Violation of these legal requirements may expose us to regulatory action and private litigation, including claims for damages 
and penalties. 

Broker-Dealer and Investment Adviser Regulation

Wintrust  Investments  and  Great  Lakes  Advisors  are  subject  to  extensive  regulation  under  federal  and  state  securities  laws. 
Wintrust Investments is registered as a broker-dealer with the SEC and in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and the U.S. 
Virgin  Islands.  Both  Wintrust  Investments  and  Great  Lakes  Advisors  are  registered  as  investment  advisers  with  the  SEC.  In 
addition,  Wintrust  Investments  is  a  member  of  several  self-regulatory  organizations  (“SROs”),  including  FINRA  and  NYSE 
Chicago. In addition to SEC rules and regulations, the SROs adopt rules, subject to approval of the SEC, that govern all aspects 
of business in the securities industry and conduct periodic examinations of member firms. Wintrust Investments is also subject 
to  regulation  by  state  securities  commissions  in  states  in  which  it  conducts  business.  Wintrust  Investments  and  Great  Lakes 
Advisors  are  registered  only  with  the  SEC  as  investment  advisers,  but  certain  of  their  advisory  personnel  are  subject  to 
regulation by state securities regulatory agencies.

As a result of federal and state registrations and SRO memberships, Wintrust Investments is subject to overlapping schemes of 
regulation  that  cover  all  aspects  of  its  securities  businesses.  Such  regulations  cover  uses  and  safekeeping  of  clients’  funds; 
record-keeping  and  reporting  requirements;  supervisory  and  organizational  procedures  intended  to  assure  compliance  with 
securities  laws  and  to  prevent  improper  trading  on  material  nonpublic  information;  personnel-related  matters,  including 
qualification  and  licensing  of  supervisory  and  sales  personnel;  limitations  on  extensions  of  credit  in  securities  transactions; 
clearance and settlement procedures; “suitability” determinations as to certain customer transactions; limitations on the amounts 
and  types  of  fees  and  commissions  that  may  be  charged  to  customers;  and  regulation  of  proprietary  trading  activities  and 
affiliate transactions. Violations of the laws and regulations governing a broker-dealer’s actions can result in censures, fines, the 
issuance  of  cease-and-desist  orders,  revocation  of  licenses  or  registrations,  the  suspension  or  expulsion  from  the  securities 
industry  of  a  broker-dealer  or  its  officers  or  employees,  or  other  similar  actions  by  both  federal  and  state  securities 
administrators, as well as the SROs.

As  a  registered  broker-dealer,  Wintrust  Investments  is  subject  to  the  SEC’s  net  capital  rule  as  well  as  the  net  capital 
requirements of the SROs of which it is a member. Net capital rules, which specify minimum capital requirements, are designed 
to measure general financial integrity and liquidity and require that at least a minimum amount of net assets be kept in relatively 
liquid  form.  Rules  of  FINRA  and  other  SROs  also  impose  limitations  and  requirements  on  the  transfer  of  member 
organizations’ assets. Compliance with net capital requirements may limit the Company’s operations requiring the intensive use 
of capital. These requirements restrict the Company’s ability to withdraw capital from Wintrust Investments, which in turn may 
limit  the  Company’s  ability  to  pay  dividends,  repay  debt  or  redeem  or  purchase  shares  of  the  Company’s  own  outstanding 
stock. Wintrust Investments is a member of the Securities Investor Protection Corporation (“SIPC”), which subject to certain 
limitations, serves to oversee the liquidation of a member brokerage firm, and to return missing cash, stock and other securities 
owed to the firm’s brokerage customers, in the event a member broker-dealer fails. The general SIPC protection for customers’ 
securities  accounts  held  by  a  member  broker-dealer  is  up  to  $500,000  for  each  eligible  customer,  including  a  maximum  of 
$250,000 for cash claims. SIPC does not protect brokerage customers against investment losses. In addition to SIPC coverage, 
the  clearing  firm  utilized  by  Wintrust  Investments  offers  certain  insurance  coverage.  In  the  event  of  the  clearing  firm’s 

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insolvency, clients whose cash and securities were not fully protected by SIPC may benefit from this additional insurance. The 
policy provides coverage to each client up to $1.9 million, subject to an aggregate cap of $1 billion for all policy beneficiaries. 

Wintrust Investments and Great Lakes Advisors in their capacities as investment advisers are subject to regulations covering 
matters  such  as  transactions  between  clients,  transactions  between  the  adviser  and  clients,  custody  of  client  assets  and 
management of mutual funds and other client accounts. The principal purpose of regulation and discipline of investment firms 
is  the  protection  of  customers,  clients  and  the  securities  markets  rather  than  the  protection  of  creditors  and  shareholders  of 
investment firms. Sanctions that may be imposed for failure to comply with laws or regulations governing investment advisers 
include the suspension of individual employees, limitations on an adviser’s engaging in various asset management activities for 
specified periods of time, the revocation of registrations, other censures and fines. 

In June 2019, the SEC finalized Regulation Best Interest, which imposes a new standard of conduct on SEC-registered broker-
dealers when making recommendations to retail customers. In addition, the SEC finalized a new summary disclosure form that 
broker-dealers  and  registered  investment  advisers  must  provide  to  retail  customers.  Wintrust  Investments  and  Great  Lakes 
Advisors were required to comply with these requirements, as applicable, as of June 2020. 

Incentive Compensation

The  federal  banking  agencies  have  issued  joint  guidance  on  incentive  compensation  designed  to  ensure  that  the  incentive 
compensation policies of banking organizations, such as us and our subsidiary banks, do not encourage imprudent risk taking 
and  are  consistent  with  the  safety  and  soundness  of  the  organization.  In  addition,  the  Dodd-Frank  Act  requires  the  federal 
banking agencies and the SEC to issue regulations or guidelines requiring covered financial institutions, including us and our 
subsidiary  banks,  to  prohibit  incentive-based  payment  arrangements  that  encourage  inappropriate  risks  by  providing 
compensation  that  is  excessive  or  that  could  lead  to  material  financial  loss  to  the  institution.  A  proposed  rule  was  issued  in 
2016. It is unclear when, if ever, the proposed rule will be finalized. The Biden Administration may revisit this proposal.

Also  pursuant  to  the  Dodd-Frank  Act,  in  2015,  the  SEC  proposed  rules  that  would  direct  stock  exchanges  to  require  listed 
companies to implement clawback policies to recover incentive-based compensation from current or former executive officers 
in  the  event  of  certain  financial  restatements  and  would  also  require  companies  to  disclose  their  clawback  policies  and  their 
actions under those policies. The SEC has re-opened the comment period for these rules, but it is unclear when the proposed 
rules will be finalized.

Human Capital Resources

Since its formation, Wintrust has held the objective of aiming to differentiate itself by offering customers a highly-personalized 
banking experience, through staff that is warm, friendly, and responsive. Wintrust expects each of its employees to embody that 
original mission by serving as brand ambassadors each day, within each community served by our banks and other business 
units.  

Workforce Overview

As  of  December  31,  2021,  Wintrust  employed  5,239  full-time  equivalent  employees  in  the  U.S.  and  Canada.  Approximately 
97% of Wintrust’s employees are classified as full-time, working greater than 30 hours per week. None of our employees are 
represented by a collective bargaining agreement and we consider our employee relations to be good.

Talent Recruiting and Retention

At Wintrust we recognize that attracting, motivating and retaining talent at all levels is vital to continuing our success. In 2021, 
Wintrust filled approximately 1,069 positions, including external hires, internal transfers/promotions, and temporary hires. In 
2021, approximately 54% of our new hires self-identified as female and approximately 39% of new hires self-identified as a 
racial  or  ethnic  minority.  Wintrust  promotes  an  employee  referral  program,  which  we  believe  favorably  affects  colleague 
retention  and  engagement.  Turnover  for  the  entire  Wintrust  enterprise  for  the  year  was  approximately  20%  and  voluntary 
departures accounted for approximately 81% of the total turnover.

Wintrust  offers  total  rewards  packages  that  are  designed  to  attract,  motivate  and  retain  a  talented  and  diverse  group  of 
employees.  In  addition  to  competitive,  performance-based  compensation  plans,  we  provide  employees  with  comprehensive 
benefits packages. Wintrust consistently monitors and adapts its total rewards program design to reflect both market changes 
and employee feedback.  

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Diversity & Inclusion

Wintrust strives to promote an equitable, diverse and inclusive culture where each employee can be successful, and one that is 
reflective  of  the  communities  we  serve.    Women  currently  represent  more  than  58%  of  Wintrust’s  workforce.  In  addition, 
racially/ethnically  diverse  representation  in  Wintrust’s  workforce  is  approximately  31%.  To  further  advance  diversity  and 
inclusion across Wintrust, we have taken the following steps:

•

•

•

•

Expanded  the  “shared  responsibility  in  action”  theme  by  launching  12-month  advocate-protégé  partnerships  which 
paired select high-potential protégés with senior executive advocates.   The protégé cohort includes over 60% women 
and  35%  leaders  who  are  racially  or  ethnically  diverse.      The  program  objective  is  to  accelerate  development  of 
leadership opportunities for protégés within one to three years after launching the partnership.  
Launched  a  fourth  Business  Resource  Group  (“BRG”)  called  Prism,  which  is  intended  to  support  our  LGBTQ+ 
employees and community. Other BRGs are:   Leadership Coalition, Multicultural Professionals Network, and Career 
Navigation.   Over 10% of Wintrust employees have registered as members of one or more BRG.   
Introduced the 360 degree Inclusivity Model designed to take inclusive approaches to addressing racial and financial 
disparities in the communities we serve, through enhanced products and services.   
Required each of our business units to outline key goals and effective effort for advancing diversity and inclusion via 
formal Diversity & Inclusion Business Unit Action Plans document that are reviewed and updated annually.

Learning & Development

We are committed to providing all team members with development opportunities through individual and career development 
planning. Our employees have access to approximately 500 Banking topics, 150 Professional Skills topics and 400 customized 
training courses and resources through Wintrust University – our learning portal. In 2021, we introduced a new online training 
catalog containing over 16,000 course offerings for our employees’ personal and professional development. In 2021, Wintrust 
invested more than 117,000 total hours in training by team members.  

We  routinely  identify  and  recognize  talented  employees  by  performing  comprehensive  reviews  of  leadership  capability, 
readiness, aspiration and succession planning. To support the development of our internal talent pipeline, we have invested in a 
number  of  programs  to  support  the  development  of  future  leaders  and  additional  training  for  senior  leaders  with  strategic 
accountability. To support the development of future leaders, 79 newly minted leaders attended “The Fundamentals of Wintrust 
Leadership” program and 18 senior leaders participated in our year-long “Winning at Wintrust” training program focused on 
strategic accountability. Additionally, 141 retail employees completed the Wintrust Bankers Academy program in 2021.

Annually,  Wintrust  team  members  at  all  levels  certify  their  completion  of  regulatory  training  based  upon  their  roles  and 
responsibilities. They also are encouraged to complete a minimum of two professional development activities each year.

Pandemic Worker Health & Safety Efforts

Initiatives undertaken to keep our employees safe during the COVID-19 pandemic have included:

•

•
•
•

Granted emergency sick leave to all employees up to 160 hours for caring for a family member or personal illness due 
to COVID-19. 
Paid employees for all employer directed quarantines due to close contact exposure in the workplace.  
Continued to support non-essential staff to work remotely where possible.
Hosted  various  virtual  wellness  sessions  throughout  the  year  addressing  a  variety  of  topics  that  included  anxiety, 
depression, resiliency for working parents, nutrition, ergonomics and virtual cooking classes. 
Closely monitored vaccinations percentages of our overall workforce.  

•
• Modified banking operations and branch staffing levels to limit close person-to-person contact where possible. 
Paid employees full wages in the event a branch closure occurred due to COVID-19 impacts on staffing levels. 
•
Offered telemedicine services through a third-party vendor for COVID-19 symptoms and illness. 
•
Covered  the  full  cost  of  COVID-19  testing  for  all  employees  and  family  members  enrolled  in  Wintrust’s  health 
•
benefits.

• Made at-home COVID-19 test kits available to limit employees’ need to leave their homes for testing.
•
•

Continued support for childcare benefits for employees to improve work-life balance.
Provided  employee  assistance  program  offerings  and  resources  designed  to  help  employees  deal  with  COVID-19 
related mental health issues.

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• Monitored and adjusted safety protocols and signage at all of our locations in response to changing guidelines by local, 

state and federal regulations, and recommendations.

• Maintained comprehensive employee communications program regarding COVID-19 related matters.
•
•

Provided enhanced manager and employee resources relating to remote work environment.
Required daily health attestations for employees reporting to branch locations and offices. 

Available Information

The  Company’s  Internet  address  is  www.wintrust.com.  The  Company  makes  available  at  this  address,  under  the  “Investor 
Relations” tab, free of charge, its Annual Report on Form 10-K, its annual reports to shareholders, Quarterly Reports on Form 
10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K and amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the 
Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”) as soon as reasonably practicable after such material is electronically 
filed with, or furnished to, the SEC.  These filings are also available on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.

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ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS

Risk Factors Summary

The summary of risks below provides an overview of the principal risks we are exposed to in the normal course of our business 
activities. This summary does not contain all of the information provided in the detailed discussion of risks that follows this 
summary and should be read together with such detailed discussion.

Risks Related to Economic Conditions and Operating Environment

•

Includes  risks  related  to  the  COVID-19  pandemic,  climate  change  and  related  environmental  sustainability  matters, 
deterioration  in  economic  conditions  and  economic  declines  in  the  Chicago  metropolitan  and  southern  Wisconsin 
market areas, since our business is concentrated in these regions.

Risks Related to Competition and Reputation

•

Includes risks related to our ability to compete effectively, damage to our reputation, consumers deciding not to use 
banks to complete their financial transactions and the impact on us from the soundness of other financial institutions.

Risks Related to Growth and Acquisitions

•

Includes  risks  related  to  our  ability  to  identify  favorable  acquisitions  or  successfully  integrate  our  acquisitions,  our 
participation  in  FDIC-assisted  acquisitions,  new  lines  of  business  and  new  products  and  services  and  de  novo 
operations that often involve significant expenses and delayed returns.

Legal and Regulatory Risks

•

Includes risks related to our ability to meet regulatory capital ratios, changes in the United States’ monetary policy, 
legislative and regulatory actions taken now or in the future regarding the financial services industry, financial reform 
legislation and increased regulatory rigor around consumer protection mortgage-related issues, federal, state and local 
consumer lending laws that may restrict our ability to originate certain mortgage loans or increase our risk of liability 
with  respect  to  such  loans,  regulatory  initiatives  regarding  bank  capital  requirements  that  may  require  heightened 
capital,  any  increase  in  our  FDIC  insurance  premiums,  any  non-compliance  with  the  USA  PATRIOT  Act,  BSA  or 
other laws and regulations, claims and legal actions, examinations and challenges by tax authorities, changes in federal 
and  state  tax  laws  and  changes  in  the  interpretation  of  existing  laws,  changes  in  accounting  policies  or  accounting 
standards and changes in U.S. trade policies, including the imposition of tariffs and retaliatory tariffs.

Risks Related to Lending Operations

•

Includes  risks  related  to  our  allowance  for  credit  losses  and  sufficiency  to  absorb  losses  that  may  occur  in  our  loan 
portfolio, litigation from the banks’ customers or other parties regarding the banks’ processing of loans for the SBA 
Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) and that the SBA may not fund some or all PPP loan guaranties, the repayment 
of commercial loans which are largely dependent upon the financial success and economic viability of the borrower, 
our  loan  portfolio  being  secured  by  real  estate,  in  particular  commercial  real  estate,  events  impacting  collateral 
consisting  of  real  property,  any  inaccurate  assumptions  in  our  analytical  and  forecasting  models  and  environmental 
liability risk associated with lending activities.

Risks Related to Our Niche Businesses

•

Includes risks related to our premium finance business, which may involve a higher risk of delinquency or collection 
than our other lending operations, widespread financial difficulties or credit downgrades among commercial and life 
insurance providers and exposure to certain risks associated with the securities industry.

Risks Related to Financial Strength and Liquidity

•

Includes risks related to changes in prevailing interest rates, our liquidity position, an actual or perceived reduction in 
our financial strength, our credit rating, capital not being available when it is needed or the cost of that capital being 
very high, disruption in the financial markets, being a bank holding company and therefore being limited in sources of 
funds,  including  to  pay  dividends,  and  uncertainty  about  the  transition  from  LIBOR  to  alternate  benchmark  interest 
rates.

Risks Related to General Operations

•

Includes risks related to our controls and procedures, our operational or security systems or infrastructure, or those of 
third  parties,  security  risks  (including  denial  of  service  attacks,  hacking,  social  engineering  attacks  targeting  our 
colleagues and customers, malware intrusion and data corruption attempts), the failures of vendors, cybersecurity risks 
associated with debit cards and debit card transactions, the accuracy and completeness of information we receive about 

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our customers and counterparties to make credit decisions, our ability to attract and retain experienced and qualified 
personnel, losses incurred in connection with actual or projected repurchases and indemnification payments related to 
mortgages that we have sold into the secondary market and the occurrence of extraordinary events, such as acts of war, 
terrorist attacks, natural disasters and public health threats.

Risks Related to Ownership of Our Common Stock

•

Anti-takeover provisions could negatively impact our shareholders.

Risk Factors

An  investment  in  our  securities  is  subject  to  risks  inherent  to  our  business.  Certain  material  risks  and  uncertainties  that 
management  believes  affect  Wintrust  are  described  below.  Before  making  an  investment  decision,  you  should  carefully 
consider  the  risks  and  uncertainties  described  below  together  with  all  of  the  other  information  included  or  incorporated  by 
reference  in  this  Annual  Report  on  Form  10-K  and  in  our  other  filings  with  the  SEC.  Additional  risks  and  uncertainties  that 
management is not aware of or that management currently deems immaterial may also impair Wintrust’s business operations. 
This Annual Report on Form 10-K is qualified in its entirety by these risk factors. If any of the following risks actually occur, 
our business, financial condition and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected. If this were to happen, the 
value of our securities could decline significantly, and you could lose all or part of your investment.

Risks Related to Economic Conditions and Operating Environment

The COVID-19 pandemic is adversely affecting us and our customers, employees and third-party service providers, and the 
adverse impact on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows could be material.

Although  the  U.S.  and  global  economies  have  begun  to  recover  from  the  COVID-19  pandemic  as  many  health  and  safety 
restrictions have been lifted and vaccine distribution has increased, certain adverse consequences of the pandemic continue to 
impact  the  macroeconomic  environment  and  may  persist  for  some  time,  including  labor  shortages  and  disruptions  of  global 
supply chains. The growth in economic activity and demand for goods and services, alongside labor shortages and supply chain 
complications,  has  also  contributed  to  rising  inflationary  pressures.  All  of  our  three  primary  business  segments:  community 
banking, specialty finance and wealth management, have been uniquely impacted and we expect will continue to be impacted 
by the COVID-19 pandemic, requiring the implementation of certain responses as circumstances evolve. The extent to which 
the  COVID-19  pandemic  impacts  our  business,  results  of  operations  and  financial  condition  will  depend  on  future 
developments, which are highly uncertain and are difficult to predict, including, but not limited to, the rate of distribution and 
administration of vaccines globally, the severity and duration of any resurgence of COVID-19 variants, the actions to contain 
the  virus  or  treat  its  impact,  and  how  quickly  and  to  what  extent  normal  economic  and  operating  conditions  can  resume.  In 
addition, the COVID-19 pandemic may have the effect of heightening the other risks described in this Item 1A.

We have continued to maintain appropriate levels of our allowance for loan losses in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The 
effects of the pandemic could cause us to recognize heightened credit losses in our loan portfolio and additional increases in our 
allowance  for  loan  losses.  Certain  portions  of  our  lending  portfolio  are  particularly  vulnerable  to  the  COVID-19  pandemic, 
including  commercial  and  industrial  and  commercial  real  estate  loans.  Until  the  effects  of  the  pandemic  subside,  we  could 
experience additional draws on lines of credit, downward pressure on deposits, and increased loan delinquencies. The effects of 
COVID-19  may  impair  the  value  of  collateral  securing  our  loans,  especially  commercial  and  residential  real  estate  loans. 
Further, a significantly larger amount of delinquent mortgage loans may result in us having to repurchase or substitute loans 
that we have sold in the secondary market.

Market interest rates declined significantly during the pandemic, but we expect that the temporary reduction of interest rates to 
near zero will be reversed, with the Federal Reserve now signaling its concerns with respect to inflation and announcing that it 
will begin to taper its purchases of mortgage and other bonds. The timing and impact of this expected reversal in interest rates 
trends  is  unknown.  The  lower  interest  rate  environment  has  negatively  affected  our  interest  rate  margin  and,  especially  if 
prolonged, could adversely affect our net interest income and profitability. Further, the pandemic could cause us to recognize 
impairment  of  our  goodwill  and  other  financial  assets,  may  increase  our  cost  of  capital,  may  prevent  us  from  satisfying  our 
minimum regulatory capital ratios and other supervisory requirements, and could result in a downgrade in our credit ratings. 
The negative economic conditions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, especially if prolonged, may have a material adverse 
effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

To protect the health and safety of our employees and communities, many of our employees have been working remotely. We 
may experience increased costs of operations or other operational difficulties, including increased cybersecurity risk, due to the 
remote  working  environments  of  our  employees.  We  may  also  experience  additional  operational  risk  due  to  difficulties 

23

experienced by our vendors. The effects of the pandemic and measures taken in response may subject us to increased risk of 
litigation and governmental and regulatory scrutiny.

Given  the  ongoing  and  dynamic  nature  of  the  circumstances,  it  is  not  possible  to  accurately  predict  the  extent,  severity  or 
duration  of  the  pandemic  or  when  normal  economic  and  operating  conditions  will  resume.  Even  after  the  pandemic  has 
subsided, we may continue to experience adverse impacts to our business as a result of the virus’s impact on the domestic and 
global economy. Accordingly, the extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic may affect our business, financial condition, results 
of operations and cash flows (including without limitation our liquidity, regulatory capital ratios and credit ratings) is highly 
uncertain, unpredictable and depends on factors including, among other things, new information that may emerge regarding the 
COVID-19  pandemic,  the  duration  and  severity  of  the  pandemic,  the  availability  and  efficacy  of  vaccines,  the  emergence  of 
variant strains of the virus and responses to the pandemic by the government, businesses and consumers. 

Deterioration  in  economic  conditions  may  materially  adversely  affect  the  financial  services  industry  and  our  business, 
financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

Our  business  activities  and  earnings  are  affected  by  general  business  conditions  in  the  United  States  and  abroad,  including 
factors  such  as  the  level  and  volatility  of  short-term  and  long-term  interest  rates,  inflation,  home  prices,  unemployment  and 
underemployment  levels,  bankruptcies,  household  income,  consumer  spending,  fluctuations  in  both  debt  and  equity  capital 
markets,  liquidity  of  the  global  financial  markets,  the  availability  and  cost  of  capital  and  credit,  investor  sentiment  and 
confidence in the financial markets, and the strength of the domestic economies in which we operate. The deterioration of any 
of these conditions can adversely affect our consumer and commercial businesses and securities portfolios, our level of charge-
offs and provision for credit losses, our capital levels and liquidity, and our results of operations.

As a lending institution, our business is directly affected by the ability of our borrowers to repay their loans, as well as by the 
value  of  collateral,  such  as  real  estate,  that  secures  many  of  our  loans.  Any  economic  deterioration  from  current  levels  or 
slowing of current economic activity could lead to an increase in loan charge-offs and negatively affect consumer confidence as 
well as the level of business activity. Net charge-offs totaled $21.5 million in 2021 from $40.3 million in 2020. Our balance of 
non-performing loans and other real estate owned (“OREO”) was $74.4 million and $4.3 million, respectively, at December 31, 
2021 compared to $127.5 million and $16.6 million, respectively, at December 31, 2020. Deterioration in the economy and real 
estate markets, higher inflation, rising interest rates or increased unemployment rates, particularly in the markets in which we 
operate, will likely diminish the ability of our borrowers to repay loans that we have made to them, decrease the value of any 
collateral securing such loans and may cause increases in delinquencies, problem assets, charge-offs and provision for credit 
losses, all of which could materially adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations. Further, the underwriting 
and credit monitoring policies and procedures that we have adopted may not prevent losses that could have a material adverse 
effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

Since our business is concentrated in the Chicago metropolitan and southern Wisconsin market areas, economic declines in 
the economy of this region could adversely affect our business.

Except  for  our  premium  finance  business  and  certain  other  niche  businesses,  our  success  depends  primarily  on  the  general 
economic conditions of the specific local markets in which we operate. Unlike larger national or other regional banks that are 
more geographically diversified, we provide banking and financial services to customers primarily in the Chicago metropolitan 
and  southern  Wisconsin  market  areas.  The  local  economic  conditions  in  these  areas  significantly  impact  the  demand  for  our 
products and services as well as the ability of our customers to repay loans, the value of the collateral securing loans and the 
stability of our deposit funding sources. 

In addition, the State of Illinois has experienced significant financial difficulty in recent years. To the extent that these issues 
impact the economic vitality of the state and the businesses operating in Illinois, businesses may be encouraged to leave the 
state or new employers may be discouraged to start or move businesses to Illinois, which could have a material adverse effect 
on our financial condition and results of operations.

Climate  change  manifesting  as  transition,  physical  or  other  risks  could  adversely  affect  our  operations,  businesses, 
customers, reputation and financial condition. 

There is an increasing concern over the risks of climate change and related environmental sustainability matters. The physical 
risks of climate change include discrete events, such as flooding, hurricanes, tornadoes and wildfires, and longer-term shifts in 
climate patterns, such as extreme heat, sea level rise, and more frequent and prolonged drought. Such events could disrupt our 
operations or those of our customers or third parties on which we rely, including through direct damage to assets and indirect 
impacts  from  supply  chain  disruption  and  market  volatility.  Additionally,  transitioning  to  a  low-carbon  economy  will  entail 

24

extensive  policy,  legal,  technology  and  market  initiatives.  Transition  risks,  including  changes  in  consumer  preferences, 
additional regulatory requirements or taxes and additional counterparty or customer requirements, could increase our expenses, 
undermine  our  strategies  and  impact  our  financial  condition.  In  addition,  our  reputation  and  client  relationships  may  be 
damaged as a result of our practices related to climate change, including our involvement, or our clients’ involvement, in certain 
industries or projects associated with causing or exacerbating climate change, as well as any decisions we make to continue to 
conduct or change our activities in response to considerations relating to climate change. As climate risk is interconnected with 
all key risk types, we have begun to develop and continue to enhance processes, to embed climate risk considerations into our 
risk management strategies established for risks such as market, credit and operational risks; however, because the timing and 
severity of climate change may not be predictable, our risk management strategies may not be effective in mitigating climate 
risk exposure.

Risks Related to Competition and Reputation

The financial services industry is very competitive, and if we are not able to compete effectively, we may lose market share 
and our business could suffer.

We face competition in attracting and retaining deposits, making loans, and providing other financial services (including wealth 
management services) throughout our market area. Our competitors include national, regional and other community banks, and 
a wide range of other financial institutions such as credit unions, government-sponsored enterprises, mutual fund companies, 
insurance  companies,  factoring  companies  and  other  non-bank  financial  companies  such  as  marketplace  lenders  and  other 
financial  technology  (“FinTech”)  companies.  Many  of  these  competitors  have  substantially  greater  resources  and  market 
presence  or  more  advanced  technology  than  Wintrust  and,  as  a  result  of  their  size,  may  be  able  to  offer  a  broader  range  of 
products  and  services,  better  pricing  for  those  products  and  services,  or  newer  technologies  to  deliver  those  products  and 
services than we can. Several of our local competitors have experienced improvements in their financial condition over the past 
few  years  and  are  better  positioned  to  compete  for  loans,  acquisitions  and  personnel.  The  financial  services  industry  could 
become even more competitive as a result of legislative, regulatory and technological changes and continued consolidation. For 
example, the Economic Growth Act and its implementing regulations significantly reduce the regulatory burden of certain large 
BHCs  and  raise  the  asset  thresholds  at  which  more  onerous  requirements  apply,  which  could  cause  certain  large  BHCs  to 
become more competitive or to more aggressively pursue expansion. Also, technology has lowered barriers to entry and made it 
possible  for  non-banks  to  offer  products  and  services  traditionally  provided  by  banks,  such  as  mobile  payment  and  other 
automatic  transfer  and  payment  systems,  and  for  banks  that  do  not  have  a  physical  presence  in  our  markets  to  compete  for 
deposits.  The  absence  of  regulatory  requirements  may  give  non-bank  financial  companies  a  competitive  advantage  over 
Wintrust.

Our ability to compete successfully depends on a number of factors, including, among other things:

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the ability to develop, maintain and build upon long-term customer relationships based on top quality service and high 
ethical standards;
the scope, relevance and pricing of products and services offered to meet customer needs and demands;
the ability to expand our market position;
the ability to uphold our reputation in the marketplace;
the rate at which we introduce new products and services relative to our competitors;
customer satisfaction with our level of service; and
industry and general economic trends.

If we are unable to compete effectively, our market share and income from deposits, loans and other products may be reduced. 
This could adversely affect our profitability and have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results 
of operations.

Damage to our reputation may harm our business.

Maintaining trust in the Company is critical to our ability to attract and maintain customers, investors and employees. If our 
reputation is damaged, our business could be significantly harmed. Harm to our reputation could arise from numerous sources, 
including,  among  others,  employee  misconduct,  security  breaches,  compliance  failures,  litigation  or  regulatory  outcomes  or 
governmental investigations. Our reputation could also be harmed by the failure or perceived failure of an affiliate or a vendor 
or  other  third  party  with  which  we  do  business,  to  comply  with  laws  or  regulations.  In  addition,  our  reputation  or  prospects 
could be significantly damaged by adverse publicity or negative information regarding the Company, whether or not true, that 

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may be posted on social media, non-mainstream news services or other parts of the internet, and this risk can be magnified by 
the speed and pervasiveness with which information is disseminated through those channels.

Actions by the financial services industry generally or by certain members of or individuals in the industry can also affect our 
reputation. For example, the role played by financial services firms during and after the financial crisis, including concerns that 
consumers  have  been  treated  unfairly  by  financial  institutions  or  that  a  financial  institution  had  acted  inappropriately  with 
respect to the methods employed in offering products to customers, have damaged the reputation of the industry as a whole. 

In addition, increased focus on environmental, social and governance (“ESG”) issues, including without limitation the impact of 
climate  change,  could  damage  our  reputation  or  prospects  if  customers,  prospective  customers,  investors  or  third  parties 
assigning ESG ratings to the Company are of the opinion that the Company’s practices, including without limitation our lending 
practices, are not sufficiently robust from an ESG perspective.

Should any of these or other events or factors that can undermine our reputation occur, there is no assurance that the additional 
costs  and  expenses  that  we  may  need  to  incur  to  address  the  issues  giving  rise  to  the  damage  to  our  reputation  would  not 
adversely affect our earnings and results of operations, or that damage to our reputation will not impair our ability to retain our 
existing  customers  and  employees  or  attract  new  customers  and  employees.  Harm  to  our  reputation  or  the  reputation  of  our 
industry  may  also  result  in  greater  regulatory  or  legislative  scrutiny,  which  may  lead  to  changes  in  laws  or  regulations  that 
could constrain our business or operations. Events that result in damage to our reputation may also increase our litigation risk.

Consumers may decide not to use banks to complete their financial transactions, which could adversely affect our business 
and results of operations.

Technology  and  other  changes  are  allowing  parties  to  complete  financial  transactions  that  historically  have  involved  banks 
through alternative methods. For example, consumers can now maintain funds that would have historically been held as bank 
deposits in brokerage accounts or mutual funds. Consumers can also complete transactions such as paying bills and transferring 
funds directly without the assistance of banks. The process of eliminating banks as intermediaries could result in the loss of fee 
income,  as  well  as  the  loss  of  customer  deposits  and  the  related  income  generated  from  those  deposits.  The  loss  of  these 
revenue streams and the lower cost deposits as a source of funds could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial 
condition and results of operations. 

We may be adversely impacted by the soundness of other financial institutions.

Financial  services  institutions  are  interrelated  as  a  result  of  trading,  clearing,  counterparty  or  other  relationships.  We  have 
exposure to many different industries and counterparties and routinely execute transactions with counterparties in the financial 
services industry, including the Federal Home Loan Bank (“FHLB”), commercial banks, brokers and dealers, investment banks 
and  other  institutional  clients.  Many  of  these  transactions  expose  us  to  credit  risk  as  well  as  market  and  liquidity  risk  in  the 
event of a default by a counterparty or client. In addition, our credit risk may be exacerbated when collateral held by us cannot 
be realized or is liquidated at prices not sufficient to recover the full amount due to us. Any such losses could have material 
adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Risks Related to Growth and Acquisitions

If we are unable to continue to identify favorable acquisitions or successfully integrate our acquisitions, our growth may be 
limited and our results of operations could suffer.

In  the  past  several  years,  we  have  completed  numerous  acquisitions  of  banks,  other  financial  service  related  companies  and 
financial  service  related  assets,  including  acquisitions  of  troubled  financial  institutions,  as  more  fully  described  below.  We 
expect  to  continue  to  make  such  acquisitions  in  the  future.  Wintrust  seeks  merger  or  acquisition  partners  that  are  culturally 
similar, have experienced management, possess either significant market presence or have potential for improved profitability 
through  financial  management,  economies  of  scale  or  expanded  services.  Failure  to  successfully  identify  and  complete 
acquisitions may result in Wintrust achieving slower growth. 

The  Economic  Growth  Act  could  result  in  increased  competition  for  merger  or  acquisition  partners,  potentially  resulting  in 
higher acquisition prices or an inability to complete desired acquisitions. In addition, the standards by which bank and financial 
institution acquisitions will be evaluated are currently in flux and some banking organizations are experiencing delays in the 
processing of applications. In July 2021, President Biden issued an executive order on competition that requires the banking 
agencies to review the standards for bank mergers and the DOJ has announced that it is reviewing its bank merger guidelines. It 

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is expected that these reviews will tighten the standards for bank mergers and may change how the financial stability factor is 
evaluated. In addition, some members of Congress have called for a moratorium of any bank merger and acquisition of greater 
than  $100  billion  in  assets.  While  the  Company  is  still  much  smaller  in  asset  size  than  $100  billion,  we  cannot  exclude  the 
possibility that we may be subject to higher antitrust standards, enhanced scrutiny under the financial stability risk factor, or 
have a potential acquisition denied. 

Acquiring other banks, businesses or branches involves various risks commonly associated with acquisitions, including, among 
other things:

(1) potential exposure to unknown or contingent liabilities or asset quality issues of the target company;
(2) failure to adequately estimate the level of loan losses at the target company;
(3) difficulty and expense of integrating the operations and personnel of the target company;
(4) potential disruption to our business, including diversion of our management's time and attention;
(5) the possible loss of key employees and customers of the target company;
(6) difficulty in estimating the value of the target company; and
(7) potential changes in banking or tax laws or regulations that may affect the target company.

Acquisitions  typically  involve  the  payment  of  a  premium  over  book  and  market  values,  and,  therefore,  some  dilution  of 
Wintrust’s tangible book value and net income per common share may occur as a result of any future acquisitions. In addition, 
certain acquisitions may expose us to additional regulatory risks, including from foreign governments. Our ability to comply 
with any such regulations will impact the success of any such acquisitions. Furthermore, failure to realize the expected revenue 
increases, cost savings, increases in geographic or product presence, and/or other projected benefits from an acquisition could 
have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

New lines of business and new products and services are essential to our ability to compete but may subject us to additional 
risks.

We continually implement new lines of business and offer new products and services within existing lines of business to offer 
our  customers  a  competitive  array  of  products  and  services.  The  financial  services  industry  is  continually  undergoing  rapid 
technological change with frequent introductions of new technology-driven products and services, such as the rapid adoption of 
mobile  payment  platforms.  The  effective  use  of  technology  can  increase  efficiency  and  enable  financial  institutions  to  better 
serve  customers  and  to  reduce  costs.  However,  some  new  technologies  needed  to  compete  effectively  result  in  incremental 
operating costs. Our future success depends, in part, upon our ability to address the needs of our customers by using technology 
to provide products and services that will satisfy customer demands, as well as to create additional efficiencies in operations. 
Many  of  our  competitors,  because  of  their  larger  size  and  available  capital,  have  substantially  greater  resources  to  invest  in 
technological improvements. We may not be able to effectively implement new technology-driven products and services or be 
successful  in  marketing  these  products  and  services  to  our  customers.  Failure  to  successfully  keep  pace  with  technological 
change  affecting  the  financial  services  industry  could  cause  a  loss  of  customers  and  have  a  material  adverse  effect  on  our 
business.

At the same time, there can be substantial risks and uncertainties associated with these efforts, particularly in instances where 
the markets for such services are still developing. In developing and marketing new lines of business and/or new products or 
services, we may invest significant time and resources. Initial timetables for the introduction and development of new lines of 
business  and/or  new  products  or  services  may  not  be  achieved,  and  price  and  profitability  targets  may  not  prove  feasible. 
External  factors,  such  as  compliance  with  regulations,  competitive  alternatives,  and  shifting  market  preferences,  may  also 
impact  the  successful  implementation  of  a  new  line  of  business  or  a  new  product  or  service.  Furthermore,  any  new  line  of 
business and/or new product or service could have a significant impact on the effectiveness of our system of internal controls. 
Failure to successfully manage these risks in the development and implementation of new lines of business or new products or 
services could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

De  novo  operations  often  involve  significant  expenses  and  delayed  returns  and  may  negatively  impact  Wintrust's 
profitability.

Our  financial  results  have  been  and  will  continue  to  be  impacted  by  our  strategy  of  branch  openings  and  de  novo  bank 
formations. We expect to increase the opening of additional branches and may, under certain circumstances, resume de novo 
bank formations. It may take longer than expected or more than the amount of time Wintrust has historically experienced for 
new banks and/or banking facilities to reach profitability, and there can be no guarantee that these branches or banks will ever 
be  profitable.  Moreover,  the  FDIC's  enhanced  supervisory  period  for  de  novo  banks  of  three  years,  including  higher  capital 

27

requirements during this period, could also delay a new bank's ability to contribute to the Company's earnings and impact the 
Company's willingness to expand through de novo bank formation. To the extent we undertake additional de novo bank, branch 
and  business  formations,  our  level  of  reported  net  income,  return  on  average  equity  and  return  on  average  assets  will  be 
impacted  by  startup  costs  associated  with  such  operations,  and  it  is  likely  to  continue  to  experience  the  effects  of  higher 
expenses relative to operating income from the new operations. These expenses may be higher than we expected or than our 
experience has shown, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Legal and Regulatory Risks

If we fail to meet our regulatory capital ratios, we may be forced to raise capital or sell assets.

As a banking institution, we are subject to regulations that require us to maintain certain capital ratios, such as the ratio of our 
Tier 1 capital to our risk-based assets, and in recent years these regulatory and market expectations have increased substantially. 
If  our  regulatory  capital  ratios  decline,  as  a  result  of  decreases  in  the  value  of  our  loan  portfolio  or  otherwise,  we  may  be 
required to improve such ratios by either raising additional capital or by disposing of assets. If we choose to dispose of assets, 
we cannot be certain that we will be able to do so at prices that we believe to be appropriate, and our future operating results 
could be negatively affected. If we choose to raise additional capital, we may accomplish this by selling additional shares of 
common stock, or securities convertible into or exchangeable for common stock, which could significantly dilute the ownership 
percentage of holders of our common stock and cause the market price of our common stock to decline. Additionally, events or 
circumstances in the capital markets generally may increase our capital costs and impair our ability to raise capital at any given 
time.

Changes in the United States’ monetary policy may restrict our ability to conduct our business in a profitable manner. 

Our ability to profitably operate is dependent, in part, upon federal fiscal policies that cannot be predicted. We are particularly 
affected by the monetary policies of the Federal Reserve, which influence money supply in the United States. Any change in the 
United States’ monetary policy, or worsening federal budgetary pressures, could affect our access to capital. Additionally, any 
trend  toward  inflation,  economic  decline,  destabilizing  of  financial  markets,  or  other  factors  beyond  our  control  may 
significantly affect consumer demand for our products and consumers’ ability to repay loans, reducing our results of operations. 
We cannot predict the nature or timing of future changes in monetary policies in response to the outbreak, or in a response to 
what is being characterized as a current inflationary environment, or the precise effects that future changes in monetary policies 
may have on our activities and financial results.

Legislative  and  regulatory  actions  taken  now  or  in  the  future  regarding  the  financial  services  industry  may  significantly 
increase our costs or limit our ability to conduct our business in a profitable manner.

We are subject to extensive federal and state regulation and supervision. The cost of compliance with such laws and regulations 
can be substantial and adversely affect our ability to operate profitably. While we are unable to predict the scope or impact of 
any potential legislation or regulatory action until it becomes final, it is possible that changes in applicable laws, regulations or 
interpretations  thereof  could  significantly  increase  our  regulatory  compliance  costs,  impede  the  efficiency  of  our  internal 
business processes, negatively impact the recoverability of certain of our recorded assets, require us to increase our regulatory 
capital,  interfere  with  our  executive  compensation  plans,  or  limit  our  ability  to  pursue  business  opportunities  in  an  efficient 
manner including our plan for de novo growth and growth through acquisitions.

Both the scope of the laws and regulations and the intensity of the supervision to which our business is subject have increased 
in  recent  years,  in  response  to  the  financial  crisis  as  well  as  other  factors  such  as  technological  and  market  changes.  For 
example, as cybersecurity and data privacy risks for banking organizations and the broader financial system have significantly 
increased in recent years, cybersecurity and data privacy issues have become the subject of increasing legislative and regulatory 
focus. For example, in June of 2018, the Governor of California signed into law the CCPA. The CCPA, which became effective 
on  January  1,  2020,  applies  to  for-profit  businesses  that  conduct  business  in  California  and  meet  certain  revenue  or  data 
collection thresholds. For more information regarding data privacy laws and regulations, see “Protection of Client Information” 
under Supervision and Regulation in Item 1.

Regulatory enforcement and fines have also increased across the banking and financial services sector. Many of these changes 
have occurred as a result of the Dodd-Frank Act and its implementing regulations, most of which are now in place. We expect 
that our business will remain subject to extensive regulation and supervision.

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In  addition,  we  expect  that  the  Biden  Administration  and  the  Democratically-controlled  Congress  will  continue  to  seek  to 
implement a regulatory reform agenda that is significantly different than that of the Trump Administration. This reform agenda 
could  include  a  heightened  focus  on  the  regulation  of  loan  portfolios  and  credit  concentrations  to  borrowers  impacted  by 
climate  change,  heightened  scrutiny  on  Bank  Secrecy  Act  and  anti-money  laundering  requirements,  topics  related  to  social 
equity,  executive  compensation,  and  increased  capital  and  liquidity,  as  well  as  limits  on  share  buybacks  and  dividends.  In 
addition, mergers and acquisitions could be dampened by increased antitrust scrutiny. We also expect reform proposals for the 
short-term wholesale markets. At this time, we are unable to assess which, if any of these policies, would be implemented and 
what their impact on the Company's business, financial condition or results of operations would be.

Financial  reform  legislation  and  increased  regulatory  rigor  around  consumer  protection  mortgage-related  issues  may 
reduce  our  ability  to  market  our  products  to  consumers  and  may  limit  our  ability  to  profitably  operate  our  mortgage 
business.

The CFPB has broad rulemaking authority over a wide range of federal consumer protection laws applicable to the business of 
our subsidiary banks and some other operating subsidiaries, including the authority to prohibit “unfair, deceptive or abusive” 
acts  and  practices,  but  examination  and  supervision  of  our  subsidiary  banks  is  carried  out  by  the  primary  federal  banking 
agency and, where applicable, the state banking agency. Consumer protection is an area of heightened regulatory focus, and the 
CFPB has promulgated a number of specific regulatory requirements in this area. These rules have increased and may further 
increase the costs of doing business for all market participants, including our subsidiaries.

In  particular,  the  mortgage-related  rules  issued  by  the  CFPB  have  materially  restructured  the  origination,  servicing  and 
securitization of residential mortgages in the United States. These rules have impacted, and will continue to impact, the business 
practices of mortgage lenders, including the Company. For example, in order to ensure compliance with mortgage-related rules 
issued by the CFPB, the Company consolidated its consumer mortgage loan origination and loan servicing operations within 
Wintrust Mortgage.

In the wake of the mortgage crisis of 2007-2008, the CFPB and federal and state banking agencies are closely examining the 
mortgage  and  mortgage  servicing  activities  of  depository  financial  institutions.  Should  these  or  other  agencies  have  serious 
concerns with respect to our operations in this regard, the effect of such concerns could have a material adverse effect on our 
profits.

Federal, state and local consumer lending laws may restrict our ability to originate certain mortgage loans or increase our 
risk of liability with respect to such loans and could increase our cost of doing business.

Federal, state and local laws have been adopted that are intended to eliminate certain lending practices considered “predatory.” 
These laws prohibit practices such as steering borrowers away from more affordable products, selling unnecessary insurance to 
borrowers, repeatedly refinancing loans and making loans without a reasonable expectation that the borrowers will be able to 
repay the loans irrespective of the value of the underlying property. The CFPB has promulgated many mortgage-related rules 
since it was established under the Dodd-Frank Act, including rules relating to the ability to repay loans and relating to qualified 
mortgage standards. Most of these mortgage-related rules have been adopted, although portions of certain of these rules have 
not yet become effective. In addition, several proposed revisions to mortgage-related rules are pending finalization. We may 
find it necessary to tighten our mortgage loan underwriting standards in response to the CFPB rules, which may constrain our 
ability  to  make  loans  consistent  with  our  business  strategies.   It  is  our  policy  not  to  make  predatory  loans  and  to  determine 
borrowers' ability to repay, but the law and related rules create the potential for increased liability with respect to our lending 
and loan investment activities. They increase our cost of doing business and, ultimately, may prevent us from making certain 
loans and cause us to reduce the average percentage rate or the points and fees on loans that we do make. In addition, regulation 
related to redlining, fair lending, CRA compliance and BSA compliance create significant burdens which necessitate increased 
costs. Any failure to comply with any of these regulations could have a significant impact on our ability to operate, our ability 
to acquire or open new banks and/or result in meaningful fines. 

Regulatory initiatives regarding bank capital requirements may require heightened capital.

The U.S. Basel III Rule, as well as other aspects of current or proposed regulatory or legislative changes to laws applicable to 
banking  organizations,  have  increased  our  compliance  costs,  impacted  the  profitability  of  our  business  activities  and  may 
change  certain  of  our  business  practices,  including  the  ability  to  offer  new  products,  obtain  financing,  attract  deposits,  make 
loans, and achieve satisfactory interest spreads, and could expose us to additional costs, including increased compliance costs. 
These changes also may require us to invest significant management attention and resources to make any necessary changes to 

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operations  in  order  to  comply,  and  could  therefore  also  materially  and  adversely  affect  our  business,  financial  condition  and 
results of operations.

Our ability to engage in capital distributions, including paying dividends or repurchasing stock, may be restricted if we do not 
maintain  the  required  Capital  Conservation  Buffer.  In  addition,  we  anticipate  that  our  pro  forma  capital  ratios  will  be  an 
important factor considered by the Federal Reserve in evaluating whether proposed payments of dividends or stock repurchases 
are consistent with its prudential expectations. For more information regarding capital requirements, see “Capital Requirements 
of the Company and Subsidiary Banks” under Supervision and Regulation in Item 1.

Our FDIC insurance premiums may increase, which could negatively impact our results of operations.

Insured  institution  failures  leading  up  to  and  following  the  financial  crisis,  as  well  as  deterioration  in  banking  and  economic 
conditions, significantly increased FDIC loss provisions, resulting in a decline of its deposit insurance fund to historical lows at 
the peak of the crisis. In response, the Dodd-Frank Act and FDIC regulations changed the assessment base for federal deposit 
insurance from the amount of insured deposits to average total consolidated assets less average tangible capital, eliminated the 
maximum size of the DIF, eliminated the requirement that the FDIC pay dividends to depository institutions when the reserve 
ratio  exceeds  certain  thresholds,  and  increased  the  minimum  reserve  ratio  of  the  DIF  from  1.15%  to  1.35%.  These 
developments also caused our FDIC insurance premiums to increase. There is a risk that the banks' deposit insurance premiums 
will  increase  in  the  future  if  failures  of  insured  depository  institutions  once  again  deplete  the  DIF.  Any  such  increase  may 
negatively impact our financial condition and results of operations.

Non-compliance with the USA PATRIOT Act, BSA or other laws and regulations could result in fines or sanctions.

The USA PATRIOT Act and the BSA require financial institutions to develop programs to prevent financial institutions from 
being used for money laundering or the funding of terrorist activities. If such activities are detected, financial institutions are 
obligated  to  file  suspicious  activity  reports  with  FinCEN.  These  rules  require  certain  financial  institutions  to  establish 
procedures for identifying and verifying the identity of customers seeking to open new accounts. Failure to comply with these 
regulations could result in fines or sanctions. An increasing number of banking institutions have received large fines for non-
compliance  with  these  laws  and  regulations.  Although  we  have  developed  policies  and  procedures  designed  to  assist  in 
compliance with these laws and regulations, no assurance can be given that these policies and procedures will be effective in 
preventing violations of these laws and regulations.

We are subject to claims and legal actions that could negatively affect our results of operations or financial condition.

Periodically, as a result of our normal course of business, we are involved in claims and related litigation from our customers, 
employees or other parties. These claims and legal actions, whether meritorious or not, as well as reviews, investigations and 
proceedings by governmental and self-regulatory agencies could involve large monetary claims and significant legal expense. 
In addition, such actions may negatively impact our reputation in the marketplace and lessen customer demand. If such claims 
and  legal  actions  are  not  decided  in  Wintrust's  favor,  our  results  of  operations  and  financial  condition  could  be  adversely 
impacted.

We are subject to examinations and challenges by tax authorities that may impact our financial results.

In the normal course of business, we, as well as our subsidiaries, are routinely subject to examinations from federal and state tax 
authorities regarding the amount of taxes due in connection with investments we have made and the businesses in which we 
have engaged. Recently, federal and state tax authorities have become increasingly aggressive in challenging tax positions taken 
by financial institutions. These tax positions may relate to among other things tax compliance, sales and use, franchise, gross 
receipts,  payroll,  property  and  income  tax  issues,  including  tax  base,  apportionment  and  tax  credit  planning.  The  challenges 
made by tax authorities may result in adjustments to the timing or amount of taxable income or deductions or the allocation of 
income among tax jurisdictions. If any such challenges are made and are not resolved in our favor, they could have a material 
adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations. 

Changes in federal and state tax laws and changes in interpretation of existing laws can impact our financial results.

The federal government enacted the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the “Tax Act”) on December 22, 2017, and given the changing 
economic  and  political  environment  and  ongoing  budgetary  pressures,  the  enactment  of  further  new  federal  or  state  tax 
legislation may occur. The enactment of such legislation, or changes in the interpretation of existing law, including provisions 

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impacting  tax  rates,  apportionment,  consolidation  or  combination,  income,  expenses,  credits  and  exemptions  may  have  a 
material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Changes  in  accounting  policies  or  accounting  standards  could  materially  adversely  affect  how  we  report  our  financial 
results and financial condition.

Our accounting policies are fundamental to understanding our financial results and financial condition. Some of these policies 
require  use  of  estimates  and  assumptions  that  affect  the  value  of  our  assets  or  liabilities  and  financial  results.  Some  of  our 
accounting  policies  are  critical  because  they  require  management  to  make  difficult,  subjective  and  complex  judgments  about 
matters that are inherently uncertain and because it is likely that materially different amounts would be reported under different 
conditions or using different assumptions. If such estimates or assumptions underlying our financial statements are incorrect, 
we may experience material losses. From time to time, the FASB and the SEC change the financial accounting and reporting 
standards  that  govern  the  preparation  of  our  financial  statements.  These  changes,  such  as  the  CECL  standard  adopted  on 
January  1,  2020,  can  be  hard  to  predict  and  could  materially  impact  how  we  record  and  report  our  financial  condition  and 
results  of  operations.  In  some  cases,  we  could  be  required  to  apply  a  new  or  revised  standard  retroactively,  resulting  in  the 
restatement of prior period financial statements.

Changes in U.S. trade policies, including the imposition of tariffs and retaliatory tariffs, may adversely impact our business, 
financial condition and results of operations.

There  continues  to  be  discussion  and  dialogue  in  the  U.S.  government  regarding  potential  changes  to  U.S.  trade  policies, 
legislation,  treaties  and  tariffs,  including  trade  policies  and  tariffs  affecting  other  countries,  including  China,  the  European 
Union,  Canada  and  Mexico  and  retaliatory  tariffs  by  such  countries.  Tariffs  and  retaliatory  tariffs  have  been  imposed,  and 
additional tariffs and retaliatory tariffs have been proposed. Such tariffs, retaliatory tariffs or other trade restrictions on products 
and materials that our customers import or export could cause the prices of our customers’ products to increase, which could 
reduce demand for such products, or reduce our customers’ margins, and adversely impact their revenues, financial results and 
ability to service debt. This in turn, could adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations. In addition, to the 
extent changes in the political environment have a negative impact on us or on the markets in which we operate our business, 
results  of  operations  and  financial  condition  could  be  materially  and  adversely  impacted.  It  remains  unclear  what  the  U.S. 
government or foreign governments will or will not do with respect to tariffs already imposed, additional tariffs that may be 
imposed,  or  international  trade  agreements  and  policies.  It  is  also  unclear  what  changes,  if  any,  to  U.S.  trade  policy  will  be 
made by the Biden Administration and Congress, particularly in light of the mid-term elections in 2022.

On  October  1,  2018,  the  United  States,  Canada  and  Mexico  agreed  to  a  new  trade  deal,  the  United  States-Mexico-Canada 
Agreement  (“USMCA”)  to  replace  the  North  American  Free  Trade  Agreement.  On  January  29,  2020,  then-President  Trump 
signed  the  USMCA  into  law.  The  full  impact  of  the  USMCA  on  us,  our  customers  and  on  the  economic  conditions  in  the 
markets in which we operate is currently unknown. Changes to the terms upon which the United States, Mexico and Canada 
trade  could  negatively  affect  our  customers  or  the  U.S.  economy  or  certain  sectors  thereof  and,  thus,  adversely  impact  our 
business, financial condition and results of operations.

Risks Related to Lending Operations

If  our  allowance  for  credit  losses  is  not  sufficient  to  absorb  losses  that  may  occur  in  our  loan  portfolio,  our  financial 
condition and liquidity could suffer.

We  maintain  an  allowance  for  credit  losses  that  is  intended  to  absorb  expected  lifetime  credit  losses  related  to  our  loan 
portfolio,  off-balance  sheet  credit  exposures  and  held-to-maturity  debt  securities  portfolio.  At  each  balance  sheet  date,  our 
management determines the amount of the allowance for credit losses based on our estimate of expected credit losses over the 
life  of  the  related  asset  with  consideration  of  historical  credit  losses,  current  economic  conditions  and  reasonable  and 
supportable forecasts.

Because our allowance for credit losses represents an estimate of lifetime losses, there is no certainty that it will be adequate 
over time to cover credit losses in the portfolios, particularly if there are changes in expectations of general economic or market 
conditions, or events that adversely affect specific customers. In 2021, we charged off $21.5 million in loans (net of recoveries) 
and decreased our allowance for credit losses from $379.9 million at December 31, 2020 to $299.7 million at December 31, 
2021.  Our  allowance  for  loan  and  unfunded  lending-related  commitment  losses  represents  0.86%  and  1.18%  of  total  loans 
outstanding at December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively. 

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Although we believe our allowance for credits losses is adequate to absorb estimated credit losses in our loan portfolio, if our 
estimates are inaccurate and our actual credit losses exceed the amount that is anticipated, or if the forecasts and assumptions 
used  in  calculating  our  reserves  are  significantly  different  from  those  we  actually  experience,  our  financial  condition  and 
liquidity could be materially adversely affected.

For  more  information  regarding  our  allowance  for  loan  losses,  see  “Loan  Portfolio  and  Asset  Quality”  under  Management's 
Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations in Item 7.

As  a  participating  lender  in  the  SBA  Paycheck  Protection  Program  (“PPP”),  the  Company  and  its  banks  are  subject  to 
additional  risks  of  litigation  from  the  banks’  customers  or  other  parties  regarding  the  banks’  processing  of  loans  for  the 
PPP and risks that the SBA may not fund some or all PPP loan guaranties.

From April 3, 2020 through the end of the program in the second quarter of 2021, we originated over 19,400 PPP loans with a 
carrying balance totaling approximately $4.8 billion. As of December 31, 2021, the carrying balance of such loans was reduced 
to approximately $558.3 million primarily resulting from forgiveness by the SBA. The PPP program expired on May 31, 2021. 

Since the launch of the PPP, several other larger banks have been subject to litigation regarding the process and procedures that 
such banks used in processing applications for the PPP, as well as litigation regarding the alleged nonpayment of fees that may 
be  due  to  certain  agents  who  facilitated  PPP  loan  applications.  Although  many  of  these  lawsuits  have  subsequently  been 
dismissed, the Company and the banks may be exposed to the risk of litigation, from both customers and non-customers that 
approached the banks regarding PPP loans, regarding its process and procedures used in processing applications for the PPP. If 
any such litigation is filed against the Company or its banks and is not resolved in a manner favorable to the Company or the 
banks, such litigation may result in significant financial liability or adversely affect the Company’s reputation. The Company 
and one of its banks were named as defendants in a putative class action, which has been dismissed with prejudice, regarding 
the alleged nonpayment of agency fees.

Regardless  of  outcome,  litigation  can  be  costly  and  divert  the  Company’s  attention  and  resources.  Any  financial  liability, 
litigation costs or reputational damage caused by PPP related litigation could have a material adverse impact on our business, 
financial condition and results of operations.

PPP  loans  are  fixed,  low  interest  rate  loans  that  are  guaranteed  by  the  SBA  and  subject  to  numerous  other  regulatory 
requirements, and a borrower may apply to have all or a portion of the loan forgiven. If PPP borrowers fail to qualify for loan 
forgiveness, banks face a heightened risk of holding these loans at unfavorable interest rates for an extended period of time. 
While the PPP loans are guaranteed by the SBA, various regulatory requirements will apply to banks’ ability to seek recourse 
under the guarantees, and related procedures are subject to uncertainty.

Participating  banks  also  have  credit  risk  with  respect  to  PPP  loans  if  a  determination  is  made  by  the  SBA  that  there  is  a 
deficiency in the manner in which the loan was originated, funded, or serviced by the banks, such as an issue with the eligibility 
of a borrower to receive a PPP loan, which may or may not be related to the ambiguity in the laws, rules and guidance regarding 
the operation of the PPP. In the event of a loss resulting from a default on a PPP loan and a determination by the SBA that there 
was a deficiency in the manner in which a PPP loan was originated, funded, or serviced by the Company, the SBA may deny its 
liability under the guaranty, reduce the amount of the guaranty, or, if it has already paid under the guaranty, seek recovery of 
any loss related to the deficiency from the Company.

A significant portion of our loan portfolio is comprised of commercial loans, the repayment of which is largely dependent 
upon the financial success and economic viability of the borrower.

The repayment of our commercial loans is dependent upon the financial success and viability of the borrower. If the economy 
weakens  for  a  prolonged  period  or  experiences  deterioration  or  if  the  industry  or  market  in  which  the  borrower  operates 
weakens, our borrowers may experience depressed or dramatic and sudden decreases in revenues that could hinder their ability 
to repay their loans. Excluding PPP loans that include a guarantee from the SBA, our commercial loan portfolio totaled $11.3 
billion or 33% of our total loan portfolio, at December 31, 2021, compared to $9.2 billion, or 29% of our total loan portfolio, at 
December 31, 2020.

Commercial loans are secured by different types of collateral related to the underlying business, such as accounts receivable, 
inventory and equipment. Should a commercial loan require us to foreclose on the underlying collateral, the unique nature of 
the collateral may make it more difficult and costly to liquidate, thereby increasing the risk to us of not recovering the principal 

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amount  of  the  loan.  Accordingly,  our  business,  results  of  operations  and  financial  condition  may  be  materially  adversely 
affected by defaults in this portfolio.

A substantial portion of our loan portfolio is secured by real estate, in particular commercial real estate. Deterioration in the 
real estate markets could lead to additional losses, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and 
results of operations.

As of both December 31, 2021 and 2020, approximately 34% and 36%, respectively, of our total loan portfolio was secured by 
real  estate,  the  majority  of  which  is  commercial  real  estate.  The  commercial  and  residential  real  estate  market  continues  to 
experience a variety of difficulties, including the Chicago metropolitan area and southern Wisconsin, in which a majority of our 
real estate loans are concentrated. Increases in commercial and consumer delinquency levels or declines in real estate market 
values  would  require  increased  net  charge-offs  and  increases  in  the  allowance  for  loan  and  lease  losses,  which  could  have  a 
material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Events impacting collateral consisting of real property could lead to additional losses which could have a material adverse 
effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

Many of the loans in our portfolio are secured by real estate located in the Chicago metropolitan area. Any declines in economic 
conditions, including inflation, recession, unemployment, changes in securities markets or other factors impacting these local 
markets could, in turn, have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations. Deterioration in the 
real estate markets where collateral for our mortgage loans is located could adversely affect the borrower's ability to repay the 
loan and the value of the collateral securing the loan, and in turn the value of our assets. In addition, any natural disasters or 
severe weather events have the potential to damage our real estate collateral. Climate change could have an impact on longer-
term natural weather trends and increase the occurrence and severity of such adverse weather events.

Any inaccurate assumptions in our analytical and forecasting models could cause us to miscalculate our projected revenue, 
capital, liquidity or losses, which could adversely affect our financial condition.

We use analytical and forecasting models to estimate the effects of economic conditions on our loan portfolio and probable loan 
performance. Those models reflect certain assumptions about market forces, including interest rates and consumer behavior that 
may  be  incorrect.  If  our  analytical  and  forecasting  models’  underlying  assumptions  are  incorrect,  improperly  applied,  or 
otherwise  inadequate,  we  may  suffer  deleterious  effects  such  as  higher  than  expected  loan  losses,  lower  than  expected  net 
interest  income,  lower  than  expected  liquidity,  lower  than  expected  capital  or  unanticipated  charge-offs,  any  of  which  could 
have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We are subject to environmental liability risk associated with lending activities.

A  significant  portion  of  the  Company's  loan  portfolio  is  secured  by  real  property.  In  the  ordinary  course  of  business,  the 
Company may foreclose on and take title to properties securing certain loans. In doing so, there is a risk that hazardous or toxic 
substances  could  be  found  on  these  properties.  If  hazardous  or  toxic  substances  are  found,  the  Company  may  be  liable  for 
remediation costs, as well as for personal injury and property damage. In addition, we own and operate a number of properties 
that may be subject to similar environmental liability risks.

Environmental laws may require the Company to incur substantial expenses and could materially reduce the affected property's 
value or limit the Company's ability to use or sell the affected property. The costs associated with investigation and remediation 
activities could be substantial. In addition, if we are the owner or former owner of a contaminated site, we may be subject to 
common law claims by third parties based on damages and costs resulting from environmental contamination emanating from 
the  property.  Although  the  Company  has  policies  and  procedures  to  perform  an  environmental  review  before  initiating  any 
foreclosure  action  on  real  property,  these  reviews  may  not  be  sufficient  to  detect  all  potential  environmental  hazards.  The 
remediation  costs  and  any  other  financial  liabilities  associated  with  an  environmental  hazard  could  have  a  material  adverse 
effect on the Company's business, financial condition and results of operations.

Risks Related to Our Niche Businesses

Our  premium  finance  business  may  involve  a  higher  risk  of  delinquency  or  collection  than  our  other  lending  operations, 
and could expose us to losses.

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We provide financing for the payment of property and casualty insurance premiums and life insurance premiums on a national 
basis through FIRST Insurance Funding and Wintrust Life Finance, respectively, and financing for the payment of property and 
casualty insurance premiums in Canada through our wholly-owned subsidiary, FIFC Canada. Property and casualty insurance 
premium finance loans involve a different, and possibly higher, risk of delinquency or collection than life insurance premium 
finance  loans  and  the  loan  portfolios  of  our  bank  subsidiaries  because  these  loans  are  issued  primarily  through  relationships 
with  a  large  number  of  unaffiliated  insurance  agents  and  because  the  borrowers  are  located  nationwide.  As  a  result,  risk 
management and general supervisory oversight may be difficult. As of December 31, 2021, we had $4.9 billion of property and 
casualty insurance premium finance loans outstanding, of which $4.2 billion related to the Company's U.S. operations at FIRST 
Insurance  Funding  and  $677.0  million  related  to  the  Company's  Canadian  operations  at  FIFC  Canada.  Together,  these  loans 
represented 14% of our total loan portfolio as of such date.

FIRST  Insurance  Funding  and  FIFC  Canada  may  also  be  more  susceptible  to  third  party  fraud  with  respect  to  property  and 
casualty insurance premium finance loans because these loans are originated and many times funded through relationships with 
unaffiliated  insurance  agents  and  brokers.  In  the  second  quarter  of  2010,  for  example,  fraud  perpetrated  against  a  number  of 
premium  finance  companies  in  the  industry,  including  the  property  and  casualty  division  of  FIRST  Insurance  Funding, 
increased  both  the  Company's  net  charge-offs  and  provision  for  credit  losses  by  $15.7  million.  Acts  of  fraud  are  difficult  to 
detect  and  deter,  and  we  cannot  assure  investors  that  our  risk  management  procedures  and  controls  will  prevent  losses  from 
fraudulent activity.

Wintrust  Life  Finance  may  be  exposed  to  the  risk  of  loss  in  our  life  insurance  premium  finance  business  because  of  fraud. 
While Wintrust Life Finance maintains a policy prohibiting the known financing of stranger-originated life insurance and has 
established  procedures  to  identify  and  prevent  the  company  from  financing  such  policies,  Wintrust  Life  Finance  cannot  be 
certain that it will never provide loans with respect to such a policy. In the event such policies were financed, a carrier could 
potentially  put  at  risk  the  cash  surrender  value  of  a  policy,  which  serves  as  Wintrust  Life  Finance's  primary  collateral,  by 
challenging the validity of the insurance contract for lack of an insurable interest.

See  the  below  risk  factor  “Widespread  financial  difficulties  or  credit  downgrades  among  commercial  and  life  insurance 
providers  could  lessen  the  value  of  the  collateral  securing  our  premium  finance  loans  and  impair  the  financial  condition  and 
liquidity  of  FIRST  Insurance  Funding,  Wintrust  Life  Finance  and  FIFC  Canada”  for  a  discussion  of  further  risks  associated 
with our insurance premium finance activities.

While  FIRST  Insurance  Funding  and  Wintrust  Life  Finance  are  licensed  as  required  and  carefully  monitor  compliance  with 
regulation of each of their businesses, there can be no assurance that either will not be negatively impacted by material changes 
in the regulatory environment. FIFC Canada is not required to be licensed in most provinces of Canada, but there can be no 
assurance that future regulations which impact the business of FIFC Canada will not be enacted.

Additionally,  to  the  extent  that  affiliates  of  insurance  carriers,  banks,  and  other  lending  institutions  add  greater  service  and 
flexibility  to  their  financing  practices  in  the  future,  our  competitive  position  and  results  of  operations  could  be  adversely 
affected. Wintrust Life Finance's life insurance premium finance business could be materially negatively impacted by changes 
in the federal or state estate tax provisions. There can be no assurance that FIRST Insurance Funding and Wintrust Life Finance 
will be able to continue to compete successfully in its markets.

Widespread  financial  difficulties  or  credit  downgrades  among  commercial  and  life  insurance  providers  could  lessen  the 
value  of  the  collateral  securing  our  premium  finance  loans  and  impair  the  financial  condition  and  liquidity  of  FIRST 
Insurance Funding, Wintrust Life Finance and FIFC Canada.

FIRST  Insurance  Funding,  Wintrust  Life  Finance  and  FIFC  Canada's  premium  finance  loans  are  primarily  secured  by  the 
insurance  policies  financed  by  the  loans.  These  insurance  policies  are  written  by  a  large  number  of  insurance  companies 
geographically dispersed throughout the country. Our premium finance receivables balances finance insurance policies that are 
spread among a large number of insurers, however, the top three insurers represents approximately 14%, 6% and 5% of such 
balances. FIRST Insurance Funding, Wintrust Life Finance and FIFC Canada consistently monitor carrier ratings and financial 
performance of our carriers. While FIRST Insurance Funding, Wintrust Life Finance and FIFC Canada can mitigate its risks as 
a result of this monitoring to the extent that commercial or life insurance providers experience widespread difficulties or credit 
downgrades, the value of our collateral will be reduced. FIRST Insurance Funding, Wintrust Life Finance and FIFC Canada are 
also  subject  to  the  possibility  of  insolvency  of  insurance  carriers  in  the  commercial  and  life  insurance  businesses  that  are  in 
possession  of  our  collateral.  If  one  or  more  large  nationwide  insurers  were  to  fail,  the  value  of  our  portfolio  could  be 
significantly  negatively  impacted.  A  significant  downgrade  in  the  value  of  the  collateral  supporting  our  premium  finance 

34

business  could  impair  our  ability  to  create  liquidity  for  this  business,  which,  in  turn  could  negatively  impact  our  ability  to 
expand.

Our wealth management business in general, and Wintrust Investments’ brokerage operation, in particular, exposes us to 
certain risks associated with the securities industry.

Our wealth management business in general, and Wintrust Investments' brokerage operations in particular, present special risks 
not borne by community banks that focus exclusively on community banking. For example, the brokerage industry is subject to 
fluctuations  in  the  stock  market  that  may  have  a  significant  adverse  impact  on  transaction  fees,  customer  activity  and 
investment  portfolio  gains  and  losses.  Likewise,  additional  or  modified  regulations  may  adversely  affect  our  wealth 
management operations. Each of our wealth management operations is dependent on a small number of professionals whose 
departure could result in the loss of a significant number of customer accounts. A significant decline in fees and commissions or 
trading losses suffered in the investment portfolio could adversely affect our results of operations. In addition, we are subject to 
claim  arbitration  risk  arising  from  customers  who  claim  their  investments  were  not  suitable  or  that  their  portfolios  were 
inappropriately traded. These risks increase when the market, as a whole, declines. The risks associated with retail brokerage 
may not be supported by the income generated by our wealth management operations.

Risks Related to Financial Strength and Liquidity

Changes in prevailing interest rates could adversely affect our net interest income, which is our largest source of income. 

We  are  exposed  to  interest  rate  risk  in  our  core  banking  activities  of  lending  and  deposit  taking,  since  changes  in  prevailing 
interest rates affect the value of our assets and liabilities. Such changes may adversely affect our net interest income, which is 
the  difference  between  interest  income  and  interest  expense.  Our  net  interest  income  is  affected  by  the  fact  that  assets  and 
liabilities reprice at different times and by different amounts as interest rates change. Net interest income represents our largest 
component of net income, and was $1.1 billion and $1.0 billion for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively.

Each of our businesses may be affected differently by a given change in interest rates. For example, we expect that the results of 
our mortgage banking business in selling loans into the secondary market could be negatively impacted during periods of rising 
interest rates, whereas falling interest rates could have a negative impact on the net interest spread earned on deposits as we 
would be unable to lower the rates on many interest bearing deposit accounts of our customers to the same extent as many of 
our higher yielding asset classes.

Additionally, increases in interest rates may adversely influence the growth rate of loans and deposits, the quality of our loan 
portfolio, loan and deposit pricing, the volume of loan originations in our mortgage banking business and the value that we can 
recognize on the sale of mortgage loans in the secondary market.

In response to the economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Federal Reserve lowered its target for the federal 
funds rate to a range of 0% to 0.25%. While interest rates remain low, the Federal Reserve is expected to begin raising interest 
rates during 2022. We cannot predict the nature or timing of future changes in monetary policies or the precise effects that they 
may have on our activities and financial results.

We  seek  to  mitigate  our  interest  rate  risk  through  several  strategies,  which  may  not  be  successful.  With  the  relatively  low 
interest rates that prevailed in recent years, we were able to augment the total return of our investment securities portfolio by 
selling  call  options  on  fixed-income  securities  that  we  own.  We  recorded  fee  income  of  approximately  $3.7  million,  $2.3 
million and $3.7 million for the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019, respectively. We also mitigate our interest rate 
risk by entering into interest rate swaps and other interest rate derivative contracts from time to time with counterparties. To the 
extent  that  the  market  value  of  any  derivative  contract  moves  to  a  negative  market  value,  we  are  subject  to  loss  if  the 
counterparty defaults. In the future, there can be no assurance that such mitigation strategies will be available or successful or 
that we will be successful in implementing any new mitigation strategies necessary to address the current rising interest rate 
environment. In addition, transactions entered into as part of mitigation strategies employed to mitigate risks associated with a 
prolonged low interest rate environment could be less beneficial or result in losses if interest rates continue to rise.

Our liquidity position may be negatively impacted if economic conditions do not improve or if they decline.

Liquidity  is  a  measure  of  whether  our  cash  flows  and  liquid  assets  are  sufficient  to  satisfy  current  and  future  financial 
obligations, such as demand for loans, deposit withdrawals and operating costs. Our liquidity position is affected by a number 
of factors, including the amount of cash and other liquid assets on hand, payment of interest and dividends on debt and equity 

35

instruments  that  we  have  issued,  capital  we  inject  into  our  bank  subsidiaries,  proceeds  we  raise  through  the  issuance  of 
securities,  our  ability  to  draw  upon  our  revolving  credit  facility  and  dividends  received  from  our  banking  subsidiaries.  Our 
future liquidity position may be adversely affected by multiple factors, including:

•
•
•
•
•

if our banking subsidiaries report net losses or their earnings are weak relative to our cash flow needs;
if it is necessary for us to make capital injections to our banking subsidiaries;
if changes in regulations require us to maintain a greater level of capital, as more fully described below;
if we are unable to access our revolving credit facility due to a failure to satisfy financial and other covenants; or
if we are unable to raise additional capital on terms that are satisfactory to us.

Weakness or worsening of the economy, real estate markets or unemployment levels may increase the likelihood that one or 
more of these events will occur. If our liquidity is adversely affected, it may have a material adverse effect on our business, 
results of operations and financial condition.

An  actual  or  perceived  reduction  in  our  financial  strength  may  cause  others  to  reduce  or  cease  doing  business  with  us, 
which could result in a decrease in our net interest income and fee revenues.

Our customers rely upon our financial strength and stability and evaluate the risks of doing business with us. If we experience 
diminished financial strength or stability, actual or perceived, including due to market or regulatory developments, announced 
or rumored business developments or results of operations, or a decline in stock price, customers may withdraw their deposits 
or otherwise seek services from other banking institutions and prospective customers may select other service providers. The 
risk  that  we  may  be  perceived  as  less  creditworthy  relative  to  other  market  participants  is  increased  in  the  current  market 
environment,  where  the  consolidation  of  financial  institutions,  including  major  global  financial  institutions,  is  resulting  in  a 
smaller number of much larger counterparties and competitors. As our community banks become more closely identified with 
the Wintrust name, the impact of any perceived weakness or creditworthiness at either the holding company or our community 
banks may be greater than in prior periods. If customers reduce their deposits with us or select other service providers for all or 
a portion of the services that we provide them, net interest income and fee revenues will decrease accordingly, and could have a 
material adverse effect on our results of operations.

If our credit rating is lowered, our financing costs could increase.

As of December 31, 2021, we have been rated by Fitch Ratings as "BBB+" and DBRS as "A (low)".  A credit rating is not a 
recommendation to buy, sell or hold securities and may be subject to revision or withdrawal at any time by the assigning rating 
organization.

Our creditworthiness is not fixed and should be expected to change over time as a result of company performance and industry 
conditions. We cannot give any assurances that our credit ratings will remain at current levels, and it is possible that our ratings 
could  be  lowered  or  withdrawn  by  Fitch  Ratings  or  DBRS.  Any  actual  or  threatened  downgrade  or  withdrawal  of  our  credit 
rating could affect our perception in the marketplace and our ability to raise capital, and could increase our debt financing costs.

If our growth requires us to raise additional capital, that capital may not be available when it is needed or the cost of that 
capital may be very high.

We are required by regulatory authorities to maintain adequate levels of capital to support our operations (see “ - Risks Related 
to  Our  Regulatory  Environment  -  If  we  fail  to  meet  our  regulatory  capital  ratios,  we  may  be  forced  to  raise  capital  or  sell 
assets”) and as we grow, internally and through acquisitions, the amount of capital required to support our operations grows as 
well. We may need to raise additional capital to support continued growth both internally and through acquisitions. Any capital 
we obtain may result in the dilution of the interests of existing holders of our common stock.

Our ability to raise additional capital, if needed, will depend on conditions in the capital markets at that time which are outside 
our  control  and  on  our  financial  condition  and  performance.  If  we  cannot  raise  additional  capital  when  needed,  or  on  terms 
acceptable  to  us,  our  ability  to  further  expand  our  operations  through  internal  growth  and  acquisitions  could  be  materially 
impaired and our financial condition and liquidity could be materially and negatively affected.

Disruption in the financial markets could result in lower fair values for our investment securities portfolio.

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The Company's available-for-sale debt and trading securities as well as certain equity securities are carried at fair value. 

Accounting  standards  require  the  Company  to  categorize  these  securities  according  to  a  fair  value  hierarchy.  As  of 
December 31, 2021, approximately 96% of the Company's available-for-sale debt securities and equity securities with a readily 
determinable  fair  value  were  categorized  in  level  1  or  2  of  the  fair  value  hierarchy  (meaning  that  their  fair  values  were 
determined  by  unadjusted  quoted  prices  in  active  markets  for  identical  assets,  quoted  prices  for  similar  assets  or  other 
observable inputs). Significant prolonged reduced investor demand could manifest itself in lower fair values for these securities 
and  may  result  in  recognition  of  an  other-than-temporary  or  permanent  impairment  of  available-for-sale  debt  securities  and 
unrealized  losses  of  equity  securities  with  a  readily  determinable  fair  value  recognized  in  earnings,  which  could  lead  to 
accounting charges and have a material adverse effect on the Company's financial condition and results of operations. 

The  remaining  securities  in  our  available-for-sale  debt  securities  and  equity  securities  with  a  readily  determinable  fair  value 
portfolios were categorized as level 3 (meaning that their fair values were determined by inputs that are unobservable in the 
market  and  therefore  require  a  greater  degree  of  management  judgment).  The  determination  of  fair  value  for  securities 
categorized  in  level  3  involves  significant  judgment  due  to  the  complexity  of  factors  contributing  to  the  valuation,  many  of 
which are not readily observable in the market. In addition, the nature of the business of the third party source that is valuing 
the securities at any given time could impact the valuation of the securities. Consequently, the ultimate sales price for any of 
these securities could vary significantly from the recorded fair value at December 31, 2021, especially if the security is sold 
during a period of illiquidity or market disruption or as part of a large block of securities under a forced transaction.

There can be no assurance that decline in market value of available-for-sale debt securities and equity securities with a readily 
determinable  fair  value  associated  with  these  disruptions  will  not  result  in  credit  or  permanent  impairments,  and  unrealized 
losses, respectively, of these assets, which would lead to accounting charges which could have a material negative effect on our 
business, financial condition and results of operations.

We are a bank holding company, and our sources of funds, including to pay dividends, are limited.

We are a bank holding company and our operations are primarily conducted by and through our 15 operating banks, which are 
subject to significant federal and state regulation. Cash available to pay dividends to our shareholders, repurchase our shares or 
repay our indebtedness is derived primarily from dividends received from our banks and our ability to receive dividends from 
our  subsidiaries  is  restricted.  Various  statutory  provisions  restrict  the  amount  of  dividends  our  banks  can  pay  to  us  without 
regulatory approval. The banks may not pay cash dividends if that payment could reduce the amount of their capital below that 
necessary to meet the “adequately capitalized” level in accordance with regulatory capital requirements. It is also possible that, 
depending upon the financial condition of the banks and other factors, regulatory authorities could conclude that payment of 
dividends  or  other  payments,  including  payments  to  us,  is  an  unsafe  or  unsound  practice  and  impose  restrictions  or  prohibit 
such payments. Our inability to receive dividends from our banks could adversely affect our business, financial condition and 
results of operations.

Uncertainty about the future of LIBOR may adversely affect our business.

We  have  derivative  contracts,  borrowings,  variable  rate  loans  and  other  financial  instruments  with  attributes  that  are  either 
directly  or  indirectly  dependent  on  the  LIBOR.  Central  banks  around  the  world,  including  the  Federal  Reserve,  have 
commissioned committees and working groups of market participants and official sector representatives to replace LIBOR and 
replace or reform other interest rate benchmarks.  The publication of most LIBOR rates ceased as of the end of December 2021.  
While certain U.S. dollar LIBOR tenors are expected to continue to be published until June 30, 2023, the U.S. banking agencies 
have encouraged banks to cease entering into new contracts referencing LIBOR no later than December 31, 2021.  A transition 
away from the widespread use of LIBOR to alternative rates and other potential interest rate benchmark reforms has begun and 
will continue over the course of the next few years.  These reforms may cause such rates to perform differently than in the past, 
or to disappear entirely, or have other consequences which cannot be predicted.

While there is no consensus on what rate or rates may become accepted alternatives to LIBOR, a group of market participants 
convened by the Federal Reserve, the Alternative Reference Rate Committee (“ARRC”), has selected the Secured Overnight 
Financing  Rate  (“SOFR”)  as  its  recommended  alternative  to  LIBOR.  SOFR  is  a  broad  measure  of  the  cost  of  overnight 
borrowings  collateralized  by  Treasury  securities  that  was  selected  due  to  the  depth  and  robustness  of  the  U.S.  Treasury 
repurchase  market.    At  this  time,  it  is  impossible  to  predict  whether  SOFR  will  become  an  accepted  alternative  to  LIBOR.  
Further,  the  Bank  of  England  has  commenced  publication  of  a  reformed  Sterling  Overnight  Index  Average  (“reformed 
SONIA”), comprised of a broader set of overnight Sterling money market transactions, as of April 23, 2018. Reformed SONIA 
has been recommended as the alternative to Sterling LIBOR by the Working Group on Sterling Risk-Free Reference Rates.

37

Although  SOFR  appears  to  be  the  preferred  replacement  rate  for  U.S  dollar  LIBOR,  it  is  unclear  if  other  benchmarks  may 
emerge or if other rates will be adopted outside of the United States. We cannot predict what effect any such alternatives will 
have  on  the  value  of  LIBOR-based  securities  or  financial  arrangements,  including  the  Company’s  Series  D  Preferred  Stock, 
junior subordinated debentures or other securities or financial arrangements, given LIBOR’s role in determining market interest 
rates globally. Uncertainty as to the nature of alternative reference rates and as to potential changes or other reforms to LIBOR 
may adversely affect LIBOR rates and other interest rates. In the event that a published LIBOR rate is unavailable after 2021, 
the dividend rate on the Company’s Series D Preferred Stock, which currently is based on the LIBOR rate, will be determined 
as set forth in the accompanying offering documents, and the value of such securities may be adversely affected. 

We anticipate significant operational challenges for the transition away from LIBOR including, but not limited to, amending 
existing loan agreements with borrowers on loans that may have not been modified with fallback language and adding effective 
fallback language to new agreements in the event that LIBOR is discontinued before maturity. In addition, the transition away 
from LIBOR could prompt inquiries or other actions from regulators in respect of the Company’s preparation and readiness for 
the  replacement  of  LIBOR  with  an  alternative  reference  rate,  as  well  as  result  in  disputes,  litigation  or  other  actions  with 
counterparties  regarding  the  interpretation  and  enforceability  of  certain  fallback  language  in  LIBOR-based  contracts  and 
securities.  Currently,  the  manner  and  impact  of  this  transition  and  related  developments,  as  well  as  the  effect  of  these 
developments  on  our  funding  costs,  loan,  derivative  and  investment  portfolios,  asset-liability  management  and  business,  is 
uncertain.

Risks Related to General Operations

Our controls and procedures may fail or be circumvented.  

Management  regularly  reviews  and  updates  our  internal  controls  over  financial  reporting,  disclosure  controls  and  procedures 
and corporate governance policies and procedures. Any system of controls, however well-designed and operated, is based in 
part on certain assumptions and can provide only reasonable, not absolute, assurances that the objectives of the system are met. 
Any  circumvention  of  our  controls  and  procedures  or  failure  to  comply  with  regulations  related  to  controls  and  procedures 
could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.

Our  operational  or  security  systems  or  infrastructure,  or  those  of  third  parties,  could  fail  or  be  breached,  which  could 
disrupt our business and adversely impact our results of operations, liquidity and financial condition, as well as cause legal 
or reputational harm.

The potential for operational risk exposure exists throughout our business and, as a result of our interactions with, and reliance 
on,  third  parties,  is  not  limited  to  our  own  internal  operational  functions.  Our  operational  and  security  systems  and 
infrastructure, including our computer systems, data management, and internal processes, as well as those of third parties, are 
integral to our performance. We rely on our employees and third parties in our day-to-day and ongoing operations, who may, as 
a result of human error, misconduct, malfeasance or failure, or breach of our or of third-party systems or infrastructure, expose 
us to risk. For example, our ability to conduct business may be adversely affected by any significant disruptions to us or to third 
parties  with  whom  we  interact  or  upon  whom  we  rely.  In  addition,  our  ability  to  implement  backup  systems  and  other 
safeguards with respect to third-party systems is more limited than with respect to our own systems. Our financial, accounting, 
data  processing,  backup  or  other  operating  or  security  systems  and  infrastructure  may  fail  to  operate  properly  or  become 
disabled or damaged as a result of a number of factors, including events that are wholly or partially beyond our control, which 
could  adversely  affect  our  ability  to  process  transactions  or  provide  services.  Such  events  may  include  sudden  increases  in 
customer  transaction  volume;  electrical,  telecommunications  or  other  major  physical  infrastructure  outages;  natural  disasters 
such as earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes and floods; disease pandemics; and events arising from local or larger scale political 
or social matters, including wars and terrorist acts. In addition, we may need to take our systems offline if they become infected 
with malware or a computer virus or as a result of another form of cyber-attack.  In the event that backup systems are utilized, 
they  may  not  process  data  as  quickly  as  our  primary  systems  and  some  data  might  not  have  been  saved  to  backup  systems, 
potentially resulting in a temporary or permanent loss of such data. We frequently update our systems to support our operations 
and growth and to remain compliant with all applicable laws, rules and regulations. This updating entails significant costs and 
creates  risks  associated  with  implementing  new  systems  and  integrating  them  with  existing  ones,  including  business 
interruptions.  Implementation  and  testing  of  controls  related  to  our  computer  systems,  security  monitoring  and  retaining  and 
training  personnel  required  to  operate  our  systems  also  entail  significant  costs.  Operational  risk  exposures  could  adversely 
impact our results of operations, liquidity and financial condition, as well as cause reputational harm. In addition, we may not 
have adequate insurance coverage to compensate for losses from a major interruption.

38

We face security risks, including denial of service attacks, hacking, social engineering attacks targeting our colleagues and 
customers, malware intrusion and data corruption attempts, in addition to the resulting identity theft that could result in the 
disclosure of confidential information, all of which could adversely affect our business or reputation, and create significant 
legal and financial exposure.

Our computer systems and network infrastructure and those of third parties, on which we are highly dependent, are subject to 
security risks and could be susceptible to cyberattacks, such as denial of service attacks, hacking, terrorist activities or identity 
theft. Our business relies on the secure processing, transmission, storage and retrieval of confidential, personal, proprietary and 
other  information  in  our  computer  and  data  management  systems  and  networks,  and  in  the  computer  and  data  management 
systems and networks of third parties. In addition, to access our network, products and services, our customers and other third 
parties may use personal mobile devices or computing devices that are outside of our network environment and are subject to 
their own cybersecurity risks.

We, our customers, regulators and other third parties, including other financial services institutions and companies engaged in 
data processing, have been subject to, and are likely to continue to be the target of, cyber-attacks. These cyber-attacks include 
computer  viruses,  malicious  or  destructive  code,  phishing  attacks,  denial  of  service  or  information,  ransomware,  improper 
access by employees or vendors, attacks on personal email of employees, ransom demands to not expose security vulnerabilities 
in our systems or the systems of third parties or other security breaches that could result in the unauthorized release, gathering, 
monitoring, misuse, loss or destruction of confidential, proprietary and other information of ours, our employees, our customers 
or of third parties, damage to our systems or other material disruption of our or our customers’ or other third parties’ network 
access  or  business  operations.  As  cyber  threats  continue  to  evolve,  we  may  be  required  to  expend  significant  additional 
resources to continue to modify or enhance our protective measures or to investigate and remediate any information security 
vulnerabilities or incidents. Despite efforts to ensure the integrity of our systems and implement controls, processes, policies 
and  other  protective  measures,  we  may  not  be  able  to  anticipate  all  security  breaches,  nor  may  we  be  able  to  implement 
guaranteed preventive measures against such security breaches. Cyber threats are rapidly evolving and we may not be able to 
anticipate or prevent all such attacks and could be held liable for any security breach or loss.

Cybersecurity risks for banking organizations have significantly increased in recent years in part because of the proliferation of 
new  technologies,  and  the  use  of  the  internet  and  telecommunications  technologies  to  conduct  financial  transactions.  For 
example, cybersecurity risks may increase in the future as we continue to increase our mobile-payment and other internet-based 
product offerings and expand our internal usage of web-based products and applications. In addition, cybersecurity risks have 
significantly  increased  in  recent  years  in  part  due  to  the  increased  sophistication  and  activities  of  organized  crime  affiliates, 
terrorist  organizations,  hostile  foreign  governments,  disgruntled  employees  or  vendors,  activists  and  other  external  parties, 
including those involved in corporate espionage. Even the most advanced internal control environment may be vulnerable to 
compromise.  Targeted  social  engineering  attacks  and  "spear  phishing"  attacks  are  becoming  more  sophisticated  and  are 
extremely difficult to prevent. In such an attack, an attacker will attempt to fraudulently induce colleagues, customers or other 
users of our systems to disclose sensitive information in order to gain access to its data or that of its clients. Persistent attackers 
may succeed in penetrating defenses given enough resources, time, and motive. The techniques used by cyber criminals change 
frequently  and  may  not  be  recognized  until  launched  or  until  well  after  a  breach  has  occurred.  The  risk  of  a  security  breach 
caused  by  a  cyber-attack  at  a  vendor  or  by  unauthorized  vendor  access  has  also  increased  in  recent  years.  Additionally,  the 
existence of cyber-attacks or security breaches at third-party vendors with access to our data may not be disclosed to us in a 
timely manner.

We also face indirect technology, cybersecurity and operational risks relating to the customers, clients and other third parties 
with  whom  we  do  business  or  upon  whom  we  rely  to  facilitate  or  enable  our  business  activities,  including,  for  example, 
financial  counterparties,  regulators  and  providers  of  critical  infrastructure  such  as  internet  access  and  electrical  power.  As  a 
result of increasing consolidation, interdependence and complexity of financial entities and technology systems, a technology 
failure, cyber-attack or other information or security breach that significantly degrades, deletes or compromises the systems or 
data of one or more financial entities could have a material impact on counterparties or other market participants, including us. 
This consolidation, interconnectivity and complexity increases the risk of operational failure, on both individual and industry-
wide bases, as disparate systems need to be integrated, often on an accelerated basis. Any third-party technology failure, cyber-
attack or other information or security breach, termination or constraint could, among other things, adversely affect our ability 
to effect transactions, service our clients, manage our exposure to risk or expand our business.

Cyber-attacks or other information or security breaches, whether directed at us or third parties, may result in a material loss or 
have material consequences. Furthermore, the public perception that a cyber-attack on our systems has been successful, whether 
or  not  this  perception  is  correct,  may  damage  our  reputation  with  customers  and  third  parties  with  whom  we  do  business. 
Hacking  of  personal  information  and  identity  theft  risks,  in  particular,  could  cause  serious  reputational  harm.  A  successful 

39

penetration or circumvention of system security could cause us serious negative consequences, including our loss of customers 
and  business  opportunities,  significant  disruption  to  our  operations  and  business,  misappropriation  or  destruction  of  our 
confidential information and/or that of our customers, or damage to our or our customers’ and/or third parties’ computers or 
systems, and could result in a violation of applicable privacy laws and other laws, litigation exposure, regulatory fines, penalties 
or  intervention,  remediation  costs,  loss  of  confidence  in  our  security  measures,  reputational  damage,  reimbursement  or  other 
compensatory  costs,  remediation  costs,  additional  compliance  costs,  and  could  adversely  impact  our  results  of  operations, 
liquidity and financial condition.

Our vendors may be responsible for failures that adversely affect our operations.

We use and rely upon many external vendors to provide us with day-to-day products and services essential to our operations. 
We are thus exposed to risk that such vendors will not perform as contracted or at agreed-upon service levels. The failure of our 
vendors  to  perform  as  contracted  or  at  necessary  service  levels  for  any  reason  could  disrupt  our  operations,  which  could 
adversely affect our business. In addition, if any of our vendors experience insolvency or other business failure, such failure 
could affect our ability to obtain necessary products or services from a substitute vendor in a timely and cost-effective manner 
or prevent us from effectively pursuing certain business objectives entirely. Our failure to implement business objectives due to 
vendor nonperformance could adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.

We issue debit cards, and debit card transactions pose a particular cybersecurity risk that is outside of our control.

Debit  card  numbers  are  susceptible  to  theft  at  the  point  of  sale  via  the  physical  terminal  through  which  transactions  are 
processed  and  by  other  means  of  hacking.  The  security  and  integrity  of  these  transactions  are  dependent  upon  retailers’ 
vigilance and willingness to invest in technology and upgrades. Despite third-party security risks that are beyond our control, 
we  offer  our  customers  protection  against  fraud  and  attendant  losses  for  unauthorized  use  of  debit  cards  in  order  to  stay 
competitive in the marketplace. Offering such protection to our customers exposes us to potential losses which, in the event of a 
data  breach  at  one  or  more  retailers  of  considerable  magnitude,  may  adversely  affect  our  business,  financial  condition,  and 
results of operations. 

We depend on the accuracy and completeness of information we receive about our customers and counterparties to make 
credit decisions.

We rely on information furnished by or on behalf of customers and counterparties in deciding whether to extend credit or enter 
into other transactions. This information could include financial statements, credit reports, and other financial information. We 
also  rely  on  representations  of  those  customers,  counterparties,  or  other  third  parties,  such  as  independent  auditors,  as  to  the 
accuracy  and  completeness  of  that  information.  Reliance  on  inaccurate  or  misleading  financial  statements,  credit  reports,  or 
other financial information could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

If we are unable to attract and retain experienced and qualified personnel, our ability to provide high quality service will be 
diminished, we may lose key customer relationships, and our results of operations may suffer.

We  believe  that  our  future  success  depends,  in  part,  on  our  ability  to  attract  and  retain  experienced  personnel,  including  our 
senior  management  and  other  key  personnel.  Our  business  model  is  dependent  upon  our  ability  to  provide  high  quality  and 
personal  service.  In  addition,  as  a  holding  company  that  conducts  its  operations  through  our  subsidiaries,  we  are  focused  on 
providing entrepreneurial-based compensation to the chief executives of each our business units. As a Company with start-up 
and growth oriented operations, we are cognizant that to attract and retain the managerial talent necessary to operate and grow 
our businesses we often have to compensate our executives with a view to the business we expect them to manage, rather than 
the  size  of  the  business  they  currently  manage.  Accordingly,  any  executive  compensation  restrictions  may  negatively  impact 
our  ability  to  retain  and  attract  senior  management.  The  departure  of  a  senior  manager  or  other  key  personnel  may  damage 
relationships with certain customers, or certain customers may choose to follow such personnel to a competitor. The loss of any 
of our senior managers or other key personnel, or our inability to identify, recruit and retain such personnel, could materially 
and adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.

Losses incurred in connection with actual or projected repurchases and indemnification payments related to mortgages that 
we  have  sold  into  the  secondary  market  may  exceed  our  financial  statement  reserves  and  we  may  be  required  to  increase 
such reserves in the future. Increases to our reserves and losses incurred in connection with actual loan repurchases and 
indemnification payments could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations or 
cash flows.

40

We engage in the origination and purchase of residential mortgages for sale into the secondary market. In connection with such 
sales, we make certain representations and warranties, which, if breached, may require us to repurchase such loans, substitute 
other loans or indemnify the purchasers of such loans for actual losses incurred in respect of such loans. We receive requests for 
loan repurchases and indemnification payments relating to the representations and warranties with respect to such loans. We 
have been able to reach settlements with a number of purchasers, and believe that we have established appropriate reserves with 
respect to indemnification requests. It is possible that the number of such requests will increase or that we will not be able to 
reach settlements with respect to such requests in the future. Accordingly, it is possible that losses incurred in connection with 
loan repurchases and indemnification payments may be in excess of our financial statement reserves, and we may be required to 
increase such reserves and may sustain additional losses associated with such loan repurchases and indemnification payments in 
the future. Increases to our reserves and losses incurred by us in connection with actual loan repurchases and indemnification 
payments  in  excess  of  our  reserves  could  have  a  material  adverse  effect  on  our  business,  financial  condition,  results  of 
operations or cash flows.

Our business could be adversely affected by the occurrence of extraordinary events, such as acts of war, terrorist attacks, 
natural disasters and public health threats.

An  act  of  war,  terrorist  activity,  including  acts  of  domestic  terrorism,  a  major  epidemic  or  pandemic,  natural  disaster,  or  the 
threat of such an event or other public health threat, could adversely affect our customers and our business. Such events could 
significantly impact the demand for our products and services as well as the ability of our customers to repay loans, affect the 
stability  of  our  deposit  base,  impair  the  value  of  the  collateral  securing  loans,  adversely  impact  our  employee  base,  cause 
significant property damage, result in loss of revenue, and cause us to incur additional expenses. Additionally, financial markets 
may  be  adversely  affected  by  the  current  or  anticipated  impact  of  military  conflict,  including  escalating  military  tension 
between Russia and Ukraine, terrorism or other geopolitical events.  The occurrence or threat of any such extraordinary event 
could result in a material negative effect on our business and results of operations.

Risks Related to Ownership of Our Common Stock

Anti-takeover provisions could negatively impact our shareholders.

Certain provisions of our articles of incorporation, by-laws and Illinois law may have the effect of impeding the acquisition of 
control of Wintrust by means of a tender offer, a proxy fight, open-market purchases or otherwise in a transaction not approved 
by our board of directors. For example, our board of directors may issue additional authorized shares of our capital stock to 
deter future attempts to gain control of Wintrust, including the authority to determine the terms of any one or more series of 
preferred stock, such as voting rights, conversion rates and liquidation preferences. As a result of the ability to fix voting rights 
for  a  series  of  preferred  stock,  the  board  has  the  power,  to  the  extent  consistent  with  its  fiduciary  duty,  to  issue  a  series  of 
preferred stock to persons friendly to management in order to attempt to block a merger or other transaction by which a third 
party seeks control, and thereby assist the incumbent board of directors and management to retain their respective positions. In 
addition, our articles of incorporation expressly elect to be governed by the provisions of Section 7.85 of the Illinois Business 
Corporation  Act,  which  would  make  it  more  difficult  for  another  party  to  acquire  us  without  the  approval  of  our  board  of 
directors.

The ability of a third party to acquire us is also limited under applicable banking regulations. The BHC Act requires any “bank 
holding company” (as defined in the BHC Act) to obtain the approval of the Federal Reserve prior to acquiring more than 5% 
of our outstanding common stock. Any person other than a bank holding company is required to obtain prior approval of the 
Federal Reserve to acquire 10% or more of our outstanding common stock under the Change in Bank Control Act of 1978. Any 
holder of 25% or more of our outstanding common stock, other than an individual, is subject to regulation as a “bank holding 
company”  under  the  BHC  Act.  For  purposes  of  calculating  ownership  thresholds  under  these  banking  regulations,  bank 
regulators  would  generally  take  the  position  that  the  maximum  number  of  shares  of  Wintrust  common  stock  that  a  holder  is 
entitled  to  receive  pursuant  to  securities  convertible  into  or  settled  in  Wintrust  common  stock,  including  pursuant  to  any 
warrants  to  purchase  Wintrust  common  stock  held  by  such  holder,  must  be  taken  into  account  in  calculating  a  shareholder's 
aggregate holdings of Wintrust common stock.

These provisions may have the effect of discouraging a future takeover attempt that is not approved by our board of directors 
but  which  our  individual  shareholders  may  deem  to  be  in  their  best  interests  or  in  which  our  shareholders  may  receive  a 
substantial premium for their shares over then-current market prices. As a result, shareholders who might desire to participate in 
such a transaction may not have an opportunity to do so. Such provisions will also render the removal of our current board of 
directors or management more difficult.

41

ITEM 1B. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS

None.

ITEM 2. PROPERTIES

The  Company’s  executive  offices  are  located  at  9700  W.  Higgins  Road,  Rosemont,  Illinois  as  well  as  additional  nearby 
corporate office locations at 9701 W. Higgins Road, Rosemont, Illinois and 9801 W. Higgins Road, Rosemont, Illinois. The 
Company  also  leases  office  locations  and  retail  space  at  231  S.  LaSalle  Street  in  downtown  Chicago  and  at  731  N.  Jackson 
Street  in  downtown  Milwaukee.  The  Company’s  community  banking  segment  operates  through  173  banking  facilities,  the 
majority of which are owned. The Company owns 228 automatic teller machines, the majority of which are housed at banking 
locations. The banking facilities are located in communities throughout the Chicago metropolitan area, southern Wisconsin and 
northwest  Indiana  as  well  as  one  banking  location  in  Naples,  Florida.  Excess  space  in  certain  properties  is  leased  to  third 
parties. Wintrust Mortgage, also of our banking segment, is headquartered in our corporate headquarters in Rosemont, Illinois 
and has 40 locations in 11 states, all of which are leased, as well as office locations at several of our banks. 

The Company’s wealth management subsidiaries has one location in downtown Chicago, one in Appleton, Wisconsin, and one 
in Tampa, Florida, all of which are leased, as well as office locations at several of our banks. FIRST Insurance Funding and 
Wintrust  Life  Finance  have  one  location  in  Northbrook,  Illinois  which  is  owned  and  locations  in  downtown  Newark,  New 
Jersey,  Long  Island,  New  York  and  Newport  Beach,  California,  all  of  which  are  leased.  FIFC  Canada  has  three  locations  in 
Canada  that  are  leased,  located  in  Toronto,  Ontario;  Wainwright,  Alberta;  and  Vancouver,  British  Columbia.  Wintrust  Asset 
Finance is located in our corporate headquarters in Rosemont, Illinois and has locations in Frisco, Texas, Mishawaka, Indiana, 
and  Irvine,  California,  all  of  which  are  leased.  Tricom  has  one  location  in  Menomonee  Falls,  Wisconsin  which  is  owned.  In 
addition,  the  Company  owns  other  real  estate  acquired  for  further  expansion  that,  when  considered  in  the  aggregate,  is  not 
material to the Company’s financial position.

ITEM 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS 

The information required by this item is set forth in Part II, Item 8, Financial Statements and Supplementary Data, under Note 
20, “Commitments and Contingencies”.

ITEM 4. MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES

Not applicable.

42

PART II

ITEM 5. MARKET FOR REGISTRANT’S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS AND 

ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES

The Company’s common stock is traded on The NASDAQ Global Select Stock Market under the symbol WTFC. 

Performance Graph

The following performance graph compares the five-year percentage change in the Company’s cumulative shareholder return 
on common stock compared with the cumulative total return on composites of (1) all NASDAQ Global Select Market stocks for 
United  States  companies  (broad  market  index)  and  (2)  all  NASDAQ  Global  Select  Market  bank  stocks  (peer  group  index). 
Cumulative total return is computed by dividing the sum of the cumulative amount of dividends for the measurement period 
and  the  difference  between  the  Company’s  share  price  at  the  end  and  the  beginning  of  the  measurement  period  by  the  share 
price  at  the  beginning  of  the  measurement  period.  The  NASDAQ  Global  Select  Market  for  United  States  companies’  index 
comprises all domestic common shares traded on the NASDAQ Global Select Market and the NASDAQ Small-Cap Market. 
The NASDAQ Global Select Market bank stocks index comprises all banks traded on the NASDAQ Global Select Market and 
the NASDAQ Small-Cap Market.

This graph and other information furnished in the section titled “Performance Graph” under this Part II, Item 5 of this Annual 
Report on Form 10-K shall not be deemed to be “soliciting” materials or to be “filed” with the SEC or subject to Regulation 
14A or 14C, or to the liabilities of Section 18 of the Exchange Act, as amended.

Wintrust Financial Corporation
NASDAQ — Total US
NASDAQ — Bank Index

2016
  100.00 
  100.00 
  100.00 

2017
  114.36 
  121.38 
  118.39 

2018
93.14 
  114.78 
98.98 

2019
  100.75 
  150.55 
  135.78 

2020
88.89 
  182.57 
  118.40 

2021
  134.32 
  229.84 
  162.58 

43

Period EndingIndex ValueTotal Return PerformanceWintrust Financial CorporationNASDAQ - Total USNASDAQ - Bank Index12/31/1612/31/1712/31/1812/31/1912/31/202012/31/202180100120140160180200220240 
 
 
 
Approximate Number of Equity Security Holders

As of February 10, 2022, there were approximately 1,659 shareholders of record of the Company’s common stock.

Dividends on Common Stock

The Company’s Board of Directors approved the first semi-annual dividend on the Company’s common stock in January 2000 
and  continued  to  approve  a  semi-annual  dividend  until  quarterly  dividends  were  approved  starting  in  2014.  The  payment  of 
dividends is subject to statutory restrictions and restrictions arising under the terms of the Company's Fixed-to-Floating Non-
Cumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock, Series D (the “Series D Preferred Stock”), the terms of the Company’s Fixed-Rate Reset 
Non-Cumulative  Perpetual  Preferred  Stock,  Series  E  (the  “Series  E  Preferred  Stock”),  the  terms  of  the  Company’s  Trust 
Preferred Securities offerings and under certain financial covenants in the Company’s revolving and term facilities. Under the 
terms  of  these  separate  revolving  and  term  facilities  entered  into  on  September  18,  2018,  the  Company  is  prohibited  from 
paying dividends on any equity interests, including its common stock and preferred stock, if such payments would cause the 
Company to be in default under its facilities or exceed a certain threshold.

The following is a summary of the cash dividends paid in 2021 and 2020:

Record Date
November 11, 2021
August 5, 2021
May 6, 2021
February 11, 2021
November 12, 2020
August 6, 2020
May 7, 2020
February 6, 2020

Payable Date

   November 26, 2021
   August 19, 2021
   May 20, 2021

February 25, 2021

   November 27, 2020
   August 20, 2020
May 21, 2020
February 20, 2020

Dividend per Share
$0.31
$0.31
$0.31
$0.31
$0.28
$0.28
$0.28
$0.28

On January 27, 2022, Wintrust Financial Corporation announced that the Company’s Board of Directors approved a quarterly 
cash dividend of $0.34 per share of outstanding common stock. The dividend was paid on February 24, 2022 to shareholders of 
record as of February 10, 2022.

The final determination of timing, amount and payment of dividends is at the discretion of the Company's Board of Directors 
and will depend on the Company's earnings, financial condition, capital requirements and other relevant factors. Because the 
Company’s consolidated net income consists largely of net income of the banks and certain wealth management subsidiaries, 
the Company’s ability to pay dividends generally depends upon its receipt of dividends from these entities. The Company's and 
the  banks’  ability  to  pay  dividends  is  subject  to  banking  laws,  regulations  and  policies.  See  “Supervision  and  Regulation  - 
Payment of Dividends and Share Repurchases” in Item 1 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. During 2021, 2020 and 2019, 
the banks and certain wealth management subsidiaries paid $145.0 million, $253.0 million and $139.0 million, respectively, in 
dividends to the Company.

Reference is also made to Note 19 to the Consolidated Financial Statements, and “Liquidity and Capital Resources” contained 
in  Item  7  of  this  Annual  Report  on  Form  10-K  for  a  description  of  the  restrictions  on  the  ability  of  certain  subsidiaries  to 
transfer funds to the Company in the form of dividends.

44

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities

Our previously authorized share repurchase program permitted the repurchase of up to $125 million of our common stock. On 
October 28, 2021, the Board of Directors of the Company authorized the repurchase of up to $200 million of the Company’s 
outstanding  shares  of  common  stock.  This  authorization  is  incremental  to  the  remaining  authorization  of  approximately  $23 
million  under  the  previous  program,  which  the  Board  approved  in  2019.  The  repurchase  authorization  does  not  have  an 
expiration date. In 2021, the Company repurchased approximately $9.5 million of the Company's common stock on the open 
market.

The table below provides information of such repurchases by month in 2021.

Month Period

Total Number of 
Shares Purchased

Average Price Paid Per 
Share

Total Number of 
Shares Purchased as 
Part of Publicly 
Announced Plans or 
Programs

Maximum Dollar 
Value that May Yet Be 
Purchased Under the 
Plans or Programs (in 
thousands)

January 1, 2021 to January 31, 2021

February 1, 2021 to February 28, 2021

March 1, 2021 to March 31, 2021

April 1, 2021 to April 30, 2021

May 1, 2021 to May 31, 2021

June 1, 2021 to June 30, 2021

July 1, 2021 to July 31, 2021

August 1, 2021 to August 31, 2021

September 1, 2021 to September 30, 2021

October 1, 2021 to October 31, 2021 (1)

November 1, 2021 to November 30, 2021 (1)

December 1, 2021 to December 31, 2021 (1)

— $ 

—  

—  

—  

—  

—  

40,000

94,062

—  

—  

—  

—  

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

70.93 

71.25 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— $ 

—  

—  

—  

—  

—  

40,000

94,062

—  

—  

—  

—  

Total

134,062

$ 

71.16 

134,062

$ 

(1) Maximum dollar value that may yet be purchased includes the October 28, 2021 increase in authorization.

ITEM 6. [Reserved]

32,944 

32,944 

32,944 

32,944 

32,944 

32,944 

30,107 

23,405 

23,405 

223,405 

223,405 

223,405 

223,405 

45

 
 
 
 
ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF 

OPERATIONS

The following discussion highlights the significant factors affecting the operations and financial condition of Wintrust for the 
three  years  ended  December  31,  2021.    The  detailed  financial  discussion  focuses  on  2021  results  compared  to  2020.  This 
discussion and analysis should be read in conjunction with the Company’s Consolidated Financial Statements and Notes thereto 
within this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

For a discussion of 2020 results compared to 2019, refer to Part II, Item 7, “Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial 
Condition and Results of Operations” of the Wintrust Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020 filed 
on February 26, 2021. 

OPERATING SUMMARY

Wintrust’s key measures of profitability and balance sheet changes are shown in the following table:

(Dollars in thousands, except per share data)
Net income
Pre-tax income, excluding provision for 
credit losses (non-GAAP)  (2)
Net income per common share — 
Diluted
Net revenue (1)
Net interest income
Net interest margin
Net interest margin - fully taxable-
equivalent (non-GAAP) (2)
Net overhead ratio (3)
Non-interest income to average assets
Non-interest expense to average assets
Return on average assets
Return on average common equity
Return on average tangible common 
equity (non-GAAP) (2)
At end of period
Total assets
Total loans, excluding loans held-for-
sale
Total deposits
Total shareholders’ equity
Average loans to average deposits ratio
Book value per common share (2)
Tangible book value per common share 
(non-GAAP) (2)
Market price per common share
Allowance for loan and unfunded 
lending-related commitment losses to 
total loans
Non-performing loans to total loans

2021
466,151 

$ 

Years Ended
December 31,
2020
292,990 

$ 

Percentage % or
Basis Point (bp) 
Change

Percentage % or
Basis Point (bp) 
Change

2019
355,697 

$ 

2020 to 2021
59%

2019 to 2020
(18)%

578,533 

604,001 

533,965 

(4)

13

7.58 
  1,711,077 
  1,124,957 

4.68 
  1,644,096 
  1,039,907 

6.03 
  1,462,091 
  1,054,919 

 2.57 %

 2.72 %

 3.45 %

62
4
8
(15) bp

 2.58 
 1.17 
 1.25 
 2.42 
 1.00 
 11.27 

 13.83 

 2.73 
 1.05 
 1.46 
 2.51 
 0.71 
 7.50 

 9.54 

 3.47 
 1.57 
 1.23 
 2.79 
 1.07 
 10.41 

 13.22 

(15)
12
(21)
(9)
29
377

429

$ 50,142,143 

$ 45,080,768 

$ 36,620,583 

11%

  34,789,104 
  42,095,585 
  4,498,688 

  32,079,073 
  37,092,651 
  4,115,995 

  26,800,290 
  30,107,138 
  3,691,250 

 84.7 %

$ 

71.62 

$ 

 88.8 %
65.24 

$ 

 91.4 %
61.68 

8
13
9
(410) bp
10%

59.64 
90.82 

53.23 
61.09 

49.70 
70.90 

12
49

 0.86 %
 0.21 

 1.18 %
 0.40 

 0.59 %
 0.44 

(32) bp
(19)

(22)
12
(1)
(73) bp

(74)
(52)
23
(28)
(36)
(291)

(368)

23%

20
23
12
(260) bp
6%

7
(14)

59 bp
(4)

(1) Net revenue is net interest income plus non-interest income.
(2) See “Non-GAAP Financial Measures/Ratios” for additional information on this performance measure/ratio.
(3) The net overhead ratio is calculated by netting total non-interest expense and total non-interest income and dividing by 

that period’s total average assets. A lower ratio indicates a higher degree of efficiency.

46

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Please  refer  to  the  Consolidated  Results  of  Operations  section  later  in  this  discussion  for  an  analysis  of  the  Company’s 
operations for the past three years.

NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES/RATIOS

The accounting and reporting policies of Wintrust conform to generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) in the United 
States and prevailing practices in the banking industry. However, certain non-GAAP performance measures and ratios are used 
by  management  to  evaluate  and  measure  the  Company’s  performance.  These  include  taxable-equivalent  net  interest  income 
(including its individual components), taxable-equivalent net interest margin (including its individual components), the taxable-
equivalent efficiency ratio, tangible common equity ratio, tangible book value per common share, return on average tangible 
common equity and pre-tax income, excluding provision for credit losses. Management believes that these measures and ratios 
provide users of the Company’s financial information a more meaningful view of the performance of the Company’s interest-
earning  assets  and  interest-bearing  liabilities  and  of  the  Company’s  operating  efficiency.  Other  financial  holding  companies 
may define or calculate these measures and ratios differently.

Management reviews yields on certain asset categories and the net interest margin of the Company and its banking subsidiaries 
on  a  fully  taxable-equivalent  (“FTE”)  basis.  In  this  non-GAAP  presentation,  net  interest  income  is  adjusted  to  reflect  tax-
exempt  interest  income  on  an  equivalent  before-tax  basis  using  tax  rates  effective  as  of  the  end  of  the  period.  This  measure 
ensures comparability of net interest income arising from both taxable and tax-exempt sources. Net interest income on a FTE 
basis is also used in the calculation of the Company’s efficiency ratio. The efficiency ratio, which is calculated by dividing non-
interest expense by total taxable-equivalent net revenue (less securities gains or losses), measures how much it costs to produce 
one  dollar  of  revenue.  Securities  gains  or  losses  are  excluded  from  this  calculation  to  better  match  revenue  from  daily 
operations  to  operational  expenses.  Management  considers  the  tangible  common  equity  ratio  and  tangible  book  value  per 
common  share  as  useful  measurements  of  the  Company’s  equity.    The  Company  references  the  return  on  average  tangible 
common equity as a measurement of profitability. Management considers pre-tax income, excluding provision for credit losses, 
as a useful measurement of the Company’s core net income.

47

The following table presents a reconciliation of certain non-GAAP performance measures and ratios used by the Company to 
evaluate and measure the Company’s performance to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures for the last three 
years.

Years Ended December 31,

2021

2020

2019

1,275,484 

$ 

1,293,020 

$ 

1,385,142 

(Dollars and shares in thousands, except per share data)
Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Net Interest Margin and Efficiency Ratio:

(A) Interest Income (GAAP)

Taxable-equivalent adjustment:

 -Loans

 -Liquidity management assets

 -Other earning assets

(B) Interest Income (non-GAAP)

(C) Interest Expense (GAAP)

(D) Net Interest Income (GAAP) (A minus C)

(E) Net interest Income (non-GAAP) (B minus C)

Net interest margin (GAAP)

Net interest margin, fully taxable equivalent (non-GAAP)

(F) Non-interest income

(G) (Losses) gains on investment securities, net

(H) Non-interest expense

Efficiency ratio (H/(D+F-G))

Efficiency ratio (non-GAAP) (H/(E+F-G))

Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Tangible Common Equity Ratio:

Total shareholders’ equity (GAAP)

Less: Non-convertible preferred stock (GAAP)

Less: Goodwill and other intangible assets (GAAP)

(I) Total tangible common shareholders’ equity (non-GAAP)

(J) Total assets (GAAP)

Less: Goodwill and other intangible assets (GAAP)

(K) Total tangible assets (non-GAAP)

Common equity to assets ratio (GAAP) (L/J)

Tangible common equity ratio (non-GAAP) (I/K)

Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Tangible Book Value per Common Share:

Total shareholders’ equity (GAAP)

Less: Non-convertible preferred stock (GAAP)

(L) Total common equity

(M) Actual common shares outstanding

Book value per common share (L/M)

Tangible book value per common share (Non-GAAP) (I/M)

Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Return on Average Tangible Common Equity:

(N) Net income applicable to common shares

Add: Intangible asset amortization

Less: Tax effect of intangible asset amortization

After-tax intangible asset amortization

(O) Tangible net income applicable to common shares (non-GAAP)

Total average shareholders’ equity

Less: Average preferred stock

(P) Total average common shareholders’ equity

Less: Average intangible assets

(Q) Total average tangible common shareholders’ equity (non-GAAP)

Return on average common equity (N/P)

Return on average tangible common equity (non-GAAP) (O/Q)

Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Pre-Tax, Pre- Provision Income:

Income before taxes

Add: Provision for credit losses

Pre-tax income, excluding provision for credit losses (non-GAAP)

$ 

$ 

1,627 

1,972 

2 

2,241 

2,165 

9 

1,279,085 

$ 

1,297,435 

$ 

150,527 

1,124,957 

1,128,558 

 2.57 %

 2.58 

253,113 

1,039,907 

1,044,322 

 2.72 %

 2.73 

$ 

586,120 

$ 

604,189 

$ 

(1,059) 

1,132,544 

 66.15 %

 66.01 

(1,926) 

1,040,095 

 63.19 %

 63.02 

4,498,688 

$ 

4,115,995 

$ 

(412,500) 

(683,456) 

3,402,732 

50,142,143 

(683,456) 

$ 

$ 

49,458,687 

$ 

 8.1 %

 6.9 

4,498,688 

(412,500) 

4,086,188 

57,054 

71.62 

59.64 

$ 

$ 

$ 

(412,500) 

(681,747) 

3,021,748 

45,080,768 

(681,747) 

44,399,021 

 8.2 %

 6.8 

4,115,995 

(412,500) 

3,703,495 

56,770 

65.24 

53.23 

$ 

$ 

$ 

$ 

$ 

$ 

438,187 

$ 

271,613 

$ 

7,734 

(2,080) 

5,654 

443,841 

4,300,742 

(412,500) 

3,888,242 

(678,739) 

3,209,503 

 11.27 %

 13.83 

637,796 

(59,263) 

578,533 

$ 

$ 

$ 

$ 

$ 

$ 

11,018 

(2,732) 

8,286 

279,899 

3,926,688 

(306,455) 

3,620,233 

(686,064) 

2,934,169 

 7.50 %

 9.54 

389,781 

214,220 

604,001 

$ 

$ 

$ 

$ 

$ 

$ 

$ 

$ 

$ 

$ 

$ 

$ 

$ 

$ 

$ 

$ 

$ 

$ 

$ 

$ 

48

3,935 

2,280 

9 

1,391,366 

330,223 

1,054,919 

1,061,143 

 3.45 %

 3.47 

407,172 

3,525 

928,126 

 63.63 %

 63.36 

3,691,250 

(125,000) 

(692,277) 

2,873,973 

36,620,583 

(692,277) 

35,928,306 

 9.7 %

 8.0 

3,691,250 

(125,000) 

3,566,250 

57,822 

61.68 

49.70 

347,497 

11,844 

(3,068) 

8,776 

356,273 

3,461,535 

(125,000) 

3,336,535 

(641,802) 

2,694,733 

 10.41 %

 13.22 

480,101 

53,864 

533,965 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
OVERVIEW AND STRATEGY

Impact of COVID-19

In March 2020, the outbreak of COVID-19 was recognized as a global pandemic by the World Health Organization, resulting in 
unprecedented uncertainty and volatility in world-wide financial markets. Governments' actions calling for shelter in place and 
social  distancing  have  led  to  rapid  changes  in  business  revenues,  increased  unemployment,  and  have  impacted  consumer 
activity, all of which have impacted the Company. Although vaccines and related boosters are now being widely distributed, the 
COVID-19  pandemic,  including  the  emergence  of  subsequent  variant  strains  of  the  virus,  may  continue  to  impact  the 
Company's future results.

The  Company  activated  its  pandemic  response  plan  in  early  March  2020,  as  well  as  applicable  elements  of  its  business 
continuity plan. In order to protect the health of our customers and employees, and in accordance with applicable government 
directives, we modified certain of our business protocols to direct employees to work from home unless their role required them 
to be on site, in which case we have implemented enhanced safety measures including social distancing, enhanced cleaning and 
sanitization,  and  certain  personal  protective  equipment.  With  the  phased  reopening  of  certain  state  and  municipal  areas,  the 
Company implemented a comprehensive plan that permits certain remote employees to return to their respective workplaces, 
where enhanced safety measures also have been implemented. At present, however, the majority of the Company’s workforce 
continues to work remotely on a nearly daily basis.

On  March  27,  2020,  the  CARES  Act  was  enacted.  The  CARES  Act  includes  appropriations  and  other  measures  designed  to 
address the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, including the Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”), which is designed to aid 
eligible  small  and  medium-sized  businesses  through  federally-guaranteed  loans  distributed  through  certain  banks,  under  the 
administration of the Small Business Administration (“SBA”).  From the date the Company began accepting applications, April 
3, 2020, through June 30, 2021, the Company secured authorization from the SBA and funded over 19,400 PPP loans with a 
carrying balance of approximately $4.8 billion. PPP loans are forgivable under certain circumstances, including the borrower’s 
use  of  certain  loan  proceeds  to  fund  employee  payroll  during  a  specific  period  (e.g.,  eight  weeks,  24  weeks)  following 
disbursement of the borrower’s PPP loan.  From the loans originated under the program, the Company generated net fees of 
$146.0 million to be recognized over the life of the PPP loans adjusted for estimated prepayments. As of December 31, 2021, 
the  carrying  balance  of  such  loans  was  reduced  to  approximately  $558.3  million  primarily  resulting  from  forgiveness  by  the 
SBA.

All  of  our  three  primary  business  segments  (community  banking,  specialty  finance  and  wealth  management),  have  been 
uniquely impacted and we expect will continue to be impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, requiring the implementation of 
certain  responses  as  circumstances  evolve.    As  non-exclusive  examples  of  such  impacts,  our  community  banking  business, 
including our mortgage business, has received borrower requests for temporary payment relief including payment deferrals. As 
of  December  31,  2021,  outstanding  loans  totaling  approximately  $44.3  million  were  modified  as  a  result  of  COVID-19 
disruption  to  our  borrowers.  Our  insurance  premium  finance  business  was  impacted  by  certain  state  legislation  prohibiting 
canceling of insurance policies for designated periods. Our wealth management business is impacted by increased stock market 
volatility.

Given  the  continued  uncertainty  regarding  future  economic  conditions,  the  Company  has  taken  a  number  of  actions  to  help 
ensure that it has adequate liquidity and capital to manage through the COVID-19 pandemic, including issuing fixed-rate reset 
non-cumulative perpetual preferred stock, Series E, liquidation preference $25,000 per share (the “Series E Preferred Stock”) as 
part of a public offering of depositary shares, each representing a 1/1,000th interest in a share of Series E Preferred Stock (the 
“Depositary Shares”). We believe the Company currently has adequate liquidity and capital to manage through any continued 
impacts  of  the  COVID-19  pandemic,  including  future  variants  of  concern.  However,  we  will  continue  to  prudently  evaluate 
liquidity sources.

We continue to monitor the impact of COVID-19 closely; however, the extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic will impact 
our operations and financial conditions remains highly uncertain. Please refer to Part I, Item 1A, “Risk Factors” of this Form  
10-K for additional information.

2021 Highlights

The Company recorded net income of $466.2 million for the year of 2021 compared to $293.0 million and $355.7 million for 
the  years  of  2020  and  2019,  respectively.  The  results  for  2021  demonstrate  increased  net  interest  income  primarily  due  to 
significant growth in earning assets as well as negative provision for credit losses primarily due to improvement of forecasted 

49

macroeconomic  conditions  used  in  the  measurement  of  the  allowance  for  credit  losses,  partially  offset  by  reduced  mortgage 
banking revenue primarily due to lower mortgage originations and lower production margins during the year. 

The Company increased its loan portfolio from $32.1 billion at December 31, 2020 to $34.8 billion at December 31, 2021. This 
increase  was  primarily  due  to  growth  in  several  portfolios,  including  the  commercial,  industrial  and  other  (excluding  PPP 
loans),  commercial  real  estate,  property  and  casualty  premium  finance  receivables  and  life  insurance  premium  finance 
receivables  portfolios.  For  more  information  regarding  changes  in  the  Company’s  loan  portfolio,  see  “Analysis  of  Financial 
Condition – Interest Earning Assets” and Note 4 “Loans” to the Consolidated Financial Statements presented under Item 8 of 
this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

The Company recorded net interest income of $1.1 billion in 2021 compared to $1.0 billion and $1.1 billion in 2020 and 2019, 
respectively. The higher level of net interest income recorded in 2021 compared to 2020 resulted primarily from a  $5.5 billion 
increase  in  average  earning  assets,  partially  offset  by  a  15  basis  point  decline  in  the  net  interest  margin  in  2021  (see  “Net 
Interest Margin” section later in this Item 7 for further detail).

Non-interest income totaled $586.1 million in 2021, decreasing $18.1 million, or 3%, compared to 2020. The decrease in non-
interest  income  in  2021  compared  to  2020  was  primarily  attributable  to  decreases  in  mortgage  banking  revenues  due  to 
origination volumes declining from historically elevated levels experienced in 2021 as well as declines in margins earned on 
sales (see “Non-Interest Income” section later in this Item 7 for further detail). 

Non-interest expense totaled $1.1 billion in 2021, increasing $92.4 million, or 9%, compared to 2020. The increase compared to 
2020  was  primarily  attributable  to  a  $65.6  million  increase  in  salaries  and  employee  benefits,  a  $19.0  million  increase  in 
software and equipment expense and an $11.0 million increase in advertising and marketing expense. The increase in salaries 
and  employee  benefits  was  primarily  attributable  to  higher  commissions  and  incentive  compensation  due  to  higher  expenses 
associated with the Company's long term incentive program (see “Non-Interest Expense” section later in this Item 7 for further 
detail).

Management considers the maintenance of adequate liquidity to be important to the management of risk. Accordingly, during 
2021, the Company continued its practice of maintaining appropriate funding capacity to provide the Company with adequate 
liquidity  for  its  ongoing  operations.  In  this  regard,  the  Company  benefited  from  its  strong  deposit  base,  a  liquid  short-term 
investment portfolio and its access to funding from a variety of external funding sources.  The Company had overnight liquid 
funds and interest-bearing deposits with banks of $5.8 billion and $5.1 billion at December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively. 

Economic Environment

The  economic  environment  in  2021  was  characterized  by  continued  compression  in  net  interest  margin,  improved  economic 
forecasts and, for banks, the associated impact on the allowance for credit losses as well as continued competition as banks have 
experienced improvements in their financial condition allowing them to be more active in the lending market. The Company 
has employed certain strategies to manage net income in the current rate environment, including those discussed below.

Net Interest Income

The Company has leveraged its operating strengths as well as its participation in PPP to grow its earning assets base, mitigating 
continued compression in net interest margin in 2021. In 2021, the Company's net interest margin decreased to 2.57% (2.58% 
on a fully tax-equivalent basis) as compared to 2.72% ( 2.73% on a fully tax-equivalent basis) in 2020, primarily due to a shift 
in earning asset mix in 2021 with increasing levels of  lower  yielding  liquidity  management  assets  as  well  as  lower  yields  
on  the  Company’s  loan  portfolio. Despite the reduced net interest margin, significant growth in earning assets resulted in the 
Company’s net interest income increasing by $85.1 million in 2021 compared to 2020. In 2021, the Company maintained its 
asset  sensitive  interest  rate  position  in  anticipation  of  short  term  interest  rates  increases.  Based  on  modeled  contractual  cash 
flows, including prepayment assumptions, approximately 80% of our current loan balances are projected to reprice or mature in 
2022. 

The Company has continued its practice of writing call options against certain investment securities to economically hedge the 
securities  positions  and  receive  fee  income  to  compensate  for  net  interest  margin  compression.  In  2021,  the  Company 
recognized $3.7 million in fees on covered call options compared to $2.3 million in 2020. 

The Company utilizes “back to back” interest rate derivative transactions, primarily interest rate swaps, to receive floating rate 
interest payments related to customer loans.  In these arrangements, the Company makes a floating rate loan to a borrower who 
prefers to pay a fixed rate. To accommodate the risk management strategy of certain qualified borrowers, the Company enters a 

50

swap with its borrower to effectively convert the borrower's variable rate loan to a fixed rate.  However, in order to minimize 
the Company's exposure on these transactions and continue to receive a floating rate, the Company simultaneously executes an 
offsetting mirror-image swap with various third parties.    

Non-Interest Income

The interest rate environment impacts the profitability and mix of the Company's mortgage banking business which generated 
revenues of $273.0 million in 2021 and $346.0 million in 2020, representing 16% and 21% of total net revenue in 2021 and 
2020, respectively.  Mortgage banking revenue is primarily comprised of gains on sales of mortgage loans originated for new 
home purchases as well as mortgage refinancing. Mortgage revenue is also impacted by changes in the fair value of mortgage 
servicing rights (“MSRs”). Mortgage originations for sale and purchases totaled  $6.8 billion and $8.0 billion in 2021 and 2020, 
respectively. In 2021, approximately 45% of originations were mortgages associated with new home purchases, while 55% of 
originations were related to refinancing of mortgages. In 2020, approximately 35% of originations were mortgages associated 
with new home purchases, while 65% of originations were related to refinancing of mortgages. 

Non-Interest Expense

Management  believes  expense  management  is  important  to  enhance  profitability  amid  the  low  interest  rate  environment  and 
increased competition.  Cost control and an efficient infrastructure should position the Company appropriately as it continues its 
growth  strategy.  Management  continues  to  be  disciplined  in  its  approach  to  growth  and  plans  to  leverage  the  Company's 
existing  expense  infrastructure  to  expand  its  presence  in  existing  and  complimentary  markets.  Potentially  impacting  the  cost 
control strategies discussed above, the Company anticipates increased costs resulting from the regulatory environment in which 
we operate as well as continued investment in technology. 

Credit Quality

The  Company  continues  to  actively  address  non-performing  assets  and  remains  disciplined  in  its  approach  to  grow  without 
sacrificing asset quality. 

In particular:

•

•

•

The Company’s 2021 provision for credit losses, totaled $(59.3) million, compared to $214.2 million in 2020 and $53.9 
million  in  2019.  The  negative  provision  in  2021  was  primarily  the  result  of  improvements  in  the  forecasted 
macroeconomic  forecast,  specifically  the  Company’s  macroeconomic  forecasts  of  key  model  inputs  (most  notably, 
Commercial Real Estate Price Index and Baa corporate credit spreads) as well as improvements in characteristics of the 
Company's  loan  portfolios.  Net  charge-offs  decreased  to  $21.5  million  in  2021  (of  which  $20.2  million  related  to 
commercial  and  commercial  real  estate  loans),  compared  to  $40.3  million  in  2020  (of  which  $27.3  million  related  to 
commercial and commercial real estate loans) and $49.5 million in 2019 (of which $35.9 million related to commercial 
and commercial real estate loans).

The  Company's  allowance  for  loan  and  unfunded  lending-related  commitment  losses  decreased  to  $299.7  million  at 
December  31,  2021,  reflecting  a  decrease  of  $80.3  million,  or  21%,  when  compared  to  2020.  At  December  31,  2021, 
approximately $144.6 million, or 48%, of the allowance for loan and unfunded lending-related commitment losses was 
associated with commercial real estate loans and an additional $119.3 million, or 40%, was associated with commercial 
loans.  

The  Company  has  significant  exposure  to  commercial  real  estate.  At  December  31,  2021,  $9.0  billion,  or  26%,  of  our 
loan  portfolio  was  commercial  real  estate,  with  approximately  78.9%  located  in  our  market  area.  The  commercial  real 
estate  loan  portfolio  was  comprised  of  $1.4  billion  in  construction  and  development  loans,  and  $7.6  billion  in  non-
construction loans. In analyzing the commercial real estate market, the Company does not rely upon the assessment of 
broad market statistical data, in large part because the Company’s market area is diverse and covers many communities, 
each  of  which  is  impacted  differently  by  economic  forces  affecting  the  Company’s  general  market  area.  As  such,  the 
extent of the decline in real estate valuations can vary meaningfully among the different types of commercial and other 
real  estate  loans  made  by  the  Company.  The  Company  uses  its  multi-chartered  structure  and  local  management 
knowledge to analyze and manage the local market conditions at each of its banks. 

•

Total non-performing loans (loans on non-accrual status and loans more than 90 days past due and still accruing interest) 
were  $74.4  million  (of  which  $21.7  million,  or  29%,  was  related  to  commercial  real  estate)  at  December  31,  2021,  a 

51

 
 
decrease  of  $53.1  million  compared  to  December  31,  2020.  Non-performing  loans  as  a  percentage  of  total  loans  were 
0.21% at December 31, 2021 compared to 0.40% at December 31, 2020.

•

The Company’s other real estate owned decreased by $12.3 million to $4.3 million during 2021, from $16.6 million at 
December 31, 2020. The $4.3 million of other real estate owned as of December 31, 2021 was comprised of $3.0 million 
of commercial real estate property and $1.3 million of residential real estate property.

During 2021, management continued its efforts to aggressively resolve problem loans through liquidation, rather than retention 
of loans or real estate acquired as collateral through the foreclosure process. Management believes these actions will serve the 
Company well in the future by providing some protection for the Company from further valuation deterioration and permitting 
management to spend less time on resolution of problem loans and more time on growing the Company’s core business and the 
evaluation of other opportunities. 

Management continues to direct significant attention toward the prompt identification, management and resolution of problem 
loans.  The Company has restructured certain loans by providing economic concessions to borrowers to better align the terms of 
their loans with their current ability to pay. At December 31, 2021, approximately $49.3 million in loans had terms modified 
representing troubled debt restructurings (“TDRs”), with $37.5 million of these TDRs continuing in accruing status. See Note 5, 
“Allowance for Credit Losses,” to the Consolidated Financial Statements presented under Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 
10-K for additional discussion of TDRs.

The  Company  enters  into  residential  mortgage  loan  sale  agreements  with  investors  in  the  normal  course  of  business.  The 
Company’s practice is generally not to retain long-term fixed-rate mortgages on its balance sheet in order to mitigate interest 
rate  risk,  and  consequently  sells  most  of  such  mortgages  into  the  secondary  market.  These  agreements  provide  recourse  to 
investors  through  certain  representations  concerning  credit  information,  loan  documentation,  collateral  and  insurability. 
Investors  request  the  Company  to  indemnify  them  against  losses  on  certain  loans  or  to  repurchase  loans  which  the  investors 
believe do not comply with applicable representations. An increase in requests for loss indemnification can negatively impact 
mortgage banking revenue as additional recourse expense.  The liability for estimated losses on repurchase and indemnification 
claims  for  residential  mortgage  loans  previously  sold  to  investors  was  $675,000  at  December  31,  2021  and  $779,000  at 
December 31, 2020.   

Community Banking

Through our community banking franchise, we provide banking and financial services primarily to individuals, small to mid-
sized businesses, local governmental units and institutional clients residing primarily in the local areas we service. Profitability 
of this franchise is primarily driven by our net interest income and margin, our funding mix and related costs, the measurement 
of the allowance for credit losses and the impact of current and forecasted macroeconomic conditions on such measurement, the 
level  of  non-performing  loans  and  other  real  estate  owned,  the  amount  of  mortgage  banking  revenue  and  our  history  of 
acquiring banking operations and establishing de novo banking locations.  

Net interest income and margin. The primary source of our revenue is net interest income. Net interest income is the difference 
between interest income and fees on earning assets, such as loans and securities, and interest expense on liabilities to fund those 
assets, including deposits and other borrowings. Net interest income can change significantly from period to period based on 
general levels of interest rates, customer prepayment patterns, the mix of interest-earning assets and the mix of interest-bearing 
and non-interest bearing deposits and borrowings.

Funding  mix  and  related  costs.  The  most  significant  source  of  funding  in  community  banking  is  core  deposits,  which  are 
comprised of non-interest bearing deposits, non-brokered interest-bearing transaction accounts, savings deposits and domestic 
time  deposits.  Our  branch  network  is  the  principal  source  of  core  deposits,  which  generally  carry  lower  interest  rates  than 
wholesale funds of comparable maturities. Community banking profitability has been favorably impacted in recent years as the 
Company funded strong loan growth with a more desirable blend of funds. 

Measurement  of  the  allowance  for  credit  losses.    The  Company  adopted  CECL  as  of  January  1,  2020,  which  requires  the 
estimate  of  expected  credit  losses  over  the  entire  life  of  financial  assets  measured  at  amortized  cost.  To  measure  lifetime 
expected credit losses, the Company adjusts credit loss estimates for reasonable and supportable forecasts of macroeconomic 
conditions. Such forecasts can significantly impact the profitability of our community banks as changing estimates of lifetime 
losses from period to period can result in significant fluctuations in provision for credit losses during those periods. In 2021, 
such  fluctuations  in  provision  for  credit  losses  favorably  impacted  the  profitability  of  our  community  banks,  primarily  as  a 
result of improvements in expectations during the period of macroeconomic conditions resulting from COVID-19.

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Level of non-performing loans and other real estate owned. The level of non-performing loans and other real estate owned can 
significantly  impact  our  profitability  as  these  loans  and  other  real  estate  owned  do  not  accrue  any  income,  can  be  subject  to 
charge-offs  and  write-downs  due  to  deteriorating  market  conditions  and  generally  result  in  additional  legal  and  collections 
expenses.  The Company’s credit quality measures have remained at historically low levels in recent years. 

Mortgage  banking  revenue.  Our  community  banking  franchise  is  also  influenced  by  the  level  of  fees  generated  by  the 
origination  of  residential  mortgages  and  the  sale  of  such  mortgages  into  the  secondary  market  by  Wintrust  Mortgage.  The 
Company  recognized  a  decrease  of  $73.0  million  in  mortgage  banking  revenue  in  2021  compared  to  2020  as  origination 
volumes  declined  from  historically  elevated  levels  experienced  in  2020  and  margins  on  sales  declined  in  2021  compared  to 
2020. Mortgage originations for sale totaled $6.8 billion and $8.0 billion in 2021 and 2020, respectively, decreasing as rising 
interest  rates  began  to  reduce  refinance  incentives  for  borrowers.    Partially  offsetting  the  impact  of  lower  originations  and 
production margins was growth in servicing fee income and the value of the Company’s Mortgage Servicing Rights (“MSR”) 
asset as the portfolio of loans serviced for others has continued to grow.

Expansion  of  banking  operations.    Our  historical  financial  performance  has  been  affected  by  costs  associated  with  growing 
market share in deposits and loans, establishing and acquiring banks, opening new branch facilities and building an experienced 
management team. Our financial performance generally reflects the improved profitability of our banking subsidiaries as they 
mature, offset by the costs of establishing and acquiring banks and opening new branch facilities. 

In determining the timing of the opening of additional branches of existing banks, and the acquisition of additional banks, we 
consider many factors, particularly our perceived ability to obtain an adequate return on our invested capital driven largely by 
the  then  existing  cost  of  funds  and  lending  margins,  the  general  economic  climate  and  the  level  of  competition  in  a  given 
market. See discussion of acquisition activity in the “Recent Acquisition Transactions” section below.

In  addition  to  the  factors  considered  above,  before  we  engage  in  expansion  through  de  novo  branches  we  must  first  make  a 
determination that the expansion fulfills our objective of enhancing shareholder value through potential future earnings growth 
and  enhancement  of  the  overall  franchise  value  of  the  Company.  Generally,  we  believe  that,  in  normal  market  conditions, 
expansion through de novo growth is a better long-term investment than acquiring banks because the cost to bring a de novo 
location  to  profitability  is  generally  substantially  less  than  the  premium  paid  for  the  acquisition  of  a  healthy  bank.  Each 
opportunity to expand is unique from a cost and benefit perspective. Both FDIC-assisted and non-FDIC-assisted acquisitions 
offer  a  unique  opportunity  for  the  Company  to  expand  into  new  and  existing  markets  in  a  non-traditional  manner.  Potential 
acquisitions  are  reviewed  in  a  similar  manner  as  a  de  novo  branch  opportunities,  however,  FDIC-assisted  and  non-FDIC-
assisted acquisitions have the ability to immediately enhance shareholder value. Factors including the valuation of our stock, 
other  economic  market  conditions,  the  size  and  scope  of  the  particular  expansion  opportunity  and  competitive  landscape  all 
influence the decision to expand via de novo growth or through acquisition.

Specialty Finance

Through  our  specialty  finance  segment,  we  offer  financing  of  insurance  premiums  for  businesses  and  individuals;  lease 
financing  and  other  direct  leasing  opportunities;  accounts  receivable  financing,  value-added,  out-sourced  administrative 
services; and other specialty finance businesses. 

Financing of Commercial Insurance Premiums

The  primary  driver  of  profitability  related  to  the  financing  of  property  and  casualty  insurance  premiums  is  the  net  interest 
spread that FIRST Insurance Funding and FIFC Canada can produce between the yields on the loans generated and the cost of 
funds allocated to the business unit. The property and casualty insurance premium finance business is a competitive industry 
and yields on loans are influenced by the market rates offered by our competitors. The majority of loans originated by FIRST 
Insurance  Funding  are  purchased  by  the  banks  in  order  to  more  fully  utilize  their  lending  capacity  as  these  loans  generally 
provide the banks with higher yields than alternative investments. We fund these loans primarily through our deposits, the cost 
of which is influenced by competitors in the retail banking markets in our market area.

Financing of Life Insurance Premiums

The primary driver of profitability related to the financing of life insurance premiums is the net interest spread that Wintrust 
Life  Finance  can  produce  between  the  yields  on  the  loans  generated  and  the  cost  of  funds  allocated  to  the  business  unit. 
Profitability  of  financing  both  commercial  and  life  insurance  premiums  is  also  meaningfully  impacted  by  leveraging 
information technology systems, maintaining operational efficiency and increasing average loan size, each of which allows us 
to expand our loan volume without significant capital investment.  

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Wealth Management

We offer a full range of wealth management services including trust and investment services, tax-deferred like-kind exchange 
services,  asset  management  solutions,  securities  brokerage  services,  and  401(k)  and  retirement  plan  services  through  four 
separate subsidiaries (Wintrust Investments, CTC, Great Lakes Advisors and CDEC). 

The primary drivers of profitability of the wealth management business can be associated with the level of commission received 
related to the trading performed by the brokerage customers for their accounts and the amount of assets under management in 
which the unit receives a management fee for advisory, administrative and custodial services. As such, revenues are influenced 
by a rise or fall in the debt and equity markets and the resulting increase or decrease in the value of our client accounts on which 
our fees are based. The commissions received by the brokerage unit are not as directly influenced by the directionality of the 
debt  and  equity  markets  but  rather  the  desire  of  our  customers  to  engage  in  trading  based  on  their  particular  situations  and 
outlooks of the market or particular stocks and bonds.

Financial Regulatory Reform

Our  business  is  heavily  regulated  by  both  federal  and  state  agencies.  Both  the  scope  of  the  laws  and  regulations  and  the 
intensity of the supervision to which our business is subject have increased in recent years, in response to the financial crisis as 
well as other factors such as technological and market changes. Many of these changes have occurred as a result of the Dodd-
Frank Act and its implementing regulations, most of which are now in place. While the regulatory environment has entered a 
period  of  rebalancing  of  the  post  financial  crisis  framework,  we  expect  that  our  business  will  remain  subject  to  extensive 
regulation and supervision.

The exact impact of the changing regulatory environment on our business and operations depends upon legislative or regulatory 
changes  to  reform  the  financial  regulatory  framework  and  the  actions  of  our  competitors,  customers,  and  other  market 
participants.  Legislative and regulatory changes could have a significant impact on us by, for example, requiring us to change 
our business practices; requiring us to meet more stringent capital, liquidity and leverage ratio requirements; limiting our ability 
to pursue business opportunities; imposing additional costs and compliance obligations on us; limiting fees we can charge for 
services; impacting the value of our assets; or otherwise adversely affecting our businesses and our earnings’ capabilities.  We 
have  already  experienced  significant  increases  in  compliance  related  costs  in  recent  years,  and  we  are  now  subject  to  more 
stringent risk-based capital and leverage ratio requirements than we were prior to the adoption of the U.S. Basel III Rules. We 
are  also  now  subject  to  many  mortgage-related  rules  promulgated  by  the  CFPB  that  materially  restructured  the  origination, 
services  and  securitization  of  residential  mortgages  in  the  United  States.  We  will  continue  to  monitor  the  impact  that  the 
implementation of applicable rules, regulations and policies arising out of any legislative or regulatory changes may have on 
our organization. For further discussion of the laws and regulations applicable to us and our subsidiary banks, please refer to 
“Business-Supervision and Regulation.”

Recent Transactions 

Insurance Agency Loan Portfolio

On November 15, 2021, the Company completed its acquisition of certain assets from The Allstate Corporation (“Allstate”). 
Through this business combination, the Company acquired approximately $581.6 million of loans, net of allowance for credit 
losses  measured  on  the  acquisition  date.  The  loan  portfolio  was  comprised  of  approximately  1,800  loans  to  Allstate  agents 
nationally. In addition to acquiring the loans, the Company became the national preferred provider of loans to Allstate agents. 
In  connection  with  the  loan  acquisition,  a  team  of  Allstate  agency  lending  specialists  joined  the  Company,  to  augment  and 
expand Wintrust’s existing insurance agency finance business. As the transaction was determined to be a business combination, 
the Company recorded goodwill of approximately $9.3 million on the purchase.

Wisconsin Branch Sale

On April 23, 2021 the Company completed the sale of three branches located in Albany, Darlington and Monroe, Wisconsin to 
Greenwoods  Financial  Group,  Inc.,  the  parent  company  of  The  Greenwoods  State  Bank  (“Greenwoods”),  for  $81.3  million. 
Greenwoods assumed approximately $77.5 million of deposits and acquired the branch facilities and various other assets.

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Other Completed Transactions

Series E Preferred Stock

In  May  2020,  the  Company  issued  11,500  shares  of  fixed-rate  reset  non-cumulative  perpetual  preferred  stock,  Series  E, 
liquidation  preference  $25,000  per  share  (the  “Series  E  Preferred  Stock”)  as  part  of  a  $287.5  million  public  offering  of 
11,500,000  depositary  shares,  each  representing  a  1/1,000th  interest  in  a  share  of  Series  E  Preferred  Stock.  When,  as  and  if 
declared, dividends on the Series E Preferred Stock are payable quarterly in arrears at a fixed rate of 6.875% per annum from 
October 15, 2020 to, but excluding, July 15, 2025, and from (and including) July 15, 2025 at a floating rate equal to the Five-
Year Treasury Rate (as defined in the certificate of designations for the Series E Preferred Stock) plus 6.507%.

SUMMARY OF CRITICAL ACCOUNTING ESTIMATES

The Company’s Consolidated Financial Statements are prepared in accordance with GAAP in the United States and prevailing 
practices  of  the  banking  industry.  Application  of  these  principles  requires  management  to  make  estimates,  assumptions,  and 
judgments that affect the amounts reported in the financial statements and accompanying notes. Certain policies and accounting 
principles  inherently  have  a  greater  reliance  on  the  use  of  estimates,  assumptions  and  judgments,  and  as  such  have  a  greater 
possibility  that  changes  in  those  estimates  and  assumptions  could  produce  financial  results  that  are  materially  different  than 
originally reported. Estimates, assumptions and judgments are necessary when assets and liabilities are required or elected to be 
recorded at fair value, when a decline in the value of an asset not carried on the financial statements at fair value warrants an 
impairment  write-down  or  valuation  reserve  to  be  established,  or  when  an  asset  or  liability  needs  to  be  recorded  contingent 
upon  a  future  event,  and  are  based  on  information  available  as  of  the  date  of  the  financial  statements;  accordingly,  as 
information changes, the financial statements could reflect different estimates and assumptions.

A summary of the Company’s significant accounting policies is presented in Note 1 to the Consolidated Financial Statements in 
Item  8.  These  policies,  along  with  the  disclosures  presented  in  the  other  financial  statement  notes  and  in  this  Management’s 
Discussion  and  Analysis  section,  provide  information  on  how  significant  assets  and  liabilities  are  valued  in  the  financial 
statements and how those values are determined. Management views critical accounting estimates to be those which are highly 
dependent  on  subjective  or  complex  judgments,  estimates  and  assumptions,  and  where  changes  in  those  estimates  and 
assumptions  could  have  a  significant  impact  on  the  financial  statements.  Management  views  critical  accounting  estimates  to 
include the determination of the allowance for credit losses, estimations of fair value, the valuations required for impairment 
testing  of  goodwill,  the  valuation  and  accounting  for  derivative  instruments  and  income  taxes  as  the  accounting  areas  that 
require the most subjective and complex judgments, and as such could be most subject to revision as new information becomes 
available.

Allowance for Credit Losses, including the Allowance for Loan Losses, Allowance for Losses on Lending-Related Commitments 
and Allowance for Held-to-Maturity Debt Securities 

The  allowance  for  credit  losses  represents  management’s  estimate  of  expected  credit  losses  over  the  life  of  a  financial  asset 
carried at amortized cost. Determining the amount of the allowance for credit losses is considered a critical accounting estimate 
because it requires significant judgment and the use of estimates related to the fair value of the underlying collateral and amount 
and timing of expected future cash flows on individually assessed financial assets, estimated credit losses on pools of loans with 
similar  risk  characteristics,  and  consideration  of  reasonable  and  supportable  forecasts  of  macroeconomic  conditions,  all  of 
which  are  susceptible  to  significant  change.  The  loan  and  held-to-maturity  debt  securities  portfolios  represent  75%  of  total 
assets  on  the  Company’s  consolidated  balance  sheet.  The  Company  also  maintains  an  allowance  for  lending-related 
commitments, specifically unfunded loan commitments and letters of credit, which relates to certain amounts the Company is 
committed to lend (not unconditionally cancelable) but for which funds have not yet been disbursed. See Note 5, “Allowance 
for Credit Losses,” to the Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8 and the section titled “Loan Portfolio and Asset Quality” 
in Item 7 for a description of the methodology used to determine the allowance for credit losses.

Estimations of Fair Value

A portion of the Company’s assets and liabilities are carried at fair value on the Consolidated Statements of Condition, with 
changes in fair value recorded either through earnings or other comprehensive income in accordance with applicable accounting 
principles generally accepted in the United States. These include the Company’s trading account securities, available-for-sale 
debt securities, equity securities with a readily determinable fair value, derivatives, mortgage loans held-for-sale, certain loans 
held-for-investment  and  mortgage  servicing  rights  (“MSRs”).  The  determination  of  fair  value  is  important  for  certain  other 
assets, including goodwill and other intangible assets, loans individually assessed when measuring a related allowance for credit 
loss, and other real estate owned that are periodically evaluated for impairment using fair value estimates.

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Fair value is generally defined as the amount at which an asset or liability could be exchanged in a current transaction between 
willing,  unrelated  parties,  other  than  in  a  forced  or  liquidation  sale.  Fair  value  is  based  on  quoted  market  prices  in  an  active 
market,  or  if  market  prices  are  not  available,  is  estimated  using  models  employing  techniques  such  as  matrix  pricing  or 
discounting expected cash flows. The significant assumptions used in the models, which include assumptions for interest rates, 
discount rates, prepayments and credit losses, are independently verified against observable market data where possible. Where 
observable  market  data  is  not  available,  the  estimate  of  fair  value  becomes  more  subjective  and  involves  a  high  degree  of 
judgment.  In  this  circumstance,  fair  value  is  estimated  based  on  management’s  judgment  regarding  the  value  that  market 
participants  would  assign  to  the  asset  or  liability.  This  valuation  process  takes  into  consideration  factors  such  as  market 
illiquidity. Imprecision in estimating these factors can impact the amount recorded on the balance sheet for a particular asset or 
liability with related impacts to earnings or other comprehensive income. See Note 22, “Fair Value of Assets and Liabilities,” to 
the Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8 for a further discussion of fair value measurements.

Impairment Testing of Goodwill

The Company performs impairment testing of goodwill for each of its reporting units on an annual basis or more frequently 
when  events  warrant,  using  a  qualitative  or  quantitative  approach.  Using  a  qualitative  approach,  the  Company  reviews  any 
recent events or circumstances that would indicate it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its 
carrying amount. These events and circumstances include the performance of the Company, the condition of the related industry 
in which the reporting unit operates and general economic environment and other factors. If the Company determines it is not 
more likely than not that there is impairment based on an evaluation of these events and circumstances, the Company may forgo 
the quantitative approach.

Using a quantitative approach, the Company compares each reporting unit’s fair value to its carrying value. If the carrying value 
of  a  reporting  unit  was  determined  to  have  been  higher  than  its  fair  value,  the  Company  would  measure  and  recognize  an 
impairment loss for the amount by which the carrying value exceeds the fair value of the reporting unit. Any impairment loss 
would  not  exceed  the  total  amount  of  goodwill  allocated  to  the  reporting  unit.  Valuations  are  estimated  in  good  faith  by 
management  through  the  use  of  publicly  available  valuations  of  comparable  entities  and  discounted  cash  flow  models  using 
internal financial projections in the reporting unit’s business plan.

Under both a qualitative and quantitative approach, the goodwill impairment analysis requires management to make subjective 
judgments  in  determining  if  an  indicator  of  impairment  has  occurred.  Events  and  factors  that  may  significantly  affect  the 
analysis include: a significant decline in the Company’s expected future cash flows, a substantial increase in the discount rate, a 
sustained,  significant  decline  in  the  Company’s  stock  price  and  market  capitalization,  a  significant  adverse  change  in  legal 
factors or in the business climate. Other factors might include changing competitive forces, customer behaviors and attrition, 
revenue trends, cost structures, along with specific industry and market conditions. Adverse change in these factors could have 
a significant impact on the recoverability of intangible assets and could have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated 
financial statements.

As  of  December  31,  2021,  the  Company  had  three  reporting  units:  Community  Banking,  Specialty  Finance  and  Wealth 
Management. Based on the Company’s 2021 goodwill impairment testing, no goodwill impairment was indicated for any of the 
reporting units on their respective annual testing dates.

Derivative Instruments

The Company utilizes derivative instruments to manage risks such as interest rate risk or market risk. The Company’s policy 
prohibits using derivatives for speculative purposes.

Accounting for derivatives differs significantly depending on whether a derivative is designated as an accounting hedge, which 
is a transaction intended to reduce a risk associated with a specific asset or liability or future expected cash flow at the time it is 
purchased. In order to qualify as an accounting hedge, a derivative must be designated as such at inception by management and 
meet certain criteria. Management must also continue to evaluate whether the instrument effectively reduces the risk associated 
with that item. To determine if a derivative instrument continues to be an effective hedge, the Company must make assumptions 
and judgments about the continued effectiveness of the hedging strategies and the nature and timing of forecasted transactions. 
If  the  Company’s  hedging  strategy  were  to  become  ineffective,  hedge  accounting  would  no  longer  apply  and  the  reported 
results of operations or financial condition could be materially affected. See Note 21, “Derivative Financial Instruments,” to the 
Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8 for a further discussion of derivative accounting.

56

Income Taxes

The Company is subject to the income tax laws of the United States, its states, Canada and other jurisdictions where it conducts 
business.  These  laws  are  complex  and  subject  to  potentially  different  interpretations  by  the  taxpayer  and  the  various  taxing 
authorities.  In  determining  the  provision  for  income  taxes,  management  must  make  judgments  and  estimates  about  the 
application of these inherently complex laws, related regulations and case law. In the process of preparing the Company’s tax 
returns, management attempts to make reasonable interpretations of the tax laws. These interpretations are subject to challenge 
by the tax authorities upon audit or to reinterpretation based on management’s ongoing assessment of facts and evolving case 
law. Management reviews its uncertain tax positions and recognition of the benefits of such positions on a regular basis.

On a quarterly basis, management assesses the reasonableness of its effective tax rate based upon its current best estimate of net 
income and the applicable taxes expected for the full year. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are reassessed on a quarterly basis, 
if business events or circumstances warrant. Additionally, any enactment of new tax rates requires the Company to re-measure 
its  existing  deferred  tax  assets  and  liabilities  to  reflect  the  new  tax  rate,  with  such  adjustments  recognized  in  current  year 
earnings. See Note 17, “Income Taxes,” to the Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8 for a further discussion of income 
taxes.

CONSOLIDATED RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

The following discussion of Wintrust’s results of operations requires an understanding that a majority of the Company’s bank 
subsidiaries  have  been  started  as  de  novo  banks  since  December  1991.  Wintrust  has  a  strategy  of  continuing  to  build  its 
customer  base  and  securing  broad  product  penetration  in  each  marketplace  that  it  serves.  The  Company  has  expanded  its 
banking franchise from three banks with five offices in 1994 to 15 banks with 173 offices at the end of 2021. FIRST Insurance 
Funding  and  Wintrust  Life  Finance  have  matured  into  separate  divisions  that  generated,  on  a  national  basis,  $11.3  billion  in 
total premium finance receivables in 2021 within the United States.  FIFC Canada, acquired in 2012, originated $1.5 billion in 
Canadian property and casualty premium finance receivables in 2021. The Company’s leasing business increased its portfolio 
of assets, including direct financing leases, loans and equipment on operating leases, to $2.4 billion as of December 31, 2021. In 
addition, the wealth management companies have been building a team of experienced professionals who are located within a 
majority of the banks. 

Earnings Summary

Net income for the year ended December 31, 2021, totaled $466.2 million, or $7.58 per diluted common share, compared to 
$293.0 million, or $4.68 per diluted common share, in 2020, and $355.7 million, or $6.03 per diluted common share, in 2019. 
During 2021, net income increased by $173.2 million and earnings per diluted common share increased by $2.90. Such increase 
in 2021 was primarily the result of net income in 2020 being significantly impacted by disruption from COVID-19.  Net interest 
income increased in 2021 compared to 2020 primarily as a result of growth in average earning assets in 2021. This increase was 
partially offset by reduction in the net interest margin primarily due to a shift in earning asset mix in 2021 with increasing levels 
of  lower  yielding  liquidity  management  assets  as  well  as  lower  yields  on  the  Company’s  loan  portfolio.  The  Company’s 
provision  for  credit  losses  decreased  significantly  in  2021  primarily  due  to  improvement  of  forecasted  macroeconomic 
conditions  used  in  the  measurement  of  the  allowance  for  credit  losses.  Partially  offsetting  the  increase  to  net  income  from 
higher net interest income and lower provisions for credit losses, mortgage banking revenue decreased in 2021 primarily as a 
result  of  the  decrease  in  production  revenue.  The  Company’s  mortgages  originated  for  sale  decreased  in  2021  compared  to 
2020, primarily as a result of lower refinance production in 2021 as long-term interest rates stabilized compared to 2020.

Other  items  impacting  net  income  in  2021  compared  to  2020  include  higher  salaries  and  benefits  to  support  growth  in  the 
Company,  increased  software  and  equipment  expenses  and  higher  advertising  and  marketing  costs,  partially  offset  by  higher 
service  charges  on  deposit  accounts  as  the  Company’s  deposit  balances  increased  during  the  period  and  higher  wealth 
management revenue. 

Net Interest Income

The  primary  source  of  the  Company’s  revenue  is  net  interest  income.  Net  interest  income  is  the  difference  between  interest 
income  and  fees  on  earning  assets,  such  as  loans  and  securities,  and  interest  expense  on  the  liabilities  to  fund  those  assets, 
including interest bearing deposits and other borrowings. The amount of net interest income is affected by both changes in the 
level of interest rates, and the amount and composition of earning assets and interest bearing liabilities. 

Net interest income in 2021 totaled $1.12 billion, up from $1.04 billion in 2020 and up from $1.05 billion in 2019, representing 
an increase of $85.1 million, or 8%, in 2021 and a decrease of $15.0 million, or 1%, in 2020. The table presented later in this 

57

section, titled “Changes in Interest Income and Expense,” presents the dollar amount of changes in interest income and expense, 
by major category, attributable to changes in the volume of the balance sheet category and changes in the rate earned or paid 
with respect to that category of assets or liabilities for 2021 and 2020. Average earning assets increased $5.5 billion, or 14%, in 
2021 and $7.7 billion, or 25%, in 2020. Loans are the most significant component of the earning asset base as they earn interest 
at a higher rate than the majority of other earning assets. Average loans increased $2.9 billion, or 10%, in 2021 and $5.2 billion, 
or 21%, in 2020. Total average loans as a percentage of total average earning assets were 75%, 79% and 82% in 2021, 2020 and 
2019, respectively. The average yield on loans was 3.43% in 2021, 3.84% in 2020 and 4.93% in 2019, reflecting a decrease of 
41 basis points in 2021 and a decrease of 109 basis points in 2020. The lower loan yields in 2021 compared to 2020 is primarily 
a  result  of  the  continued  low  interest  rate  environment  during  2021.  The  average  yield  on  liquidity  management  assets  was 
1.14% in 2021, 1.60% in 2020 and 2.79% in 2019, reflecting a decrease of 46 basis points in 2021 and a decrease of 119 basis 
points  in  2020.  The  average  rate  paid  on  interest  bearing  deposits,  the  largest  component  of  the  Company’s  interest-bearing 
liabilities,  was  0.33%  in  2021,  0.77%  in  2020  and  1.35%  in  2019,  representing  a  decrease  of  44  basis  points  in  2021  and  a 
decrease of 58 basis points in 2020. The lower level of interest-bearing deposits rates in 2021 compared to 2020 is primarily 
due to downward re-pricing of time deposits as a result of declining interest rates. As a result of the above, net interest margin 
decreased  to  2.57%  (2.58%  on  a  fully  taxable-equivalent  basis)  in  2021  compared  to  2.72%  (2.73%  on  a  fully  taxable-
equivalent basis) in 2020.

Net interest income and net interest margin were also affected by amortization of valuation adjustments to earning assets and 
interest-bearing liabilities of acquired businesses. Assets and liabilities of acquired businesses are required to be recognized at 
their estimated fair value at the date of acquisition. These valuation adjustments represent the difference between the estimated 
fair  value  and  the  carrying  value  of  assets  and  liabilities  acquired.  These  adjustments  are  amortized  into  interest  income  and 
interest expense based upon the estimated remaining lives of the assets and liabilities acquired.

Average Balance Sheets, Interest Income and Expense, and Interest Rate Yields and Costs

The following table sets forth the average balances, the interest earned or paid thereon, and the effective interest rate, yield or 
cost for each major category of interest-earning assets and interest-bearing liabilities for the years ended December 31, 2021, 
2020  and  2019.  The  yields  and  costs  include  loan  origination  fees  and  certain  direct  origination  costs  that  are  considered 
adjustments to yields. Interest income on non-accruing loans is reflected in the year that it is collected, to the extent it is not 
applied to principal. Such amounts are not material to net interest income or the net change in net interest income in any year. 
Non-accrual  loans  are  included  in  the  average  balances.  Net  interest  income  and  the  related  net  interest  margin  have  been 
adjusted to reflect tax-exempt income, such as interest on municipal securities and loans, on a fully taxable-equivalent basis. 
This  table  should  be  referred  to  in  conjunction  with  discussion  of  the  financial  condition  and  results  of  operations  of  the 
Company.

58

(Dollars in thousands)
Assets

Interest-bearing deposits with banks, 
securities purchased under resale 
agreements and cash equivalents (1)
Investment securities

FHLB and FRB stock
Total liquidity management assets (2) (7)
Other earning assets (2) (3) (7)

Mortgage loans held-for-sale
Loans, net of unearned income (2) (4) (7)

Total earning assets (7)

Allowance for loan and investment 
security losses

Cash and due from banks

Other assets

Total assets

Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity

Deposits — interest-bearing:

NOW and interest-bearing demand 
deposits

Average Balance
 for the year ended December 31,

Interest 
for the year ended December 31,

Yield/Rate 
for the year ended December 31,

2021

2020

2019

2021

2020

2019

2021

2020

2019

$  4,840,048 

$  3,117,075 

$  1,494,418 

$ 

6,779 

$ 

8,655 

$ 

30,503 

 0.14 %

 0.28 %

 2.04 %

  4,779,313 

  4,101,136 

  3,651,091 

135,873 

130,360 

96,924 

97,258 

7,067 

101,799 

110,326 

6,891 

5,416 

 2.03 

 5.20 

 2.48 

 5.29 

 3.02 

 5.59 

$  9,755,234 

$  7,348,571 

$  5,242,433 

$  111,104 

$  117,345 

$  146,245 

 1.14 %

 1.60 %

 2.79 %

25,096 

959,457 

17,863 

707,147 

16,385 

308,645 

657 

32,169 

523 

20,077 

714 

11,992 

  33,051,043 

  30,181,204 

  24,986,736 

  1,135,155 

  1,159,490 

  1,232,415 

 2.62 

 3.35 

 3.43 

 2.94 

 2.84 

 3.84 

 4.36 

 3.89 

 4.93 

$ 43,790,830 

$ 38,254,785 

$ 30,554,199 

$ 1,279,085 

$ 1,297,435 

$ 1,391,366 

 2.92 %

 3.39 %

 4.55 %

(284,163) 

(264,516) 

(164,587) 

432,836 

341,116 

292,807 

  2,884,548 

  3,039,954 

  2,549,664 

$ 46,824,051 

$ 41,371,339 

$ 33,232,083 

$  3,711,489 

$  3,298,554 

$  2,903,441 

$ 

3,178 

$ 

7,642 

$ 

20,079 

 0.09 %

 0.23 %

 0.69 %

Wealth management deposits

  4,429,929 

  3,882,975 

  2,761,936 

Money market accounts

  10,051,444 

  8,874,488 

  6,659,376 

Savings accounts

Time deposits

  3,734,162 

  3,354,662 

  2,834,381 

  4,447,871 

  5,142,938 

  5,467,192 

30,520 

10,606 

1,583 

42,232 

29,277 

46,488 

12,507 

93,264 

31,121 

91,940 

20,975 

114,777 

 0.69 

 0.11 

 0.04 

 0.95 

 0.75 

 0.52 

 0.37 

 1.81 

 1.13 

 1.38 

 0.74 

 2.10 

Total interest-bearing deposits

$ 26,374,895 

$ 24,553,617 

$ 20,626,326 

$ 

88,119 

$  189,178 

$  278,892 

 0.33 %

 0.77 %

 1.35 %

FHLB advances

Other borrowings

Subordinated notes

Junior subordinated notes

  1,236,478 

  1,156,106 

514,657 

436,697 

253,566 

496,693 

436,275 

253,566 

658,669 

428,834 

309,178 

253,566 

19,581 

9,928 

21,983 

10,916 

18,193 

12,773 

21,961 

11,008 

9,878 

13,897 

15,555 

12,001 

 1.58 

 1.93 

 5.03 

 4.25 

 1.57 

 2.57 

 5.03 

 4.27 

 1.50 

 3.24 

 5.03 

 4.67 

Total interest-bearing liabilities

$ 28,816,293 

$ 26,896,257 

$ 22,276,573 

$  150,527 

$  253,113 

$  330,223 

 0.52 %

 0.94 %

 1.48 %

Non-interest-bearing deposits

  12,638,518 

  9,432,090 

  6,711,298 

Other liabilities

Equity

Total liabilities and shareholders’ 
equity

Interest rate spread (5) (7)

Less: fully taxable-equivalent adjustment
Net free funds/contribution (6)
Net interest income/margin (GAAP) (7)

Fully taxable-equivalent adjustment

Net interest income/margin fully taxable-
equivalent (non-GAAP) (7)

  1,068,498 

  1,116,304 

782,677 

  4,300,742 

  3,926,688 

  3,461,535 

$ 46,824,051 

$ 41,371,339 

$ 33,232,083 

$ 14,974,537 

$ 11,358,528 

$  8,277,626 

$ 

(3,601)  $ 

(4,415)  $ 

(6,224) 

$ 1,124,957 

$ 1,039,907 

$ 1,054,919 

3,601 

4,415 

6,224 

 2.40 %

 2.45 %

 3.07 %

 (0.01) 

 0.18 

 2.57 %

 0.01 

 (0.01) 

 0.28 

 2.72 %

 0.01 

 (0.02) 

 0.40 

 3.45 %

 0.02 

$ 1,128,558 

$ 1,044,322 

$ 1,061,143 

 2.58 %

 2.73 %

 3.47 %

(1)

(2)

Includes  interest-bearing  deposits  from  banks  and  securities  purchased  under  resale  agreements  with  original  maturities  of  greater  than  three 
months. Cash equivalents include federal funds sold and securities purchased under resale agreements with original maturities of three months or 
less.
Interest  income  on  tax-advantaged  loans,  trading  securities  and  investment  securities  reflects  a  tax-equivalent  adjustment  based  on  a  marginal 
federal corporate tax rate in effect as of the applicable period. The total adjustments for the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019 were 
$3.6 million, $4.4 million and $6.2 million, respectively. 

(3) Other earning assets include brokerage customer receivables and trading account securities.
(4) Loans, net of unearned income, include non-accrual loans.
(5)
(6) Net free funds is the difference between total average earning assets and total average interest-bearing liabilities. The estimated contribution to net 

Interest rate spread is the difference between the yield earned on earning assets and the rate paid on interest-bearing liabilities.

interest margin from net free funds is calculated using the rate paid for total interest-bearing liabilities.
See “Non-GAAP Financial Measures/Ratios” for additional information on this performance ratio.

(7)

59

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Changes In Interest Income and Expense

The following table shows the dollar amount of changes in interest income and expense by major categories of interest-earning 
assets and interest-bearing liabilities attributable to changes in volume or rate for the periods indicated:

Years Ended December 31,

(Dollars in thousands)
Interest income:
Interest-bearing deposits with banks, 
securities purchased under resale agreements 
and cash equivalents (1)
Investment securities

FHLB and FRB stock
Total liquidity management assets
Other earning assets
Mortgage loans held-for-sale
Loans, net of unearned income
Total interest income

Interest Expense:
Deposits — interest-bearing:

NOW and interest-bearing demand 
deposits
Wealth management deposits
Money market accounts
Savings accounts
Time deposits

Total interest expense — deposits
FHLB advances
Other borrowings
Subordinated notes
Junior subordinated notes
Total interest expense

Less: fully taxable-equivalent adjustment
Net interest income (GAAP) (2)
Fully taxable-equivalent adjustment
Net interest income, fully-taxable 
equivalent (non-GAAP) (2)

2021 Compared to 2020
Change
Due to
Volume

Change
Due to
Rate

Total
Change

2020 Compared to 2019
Change
Due to
Volume

Change
Due to
Rate

Total
Change

$ 

$ 

(5,490)  $ 
(19,787)   
(111)   
(25,388)  $ 
(60)   

4,067 
(128,113)   

3,614  $ 
15,246 
287 
19,147  $ 
194 
8,025 
103,778 

$  (149,494)  $  131,144  $ 

(307)   

(1,876)  $  (38,831)  $  16,983  $ (21,848) 
(8,527) 
(21,365)    12,838 
(4,541)   
1,475 
1,782 
176 
(6,241)  $  (60,503)  $  31,603  $ (28,900) 
62 
134 
(191) 
12,092 
(3,981)    12,066 
8,085 
  (72,925) 
(24,335)    (307,777)    234,852 
(18,350)  $ (372,514)  $ 278,583  $ (93,931) 

(253)   

$ 

(5,085)  $ 
(1,696)   
(40,971)   
(12,158)   
(39,528)   
(99,438)  $ 
120 
(3,258)   
— 
(62)   
$  (102,638)  $ 

$ 

400 

621  $ 

(4,464)  $  (16,264)  $  3,827  $ (12,437) 
(1,844) 
(14,082)    12,238 
1,243 
2,939 
  (45,452) 
(69,794)    24,342 
(35,882)   
5,089 
3,416 
(11,884)   
(10,924)   
(8,468) 
1,234 
(11,504)   
(6,286)    (21,513) 
(15,227)   
(51,032)   
(1,621)  $  (101,059)  $ (127,251)  $  37,537  $ (89,714) 
482 
8,315 
1,268 
(3,157)   
(1,124) 
413 
— 
6,406 
22 
(30)   
(993) 
(1,026)   
52  $  (102,586)  $ (130,952)  $  53,842  $ (77,110) 
1,809 
913 
414 
85,050  $ (240,649)  $ 225,637  $ (15,012) 
(1,809) 

1,388 
(2,845)   
22 
(92)   

7,833 
2,033 
6,406 
33 

(913)   

(814)   

(896)   

896 

814 

$ 

(46,456)  $  131,506  $ 
(414)   

(400)   

$ 

(46,856)  $  131,092  $ 

84,236  $ (241,562)  $ 224,741  $ (16,821) 

(1)

(2)

Includes  interest-bearing  deposits  from  banks  and  securities  purchased  under  resale  agreements  with  original  maturities  of  greater  than  three 
months. Cash equivalents include federal funds sold and securities purchased under resale agreements with original maturities of three months or 
less.
See “Non-GAAP Financial Measures/Ratios” for additional information on this performance ratio.

The  changes  in  net  interest  income  are  created  by  changes  in  both  interest  rates  and  volumes.  In  the  table  above,  volume 
variances are computed using the change in volume multiplied by the previous year’s rate. Rate variances are computed using 
the  change  in  rate  multiplied  by  the  previous  year’s  volume.  The  change  in  interest  due  to  both  rate  and  volume  has  been 
allocated between factors in proportion to the relationship of the absolute dollar amounts of the change in each. The change in 
interest due to an additional day resulting from the 2020 leap year has been allocated entirely to the change due to volume.

60

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Non-Interest Income

The following table presents non-interest income by category for 2021, 2020 and 2019:

Years ended December 31,

2021 compared to 2020

2020 compared to 2019

(Dollars in thousands)
Brokerage
Trust and asset management
Total wealth management

Mortgage banking
Service charges on deposit 
accounts
(Losses) gains on investment 
securities, net
Fees from covered call options
Trading gains (losses), net
Operating lease income, net
Other:

Interest rate swap fees
BOLI
Administrative services

Foreign currency measurement 
(loss) gain
Early pay-offs of leases
Miscellaneous
  Total Other

Total Non-Interest Income

 NM—Not Meaningful

$ 

2019

2021
20,710  $ 
103,309 

2020
18,731  $  18,825  $ 
81,605 
$  124,019  $  100,336  $  97,114  $ 
346,013 

  154,293 

273,010 

78,289 

$ Change

% Change

$ Change

1,979 
21,704 
23,683 
(73,003) 

 11 % $ 
 27 
 24 % $ 
 (21) 

(94) 
3,316 
3,222 
  191,720 

% Change
 0 %
 4 
 3 %

 124 

5,953 

 15 

54,168 

45,023 

39,070 

9,145 

(1,059)   
3,673 
245 
53,691 

(1,926)   
2,292 
(1,004)   
47,604 

3,525 
3,670 
(158)   

47,041 

867 
1,381 
1,249 
6,087 

 20 

 45 
 60 

NM  

 13 

13,702 
5,812 
5,689 

20,718 
4,730 
4,385 

13,072 
4,947 
4,197 

(7,016) 
1,082 
1,304 

 (34) 
 23 
 30 

(5,451) 
(1,378) 
(846) 
563 

7,646 
(217) 
188 

(495)   
601 
53,064 
78,373  $ 

(621)   
632 
36,007 
$ 
65,851  $  62,617  $ 
$  586,120  $  604,189  $  407,172  $ 

783 
35 
39,583 

126 
(31) 
17,057 
12,522 
(18,069) 

(1,404) 
 20 
597 
 (5) 
(3,576) 
 47 
 19 % $ 
3,234 
 (3) % $  197,017 

NM

 (38) 

NM
 1 

 58 
 (4) 
 4 

NM
NM
 (9) 
 5 %
 48 %

Notable contributions to the change in non-interest income are as follows:

Wealth management revenue is comprised of the trust and asset management revenue of the CTC and Great Lakes Advisors, 
the brokerage commissions, managed money fees and insurance product commissions at Wintrust Investments and fees from 
tax-deferred like-kind exchange services provided by CDEC.

Trust and asset management revenue totaled $103.3 million in 2021, an increase of $21.7 million, or 27%, compared to 2020. 
Trust and asset management fees are based primarily on the market value of the assets under management or administration as 
well  as  volume  of  tax-deferred  like-kind  exchange  services  provided  during  a  period.  Such  revenue  increased  from  2020  to 
2021  primarily  as  a  result  of  market  appreciation  related  to  managed  money  accounts  with  fees  based  on  assets  under 
management and higher asset levels from new customers and new financial advisors.

Mortgage banking revenue totaled $273.0 million in 2021 compared to $346.0 million in 2020 reflecting a decrease of $73.0 
million, or 21%, in 2021. The decrease in 2021 as compared 2020 was a result of a decrease in loans originated for sale and 
lower  production  margins.	   Mortgage  banking  revenue  includes  revenue  from  activities  related  to  originating,  selling  and 
servicing residential real estate loans for the secondary market. A main factor in the mortgage banking revenue recognized by 
the  Company  is  the  volume  of  mortgage  loans  originated  or  purchased  for  sale.  Mortgage  originations  for  sale  totaled  $6.8 
billion  for  the  year  ended  2021  compared  to  $8.0  billion  for  the  same  period  of  2020.  The  decrease  in  originations  was 
primarily  due  to    rising  interest  rates  in  2021  reducing  refinance  incentives  for  borrowers.    Partially  offsetting  the  impact  of 
lower  originations  and  production  revenue  was  growth  in  servicing  fee  income  and  growth  in  the  portfolio  and  value  of  the 
Company’s  mortgage  servicing  rights  (“MSRs”)  asset.  The  percentage  of  origination  volume  from  refinancing  activities  was 
55%  in  2021  as  compared  to  65%  in  2020.  Mortgage  revenue  is  also  impacted  by  changes  in  the  fair  value  of  MSRs.  The 
Company records MSRs at fair value on a recurring basis. 

During  2021,  the  fair  value  of  the  MSRs  portfolio  increased  as  retained  servicing  rights  led  to  capitalization  of  $72.8 
million, partially offset by a reduction in value due to payoffs and paydowns of the existing portfolio. See Note 6, “Mortgage 

61

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Servicing Rights,” to the Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8 for a summary of the changes in the carrying value of 
MSRs.

The table below presents additional selected information regarding mortgage banking for the respective periods.

(Dollars in thousands)

Originations:

Retail originations

Correspondent originations

Veterans First originations

Total originations for sale (A)

Originations for investment

Total originations

Years Ended December 31,

2021

2020

2019

$ 

$ 

$ 

5,104,277 

$ 

5,709,868 

$ 

— 

1,699,500 

6,803,777 

931,169 

7,734,946 

$ 

$ 

— 

2,294,862 

8,004,730 

396,499 

8,401,229 

$ 

$ 

2,730,865 

385,729 

1,381,327 

4,497,921 

460,734 

4,958,655 

 61 %

 8 

 31 

 52 %
 48 

122,047 

4,497,921 

372,357 

163,607 

4,706,671 

 2.59 %

8,243,251 

85,638 

 1.04 %

23,156 

44,943 

(1,901) 

(18,217) 

(14,778) 

519 

Retail originations as percentage of originations for sale

Correspondent originations as percentage of originations for sale

Veterans First originations as percentage of originations for sale

Purchases as a percentage of originations for sale
Refinances as a percentage of originations for sale

 75 %

 — 

 25 

 45 %
 55 

 71 %

 — 

 29 

 35 %
 65 

Production Margin:
Production revenue (B) (1)
Total originations for sale (A)

Add: Current period end mandatory interest rate lock commitments to fund 
originations for sale (2)
Less: Prior period end mandatory interest rate lock commitments to fund 
originations for sale (2)
Total mortgage production volume (C)

Production margin (B / C)

$ 

176,242 

$ 

307,794 

$ 

6,803,777 

353,509 

1,072,717 

8,004,730 

1,072,717 

372,357 

$ 

6,084,569 

$ 

8,705,090 

$ 

 2.90 %

 3.54 %

Mortgage servicing:

Loans serviced for others (D)

Mortgage servicing rights, at fair value (E)

Percentage of mortgage servicing rights to loans serviced for others (E/D)

Servicing income

$ 

13,126,254 

$ 

10,833,135 

$ 

147,571 

 1.12 %

40,686 

92,081 

 0.85 %

31,886 

Components of Mortgage Servicing Rights (MSR):

MSR - current period capitalization

$ 

72,754 

$ 

71,077 

$ 

MSR - collection of expected cash flows - paydowns

MSR - collection of expected cash flows - payoffs

Valuation:

MSR - changes in fair value model assumptions

Gain on derivative contract held as an economic hedge, net

MSR valuation adjustment, net of gain (loss) on derivative contract 
held as an economic hedge

Summary of Mortgage Banking Revenue:
Production revenue (1)
Servicing income

MSR activity

Other

Total mortgage banking revenue

(3,856) 

(30,932) 

18,273 

— 

(2,244) 

(30,335) 

(30,764) 

4,749 

$ 

$ 

$ 

18,273 

$ 

(26,015) 

$ 

(14,259) 

176,242 

$ 

307,794 

$ 

40,686 

56,239 

(157) 
273,010 

31,886 

12,483 

(6,150) 
346,013 

122,047 

23,156 

10,566 

(1,476) 
154,293 

(1) Production  revenue  represents  revenue  earned  from  the  origination  and  subsequent  sale  of  mortgages,  including  gains  on  loans  sold  and  fees  from 
originations, changes in derivative activity, processing and other related activities, and excludes servicing fees, changes in fair value of servicing rights 
and changes to the mortgage recourse obligation and other non-production revenue.

(2) Certain volume adjusted for the estimated pull-through rate of the loan, which represents the Company’s best estimate of the likelihood that a committed 

loan will ultimately fund.

62

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Service  charges  on  deposit  accounts  totaled  $54.2  million  in  2021  and  $45.0  million  in  2020,  reflecting  an  increase  of  20% 
in 2021. The increase in 2021 was primarily a result of higher fees associated with commercial account activity.

The Company recognized $1.1 million in net losses in 2021 compared to $1.9 million in net losses on investment securities in 
2020. The Company did not recognize any credit-related write-downs or other-than-temporary impairment charges within its 
available-for-sale or held-to-maturity investment securities portfolio in 2021 or 2020, respectively.

Fees from covered call option transactions totaled $3.7 million in 2021, compared to $2.3 million in 2020. The Company has 
typically written call options with terms of less than three months against certain U.S. Treasury and agency securities held in its 
portfolio  for  liquidity  and  other  purposes.  Management  has  effectively  entered  into  these  transactions  with  the  goal  of 
economically  hedging  security  positions  and  enhancing  its  overall  return  on  its  investment  portfolio  by  using  fees  generated 
from these options to compensate for net interest margin compression. These option transactions are designed to increase the 
total return associated with holding certain investment securities and do not qualify as hedges pursuant to accounting guidance. 
There were no outstanding call option contracts at December 31, 2021 and 2020. 

The Company recognized $245,000 of trading gains in 2021 compared to trading losses of $1.0 million in 2020. Trading gains 
and  losses  recorded  by  the  Company  primarily  result  from  fair  value  adjustments  related  to  interest  rate  derivatives  not 
designated as hedges.

Operating lease income totaled $53.7 million in 2021 compared to $47.6 million in 2020. The increase in 2021 was primarily 
related to growth in business from the Company's leasing divisions. 

Interest rate swap fee revenue totaled $13.7 million in 2021 and $20.7 million in 2020. Swap fee revenues result from interest 
rate  swap  transactions  related  to  both  customer-based  trades  and  the  related  matched  trades  with  inter-bank  dealer 
counterparties.  The  revenue  recognized  on  this  customer-based  activity  is  sensitive  to  the  pace  of  organic  loan  growth,  the 
shape  of  the  yield  curve  and  the  customers’  expectations  of  interest  rates.  The  fluctuations  in  swap  fee  revenue  in  2021 
primarily  results  from  fluctuations  in  interest  rate  swap  transactions  related  to  both  customer-based  trades  and  the  related 
matched trades with inter-bank dealer counterparties.

Bank owned life insurance (“BOLI”) generated non-interest income of $5.8 million in 2021 compared to $4.7 million in 2020. 
This income typically represents adjustments to the cash surrender value of BOLI policies and proceeds received from death 
benefits. The Company initially purchased BOLI to consolidate existing term life insurance contracts of executive officers and 
to mitigate the mortality risk associated with death benefits provided for in executive employment contracts and in connection 
with certain deferred compensation arrangements. The Company has also assumed additional BOLI policies as the result of the 
acquisition of certain banks. The cash surrender value of BOLI totaled $157.7 million at December 31, 2021 and $154.6 million 
at December 31, 2020, and is included in other assets.

Administrative  services  revenue  generated  by  Tricom  was  $5.7  million  in  2021  and  $4.4  million  in  2020.  This  revenue 
comprises income from administrative services, such as data processing of payrolls, billing and cash management services, to 
temporary  staffing  service  clients  located  throughout  the  United  States.  Tricom  also  earns  interest  and  fee  income  from 
providing high-yielding, short-term accounts receivable financing to this same client base, which is included in the net interest 
income category.

The Company realized income of $601,000 and $632,000 in 2021 and 2020, respectively, representing gains realized from the 
early pay-off of leases originated and managed by the Company's leasing division.

Miscellaneous  other  non-interest  income  totaled  $53.1  million  in  2021  compared  to  $36.0  million  in  2020.  Miscellaneous 
income  includes  loan  servicing  fees,  income  from  other  investments,  service  charges  and  other  fees.  The  increase  in 
miscellaneous other income for 2021 compared to 2020 was primarily the result of an increase in partnership income. 

63

Non-Interest Expense

The following table presents non-interest expense by category for 2021, 2020 and 2019:

(Dollars in thousands)
Salaries and employee benefits:

Salaries

Years ended December 31,
2020

2019

2021

2021 compared to 2020
$ Change % Change

2020 compared to 2019
$ Change % Change

$  361,915  $  351,775  $  310,352  $  10,140 

 3 % $  41,423 

 13 %

Commissions and incentive compensation

Benefits

222,067 

107,687 

178,584 

148,600 

95,717 

87,468 

43,483 

11,970 

 24 

 13 

29,984 

8,249 

Total salaries and employee benefits

$  691,669  $  626,076  $  546,420  $  65,593 

 10 % $  79,656 

Software and equipment

Operating lease equipment depreciation

Occupancy, net

Data processing

Advertising and marketing

Professional fees

Amortization of other acquisition-related 
intangible assets
FDIC insurance

OREO expenses, net

Other:

Commissions — 3rd party brokers

Postage

Miscellaneous

Total other

87,515 

40,880 

74,184 

27,279 

47,275 

29,494 

7,734 

27,030 

(1,654) 

68,496 

37,915 

69,957 

30,196 

36,296 

27,426 

11,018 

25,004 

(921) 

3,480 

7,345 

3,114 

6,918 

52,328 

35,760 

64,289 

27,820 

48,595 

27,471 

19,019 

2,965 

4,227 

 28 

 8 

 6 

(2,917) 

 (10) 

10,979 

2,068 

11,844 

(3,284) 

9,199 

3,628 

2,918 

9,597 

2,026 

(733) 

366 

427 

 30 

 8 

 (30) 

 8 

 (80) 

 12 

 6 

 (8) 

16,168 

2,155 

5,668 

2,376 

(12,299) 

(45) 

(826) 

15,805 

(4,549) 

196 

(2,679) 

10,343 

90,313 

98,600 

88,257 

(8,287) 

$  101,138  $  108,632  $  100,772  $ 

(7,494) 

 (7) % $ 

7,860 

Total Non-Interest Expense

$ 1,132,544  $ 1,040,095  $  928,126  $  92,449 

 9 % $  111,969 

NM—Not Meaningful

Notable contributions to the change in non-interest expense are as follows:

20 

9 

 15 %

31 

6 

9 

9 

(25) 

0 

(7) 

NM

NM

7 

(28) 

12 

 8 %

 12 %

Salaries  and  employee  benefits  is  the  largest  component  of  non-interest  expense,  accounting  for  61%  of  the  total  in  2021 
compared to 60% in 2020. For the year ended December 31, 2021, salaries and employee benefits totaled $691.7 million and 
increased  $65.6  million,  or  10%,  compared  to  2020.  This  increase  was  primarily  attributed  to  increased  commissions  and 
incentive  compensation  expense.  Commissions  and  incentive  compensation  increased  $43.5  million  primarily  due  to  higher 
expenses associated with the Company's long term incentive program. 

Software  and  equipment  expense  totaled  $87.5  million  in  2021  compared  to  $68.5  million  in  2020,  reflecting  an  increase  of 
28%  in  2021.  The  increase  in  software  and  equipment  expense  in  2021  was  primarily  due  to  increased  software  licensing 
expenses  as  the  Company  invests  in  enhancements  to  the  digital  customer  experience,  upgrades  to  infrastructure  and 
enhancements  to  information  security  capabilities.  Software  and  equipment  expense  includes  furniture,  equipment  and 
computer software, depreciation and repairs and maintenance costs.

Operating lease equipment expense totaled $40.9 million in 2021 and $37.9 million in 2020. The increase in 2021 was primarily 
related to growth in business from the Company's leasing divisions.

Occupancy expense for the years 2021 and 2020 was $74.2 million and $70.0 million, respectively, reflecting an increase of 6% 
in  2021.  The  increase  in  occupancy  expense  in  2021  was  primarily  due  to  increased  real  estate  taxes  on  owned  locations, 
partially offset by lower utilities expenses. Energy efficiency continued to be a focus of the Company. Most notably, in 2021, 
the Company’s three office buildings located in Rosemont, Illinois experienced 40% lower greenhouse gas emissions compared 
to  a  median  baseline  location,  leading  to  an  EPA  Energy  Star  Score  of  82  (compared  to  a  target  score  of  75).    Occupancy 
expense includes depreciation on premises, real estate taxes and insurance, utilities and maintenance of premises, as well as net 
rent expense for leased premises. 

64

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Data processing expenses totaled $27.3 million in 2021 compared to $30.2 million in 2020, representing a decrease of 10% in 
2021. The amount of data processing expenses incurred decreased as a result of conversion costs incurred in 2020 related to 
previously completed acquisitions.  

Advertising and marketing expenses totaled $47.3 million for 2021 compared to $36.3 million for 2020. Marketing costs are 
incurred  to  promote  the  Company’s  brand,  commercial  banking  capabilities,  the  Company’s  MaxSafe®  suite  of  products, 
community-based products, to attract loans and deposits and to announce new branch openings as well as the expansion of the 
Company's  non-bank  businesses.  The  increase  in  2021  was  primarily  as  a  result  of  higher  sponsorship  costs  due  to  the 
resumption of events, including sports sponsorships, previously cancelled in 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The 
level of marketing expenditures depends on the type of marketing programs utilized which are determined based on the market 
area, targeted audience, competition and various other factors. Management continues to utilize mass market media promotions 
as well as targeted marketing programs in certain market areas. 

FDIC insurance expense totaled $27.0 million in 2021 compared to $25.0 million in 2020 reflecting an increase of $2.0 million 
in 2021. The increase in 2021 as compared to 2020 was a result of higher assessment rates at the Company's bank affiliates as a 
result of asset growth.

The Company recorded net OREO income of $1.7 million in 2021, compared to net OREO income of $921,000 in 2020. The 
net  OREO  income  in  each  period  is  the  result  of  realized  gains  on  sales  of  OREO.  OREO  expenses  also  include  all  costs 
associated with obtaining, maintaining and selling other real estate owned properties as well as valuation adjustments.

Miscellaneous non-interest expense decreased $8.3 million, or 8%, in 2021 compared to 2020. The decreased expense in 2021 
as  compared  to  2020  was  primarily  a  result  of  lower  adjustments  on  contingent  consideration  expense  related  to  previous 
acquisitions  of  mortgage  operations.  The  liability  for  contingent  consideration  expense  related  to  the  previous  acquisition  of 
mortgage  operations  is  based  upon  forward  looking  mortgage  origination  volumes  and  the  estimated  profitability  of  that 
operation. Should those assumptions subsequently change, the liability may need to be increased or decreased. The contractual 
period covering this contingent consideration ends in January 2023 and the final year of the contract contemplates a lower ratio 
of  contingent  consideration  relative  to  financial  performance.  As  a  result,  the  Company  does  not  expect  to  have  material 
adjustments  to  the  contingent  consideration  liability  in  future  periods.  Miscellaneous  non-interest  expense  includes  ATM 
expenses,  correspondent  banking  charges,  directors’  fees,  telephone  and  communication,  travel  and  entertainment,  corporate 
insurance, dues and subscriptions, problem loan expenses, operating losses and lending origination costs that are not deferred.

Income Taxes

The Company recorded income tax expense of $171.6 million in 2021 compared to $96.8 million in 2020 and $124.4 million in 
2019. The effective tax rates were 26.9% in 2021, 24.8% in 2020 and 25.9% in 2019. The effective tax rate in 2020 benefited 
from $9.1 million in state income tax settlements related to uncertain tax positions. Net of the federal tax impact, the reduction 
to  income  tax  expense  was  $7.2  million.  Income  tax  expense  was  also  impacted  by  the  tax  effects  related  to  the  issuance  of 
shares  in  share-based  compensation  plans.  These  tax  effects  fluctuate  based  on  the  Company’s  stock  price  and  timing  of 
employee stock option exercises and vesting of other share based awards. The Company recorded a tax benefit related to share-
based compensation of $2.4 million in 2021, tax expense of $618,000 in 2020, and a tax benefit of $1.8 million in 2019, the 
majority  of  which  were  recognized  in  the  first  quarter  of  each  year.  Please  refer  to  Note  17  to  the  Consolidated  Financial 
Statements  in  Item  8  for  further  discussion  and  analysis  of  the  Company’s  tax  position,  including  a  reconciliation  of  the  tax 
expense computed at the statutory tax rate to the Company’s actual tax expense.

Operating Segment Results 

As described in Note 24 to the Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8, the Company’s operations consist of three primary 
segments: community banking, specialty finance and wealth management. The Company’s profitability is primarily dependent 
on the net interest income, provision for credit losses, non-interest income and operating expenses of its community banking 
segment.  For  purposes  of  internal  segment  profitability,  management  allocates  certain  intersegment  and  parent  company 
balances. Management allocates a portion of revenues to the specialty finance segment related to loans and leases originated by 
the specialty finance segment and sold or assigned to the community banking segment. Similarly, for purposes of analyzing the 
contribution from the wealth management segment, management allocates a portion of the net interest income earned by the 
community banking segment on deposit balances of customers of the wealth management segment to the wealth management 
segment.  Finally,  expenses  incurred  at  the  Wintrust  parent  company  are  allocated  to  each  segment  based  on  each  segment’s 
risk-weighted assets.  

The  community  banking  segment’s  net  interest  income  for  the  year  ended  December  31,  2021  totaled  $868.5  million  as 
compared to $808.4 million for the same period in 2020, an increase of $60.0 million, or 7%. The increase in 2021 compared to 

65

2020 was primarily attributable to growth in earning assets and a decline in deposit costs despite a net interest margin decrease 
primarily due to increased liquidity. The community banking segment recorded a negative provision for credit losses of $60.3 
million in 2021 compared to the provision for credit losses of $206.8 million in 2020. The provision for credit losses decreased 
in 2021 compared to 2020 primarily due to improvements in the macroeconomic forecast in addition to improvement in loan 
portfolio characteristics throughout the year. Non-interest income for the community banking segment decreased $46.5 million, 
or 10% in 2021 when compared to 2020. The decrease in 2021 compared to 2020 was primarily attributable to a decrease in 
mortgage  banking  revenue  from  a  decrease  in  mortgage  originations  and  production  margin  during  2021.  The  community 
banking  segment’s  net  income  for  the  year  ended  December  31,  2021  totaled  $319.1  million,  an  increase  of  $155.5  million, 
compared to net income of $163.6 million in 2020. The increase was primarily attributable to a lower provision for credit losses 
in 2021 that, as noted above, was primarily due to improvements in the macroeconomic forecast in addition to improvement in 
portfolio characteristics throughout the year.

The specialty finance segment’s net interest income totaled $198.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2021, compared to 
$177.0 million in the same period of 2020, an increase of $20.9 million, or 12%. The increase in 2021 compared to 2020 was 
primarily  attributable  to  growth  in  earnings  assets  on  the  premium  finance  receivables  portfolios.  The  specialty  finance 
segment’s  provision  for  credit  losses  totaled  $1.0  million  in  2021  compared  to  $7.4  million  in  2020.  The  specialty  finance 
segment’s non-interest income totaled $95.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2021 compared to $86.3 million in 2020. 
The increase in non-interest income in 2021 is primarily a result of higher originations and increased balances related to the 
commercial premium finance portfolio and growth in business from the Company’s leasing division. For 2021, our commercial 
premium  finance  operations,  life  insurance  premium  finance  operations,  leasing  operations  and  accounts  receivable  finance 
operations  accounted  for  42%,  29%,  25%  and  4%,  respectively,  of  the  total  revenues  of  our  specialty  finance  business.  Net 
income of the specialty finance segment totaled $109.2 million and $100.3 million for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 
2020, respectively. 

The  wealth  management  segment  reported  net  interest  income  of  $31.9  million  for  2021  and  $30.6  million  for  2020.  Net 
interest  income  for  this  segment  is  primarily  comprised  of  an  allocation  of  net  interest  income  earned  by  the  community 
banking segment on non-interest bearing and interest-bearing wealth management customer account balances on deposit at the 
banks. Wealth management customer account balances on deposit at the banks averaged $2.4 billion and $2.0 billion in 2021 
and 2020, respectively. This segment recorded non-interest income of $129.0 million for 2021 as compared to $103.4 million 
for  2020.  This  increase  is  primarily  due  to  growth  in  assets  from  new  and  existing  customers  and  market  appreciation. 
Distribution  of  wealth  management  services  through  each  bank  continues  to  be  a  focus  of  the  Company  as  the  number  of 
brokers in its banks continues to increase. The Company is committed to growing the wealth management segment in order to 
better service its customers and create a more diversified revenue stream. The wealth management segment reported net income 
of $37.9 million for 2021 compared to $29.0 million for 2020.

Analysis of Financial Condition

Total  assets  were  $50.1  billion  at  December  31,  2021,  representing  an  increase  of  $5.1  billion,  or  11%,  when  compared  to 
December 31, 2020. Total funding, which includes deposits, all notes and advances, including secured borrowings and junior 
subordinated debentures, was $44.5 billion at December 31, 2021 and $39.5 billion at December 31, 2020. See Notes 3, 4, and 
10 through 14 to the Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8 for additional period-end detail on the Company’s interest-
earning assets and funding liabilities.

66

Interest-Earning Assets

The  following  table  sets  forth,  by  category,  the  composition  of  average  earning  assets  and  the  relative  percentage  of  each 
category to total average earning assets for the periods presented:

(Dollars in thousands)
Mortgage loans held-for-sale
Loans:

Commercial, excluding PPP
Commercial - PPP
Commercial real estate
Home equity
Residential real estate 

Premium finance receivables
Other loans

Total loans, net of unearned income (1)

Liquidity management assets (2)
Other earning assets (3)
Total average earning assets

Total average assets

Total average earning assets to total average 
assets

2021

Years Ended December 31,
2020

2019

Balance

Percent

Balance

Percent

Balance

Percent

$ 

959,457 

 2 % $ 

707,147 

 2 % $ 

308,645 

 1 %

9,691,867 
2,054,514 
8,696,887 
371,425 

1,455,883 
  10,734,726 
45,741 
$ 33,051,043 
9,755,234 

 22 
 5 
 20 
 1 

8,663,290 
2,290,913 
8,279,217 
466,801 

 23 
 6 
 22 
 1 

8,056,731 
— 
7,325,865 
526,853 

1,192,788 
 3 
9,214,797 
 24 
 0 
73,398 
 75 % $ 30,181,204 
7,348,571 
 23 

1,042,997 
 3 
7,920,379 
 24 
 0 
113,911 
 79 % $ 24,986,736 
5,242,433 
 19 

25,096 

 0 

17,863 

 0 

16,385 

 26 
 — 
 24 
 2 

 4 
 26 
 0 
 82 %
 17 

 0 

$ 43,790,830 

 100 % $ 38,254,785 

 100 % $ 30,554,199 

 100 %

$ 46,824,051 

$ 41,371,339 

$ 33,232,083 

 94 %

 92 %

 92 %

(1) Includes non-accrual loans.
(2) Liquidity  management  assets  include  investment  securities,  other  securities,  interest-earning  deposits  with  banks, 

federal funds sold and securities purchased under resale agreements.

(3) Other earning assets include brokerage customer receivables and trading account securities.

Total  average  earning  assets  increased  $5.5  billion,  or  14%,  in  2021.  Average  earning  assets  comprised  94%  and  92%  of 
average total assets in 2021 and  2020, respectively.

Mortgage  loans  held-for-sale.  Average  mortgage  loans  held-for-sale  totaled  $959.5  million  in  2021,  compared  to  $707.1 
million  in  2020.  These  balances  represent  mortgage  loans  awaiting  subsequent  sale  in  the  secondary  market  with  such  sales 
eliminating the interest-rate risk associated with these loans, as they are predominantly long-term fixed rate loans, and provides 
a  source  of  non-interest  revenue.  The  increase  in  average  balance  from  2020  to  2021  was  primarily  due  to  higher  balances 
repurchased by the Company under the early buyout option available for loans sold to GNMA with servicing retained, partially 
offset  by  lower  mortgage  origination  production.  See  “Loan  Portfolio  and  Asset  Quality”  section  later  in  this  Item  7  for 
additional discussion of these early buyout options. 

Loans, net of unearned income. Average total loans, net of unearned income, totaled $33.1 billion and increased $2.9 billion, or 
10%, in 2021. Average commercial loans, excluding PPP loans, totaled $9.7 billion in 2021, and increased $1.0 billion, or 12%, 
over the average balance in 2020. Average commercial PPP loans totaled $2.1 billion in 2021 and decreased $236.4 million, or 
10%,  compared  to  the  average  balance  in  2020  due  to  forgiveness  payments  received  on  such  loans  in  2021.  Average 
commercial  real  estate  loans  totaled  $8.7  billion  in  2021,  increasing  $417.7  million,  or  5%,  since  2020.  Combined,  these 
categories  comprised  62%  and  64%  of  the  average  loan  portfolio  in  2021  and  2020,  respectively.  Excluding  PPP  loans,  the 
growth  realized  in  these  categories  for  2021  is  primarily  attributable  to  increased  business  development  efforts  during  the 
period.

Home  equity  loans  averaged  $371.4  million  in  2021,  and  decreased  $95.4  million,  or  20%,  when  compared  to  the  average 
balance in 2020. Unused commitments on home equity lines of credit totaled $749.4 million at December 31, 2021 and $756.2 
million at December 31, 2020. The decrease in the home equity loan portfolio was primarily the result of borrowers preferring 
to finance through longer term, low rate mortgage loans. The Company has been actively managing its home equity portfolio to 
ensure that diligent pricing, appraisal and other underwriting activities continue to exist. 

67

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Residential real estate loans averaged $1.5 billion in 2021, and increased $263.1 million, or 22%, from the average balance in 
2020. The increase in average balance was partially due to the Company deciding to allocate more balances from its mortgage 
production for investment instead of for subsequent sale and servicing in the secondary market.

Average  premium  finance  receivables  totaled  $10.7  billion  in  2021,  and  accounted  for  32%  of  the  Company’s  average  total 
loans.  In  2021,  average  premium  finance  receivables  increased  $1.5  billion,  or  16%,  compared  to  2020.  The  increase  during 
2021 was the result of effective marketing and customer servicing as well as continued originations within the portfolio due to 
hardening insurance market conditions driving a higher average size of new property and casualty insurance premium finance 
receivables. Approximately $12.8 billion of premium finance receivables were originated in 2021 compared to approximately 
$11.3 billion in 2020. 

Other  loans  represent  a  wide  variety  of  personal  and  consumer  loans  to  individuals.  Consumer  loans  generally  have  shorter 
terms  and  higher  interest  rates  than  mortgage  loans  but  generally  involve  more  credit  risk  due  to  the  type  and  nature  of  the 
collateral.

Liquidity Management Assets. Funds that are not utilized for loan originations are used to purchase investment securities and 
short-term money market investments, to sell as federal funds and to maintain in interest-bearing deposits with banks. Average 
liquidity  management  assets  accounted  for  23%  and  19%  of  total  average  earning  assets  in  2021  and  2020,  respectively. 
Average  liquidity  management  assets  increased  $2.4  billion  in  2021  compared  to  2020.  The  balances  of  these  assets  can 
fluctuate  based  on  management’s  ongoing  effort  to  manage  liquidity  and  for  asset  liability  management  purposes.  The 
Company will continue to prudently evaluate and utilize liquidity sources as needed, including the management of availability 
with the FHLB and FRB and utilization of the revolving credit facility with unaffiliated banks.

Other earning assets. Other earning assets include brokerage customer receivables and trading account securities. In the normal 
course  of  business,  Wintrust  Investments  activities  involve  the  execution,  settlement,  and  financing  of  various  securities 
transactions.  Wintrust  Investments  customer  securities  activities  are  transacted  on  either  a  cash  or  margin  basis.  In  margin 
transactions,  Wintrust  Investments,  under  an  agreement  with  the  out-sourced  securities  firm,  extends  credit  to  its  customer, 
subject to various regulatory and internal margin requirements, collateralized by cash and securities in customer’s accounts. In 
connection with these activities, Wintrust Investments executes and the out-sourced firm clears customer transactions relating to 
the  sale  of  securities  not  yet  purchased,  substantially  all  of  which  are  transacted  on  a  margin  basis  subject  to  individual 
exchange  regulations.  Such  transactions  may  expose  Wintrust  Investments  to  off-balance-sheet  risk,  particularly  in  volatile 
trading markets, in the event margin requirements are not sufficient to fully cover losses that customers may incur. In the event 
a customer fails to satisfy its obligations, Wintrust Investments under an agreement with the out-sourced securities firm, may be 
required  to  purchase  or  sell  financial  instruments  at  prevailing  market  prices  to  fulfill  the  customer's  obligations.  Wintrust 
Investments  seeks  to  control  the  risks  associated  with  its  customers’  activities  by  requiring  customers  to  maintain  margin 
collateral in compliance with various regulatory and internal guidelines. Wintrust Investments monitors required margin levels 
daily and, pursuant to such guidelines, requires customers to deposit additional collateral or to reduce positions when necessary.

68

Investment Securities Portfolio

Supplemental Statistical Data

The following statistical information is provided in accordance with the requirements of  Regulation S-K as promulgated by the 
SEC. This data should be read in conjunction with the Company’s Consolidated Financial Statements and notes thereto, and 
Management’s Discussion and Analysis which are contained in Item 8 and Item 7, respectively, of this Annual Report on Form 
10-K.

The following table presents the amortized cost and fair value of the Company’s investment securities portfolios, by investment 
category, as of December 31, 2021, and 2020: 

(Dollars in thousands)

Available-for-sale securities
U.S. Treasury
U.S. Government agencies
Municipal
Corporate notes:

Financial issuers
Other

Mortgage-backed: (1)

Mortgage-backed securities
Collateralized mortgage obligations
Total available-for-sale securities

Held-to-maturity securities
U.S. Government agencies
Municipal
Mortgage-backed securities
Corporate notes

Total held-to-maturity securities
Less:  Allowance for credit losses

Held-to-maturity securities, net of allowance for credit losses

Equity securities with readily determinable fair value

2021

2020

Amortized
Cost

Fair
Value

Amortized
Cost

Fair
Value

$ 

—  $ 

—  $ 

50,158 
161,618 

96,878 
1,000 

52,507 
165,594 

94,697 
1,007 

304,956  $ 
80,074 
141,244 

91,786 
1,000 

304,971 
84,513 
146,910 

90,385 
1,020 

1,901,005 
105,710 
2,316,369  $ 

1,907,981 
106,007 
2,327,793  $ 

2,330,332 
10,689 
2,960,081  $ 

2,417,038 
11,002 
3,055,839 

180,192  $ 
187,486 
2,530,730 
43,955 
2,942,363  $ 

(78) 
2,942,285 

86,989  $ 

177,079  $ 
196,807 
2,483,972 
42,836 
2,900,694  $ 

$ 
90,511  $ 

177,959  $ 
200,707 
200,531 
— 
579,197  $ 
(59) 
579,138 
87,618  $ 

180,511 
212,725 
200,531 
— 
593,767 

90,862 

$ 

$ 

$ 

$ 
$ 

(1) Consisting entirely of residential mortgage-backed securities, none of which are subprime.

69

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Tables presenting the carrying amounts and gross unrealized gains and losses for securities at December 31, 2021 and 2020 are 
included by reference to Note 3 to the Consolidated Financial Statements presented under Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 
10-K.  The  following  table  presents  the  carrying  value  of  the  investment  securities  portfolios  as  of  December  31,  2021,  by 
maturity  distribution.  Carrying  value  represents  the  fair  value  of  investment  securities  classified  as  available-for-sale,  the 
amortized  cost  of  those  classified  as  held-to-maturity  and  the  fair  value  of  equity  securities  with  readily  determinable  fair 
values.

(Dollars in thousands)
Available-for-sale securities
U.S. Treasury
U.S. Government agencies
Municipal
Corporate notes:

Financial issuers
Other

Mortgage-backed: (1)

Mortgage-backed securities

Collateralized mortgage obligations

Total available-for-sale securities
Held-to-maturity securities
U.S. Government agencies
Municipal
Corporate notes:

Financial issuers

Mortgage-backed securities
Total held-to-maturity securities
Less:  Allowance for credit losses
Held-to-maturity securities, net of 
allowance for credit losses
Equity securities with readily 
determinable fair value

$ 

$ 

$ 

Within 1
year

From 1 to
5 years

From 5 to
10 years

After 10
years

Mortgage-
backed

Equity 
Securities

Total

$ 

—  $ 
159 
46,636 

—  $ 
— 
62,838 

—  $ 
— 
35,908 

—  $ 

52,348 
20,212 

3,027 
— 

— 

— 
49,822  $ 

10,005 
1,007 

81,665 
— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 
— 

— 

— 

  1,907,981 

106,007 

73,850  $  117,573  $ 

72,560  $ 2,013,988  $ 

—  $ 
— 
— 

— 
— 

—  $ 
— 
— 

— 
52,507 
165,594 

— 
— 

94,697 
1,007 

— 

  1,907,981 

— 
106,007 
—  $ 2,327,793 

501  $ 

2,474 

1,819  $ 
33,648 

1,021  $  176,851  $ 

105,692 

45,672 

—  $ 
— 

—  $  180,192 
187,486 
— 

— 
— 
2,975  $ 

43,955 
— 

— 
— 

— 
— 

— 
  2,530,730 

79,422  $  106,713  $  222,523  $ 2,530,730  $ 

43,955 
— 
  2,530,730 
— 
—  $ 2,942,363 
(78) 

$ 2,942,285 

$ 

—  $ 

—  $ 

—  $ 

—  $ 

—  $ 

90,511  $ 

90,511 

 (1) Consisting entirely of residential mortgage-backed securities, none of which are subprime.

The  weighted  average  yield  for  each  range  of  maturities  of  securities,  on  a  tax-equivalent  basis,  is  shown  below  as  of 
December 31, 2021:

Available-for-sale securities
U.S. Treasury
U.S. Government agencies
Municipal
Corporate notes:

Financial issuers
Other

Mortgage-backed: (1)

Mortgage-backed securities
Collateralized mortgage obligations

Total available-for-sale securities

Held-to-maturity securities
U.S. Government agencies
Municipal
Corporate notes:

Financial issuers

Mortgage-backed securities
Total held-to-maturity securities
Equity securities with readily 
determinable fair value

Within
1 year

From 1
to 5 years

From 5 to
10 years

After
10 years

Mortgage-
backed

Equity 
Securities

Total

 — %

 1.96 
 1.05 

 2.73 
 — 

 — 
 — 

 — %
 — 
 2.00 

 2.41 
 1.20 

 — 
 — 

 — %
 — 
 2.55 

 1.91 
 — 

 — 
 — 

 — %

 3.78 
 2.78 

 — 
 — 

 — 
 — 

 — %
 — 
 — 

 — 
 — 

 2.22 
 2.00 

 — %
 — 
 — 

 — 
 — 

 — 
 — 

 — %

 3.78 
 1.95 

 1.99 
 1.20 

 2.22 
 2.00 

 1.15 %

 2.04 %

 2.10 %

 3.50 %

 2.21 %

 — %

 2.22 %

 1.98 %
 2.34 

 — 
 — 
 2.28 %

 2.56 %
 3.41 

 0.87 
 — 
 1.98 %

 2.62 %
 3.28 

 — 
 — 
 3.28 %

 2.37 %
 3.57 

 — 
 — 
 2.61 %

 — %
 — 

 — 
 1.80 
 1.80 %

 — %
 — 

 — 
 — 
 — %

 2.37 %
 3.36 

 0.87 
 1.80 
 1.92 %

 — %

 — %

 — %

 — %

 — %

 0.21 %

 0.21 %

(1) Consisting entirely of residential mortgage-backed securities, none of which are subprime.

70

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Loan Portfolio and Asset Quality

Loan Portfolio

The following table shows the Company’s loan portfolio by category as of December 31 for the current and  previous fiscal 
years:

(Dollars in thousands)
Commercial

Commercial real estate

Home equity

Residential real estate

Premium finance receivables—property & casualty

Premium finance receivables—life insurance

Consumer and other

Total loans, net of unearned income

2021

2020

$ 

Amount

11,904,068 

8,990,286 

335,155 

1,637,099 

4,855,487 

7,042,810 

24,199 

% of

Total

Amount

% of

Total

 34 % $ 

11,955,967 

 37 %

 26 

 1 

 5 

 14 

 20 

 0 

8,494,132 

425,263 

1,259,598 

4,054,489 

5,857,436 

32,188 

 26 

 1 

 5 

 13 

 18 

 0 

$ 

34,789,104 

 100 % $ 

32,079,073 

 100 %

Commercial  and  commercial  real  estate  loans.    Our  commercial  and  commercial  real  estate  loan  portfolios  are  comprised 
primarily  of  commercial  real  estate  loans  and  lines  of  credit  for  working  capital  purposes.  The  table  below  sets  forth 
information regarding the types, amounts and performance of our loans within these portfolios as of December 31, 2021 and 
2020:

(Dollars in thousands)
Commercial:

As of December 31, 2021

As of December 31, 2020

Balance

% of
Total
Balance

Allowance
For Credit 
Losses Allocation

Balance

% of
Total
Balance

Allowance
For Credit 
Losses Allocation

Commercial, industrial and other, excluding PPP
Commercial PPP

$  11,345,785 
558,283 

 54.3  % $ 
 2.7 

119,305  $  9,240,046 
2,715,921 

2 

Total commercial

Commercial Real Estate:

Construction and development
Non-construction

Total commercial real estate

$  11,904,068 

 57.0 % $ 

119,307  $  11,955,967 

$  1,356,204 
7,634,082 

 6.5  % $ 
 36.5 

35,206  $  1,371,802 
7,122,330 
109,377 

$  8,990,286 

 43.0 % $ 

144,583  $  8,494,132 

 45.2 % $ 
 13.3 

 58.5 % $ 

 6.7 % $ 
 34.8 

 41.5 % $ 

Total commercial and commercial real estate

$  20,894,354 

 100.0 % $ 

263,890  $  20,450,099 

 100.0 % $ 

94,210 
2 

94,212 

78,833 
164,770 

243,603 

337,815 

Commercial real estate—collateral location by state:

Illinois
Wisconsin

Total primary markets

Indiana
Florida
Arizona
California
Texas
Other (no individual state greater than 0.8%)

Total

$  6,324,037 
775,647 
$  7,099,684 
334,090 
162,516 
89,602 
118,236 
155,982 
1,030,176 
$  8,990,286 

 70.3  %
 8.6 
 78.9 %
 3.7 
 1.8 
 1.0 
 1.3 
 1.7 
 11.6 
 100.0 %

$  6,243,651 
779,390 
$  7,023,041 
301,177 
131,259 
63,494 
85,624 
79,406 
810,131 
$  8,494,132 

 73.5 %
 9.2 
 82.7 %
 3.5 
 1.5 
 0.8 
 1.0 
 0.9 
 9.6 
 100.0 %

We make commercial loans for many purposes, including working capital lines, which are generally renewable annually and 
supported  by  business  assets,  personal  guarantees  and  additional  collateral.  Such  loans  may  vary  in  size  based  on  customer 
need.  In  addition,  the  Company  has  participated  in  the  PPP  starting  in  2020.  Commercial  business  lending  is  generally 
considered to involve a slightly higher degree of risk than traditional consumer bank lending. Primarily as a result of growth in 
the portfolio, excluding PPP loans, our allowance for credit losses in our commercial loan portfolio increased to $119.3 million 
as  of  December  31,  2021  compared  to  $94.2  million  as  of  December  31,  2020.  This  increase  was  partially  offset  by 
improvements in macroeconomic conditions related to COVID-19. 

Our commercial real estate loans are generally secured by a first mortgage lien and assignment of rents on the property. Since 
most of our bank branches are located in the Chicago metropolitan area and southern Wisconsin, 78.9% of our commercial real 

71

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
estate loan portfolio is located in this region as of December 31, 2021. We have been able to effectively manage our total non-
performing commercial real estate loans. As of December 31, 2021, our allowance for credit losses related to this portfolio was 
$144.6  million  compared  to  $243.6  million  as  of  December  31,  2020.  The  decrease  in  the  allowance  for  credit  losses  is 
primarily due to the impact on the Company’s loan loss modeling from improving macroeconomic conditions and expectations 
between the two reporting dates primarily related to the Commercial Real Estate Price Index.

The  Company  also  participates  in  mortgage  warehouse  lending  which  is  included  above  within  commercial,  industrial  and 
other,  by  providing  interim  funding  to  unaffiliated  mortgage  bankers  to  finance  residential  mortgages  originated  by  such 
bankers for sale into the secondary market. The Company’s loans to the mortgage bankers are secured by the business assets of 
the mortgage companies as well as the specific mortgage loans funded by the Company, after they have been pre-approved for 
purchase  by  third  party  end  lenders.  The  Company  may  also  provide  interim  financing  for  packages  of  mortgage  loans  on  a 
bulk  basis  in  circumstances  where  the  mortgage  bankers  desire  to  competitively  bid  on  a  number  of  mortgages  for  sale  as  a 
package in the secondary market. Amounts advanced with respect to any particular mortgage loan are usually required to be 
repaid within 21 days. 

Home equity loans. Our home equity loans and lines of credit are originated by each of our banks in their local markets where 
we have a strong understanding of the underlying real estate value. Our banks monitor and manage these loans, and we conduct 
an  automated  review  of  all  home  equity  loans  and  lines  of  credit  at  least  twice  per  year.  This  review  collects  current  credit 
performance for each home equity borrower and identifies situations where the credit strength of the borrower is declining, or 
where there are events that may influence repayment, such as tax liens or judgments. Our banks use this information to manage 
loans that may be higher risk and to determine whether to obtain additional credit information or updated property valuations. 

The rates we offer on new home equity lending are based on several factors, including appraisals and valuation due diligence, in 
order to reflect inherent risk, and we place additional scrutiny on larger home equity requests. In a limited number of cases, we 
issue home equity credit together with first mortgage financing, and requests for such financing are evaluated on a combined 
basis. It is not our practice to advance more than 85% of the appraised value of the underlying asset, which ratio we refer to as 
the loan-to-value ratio, or LTV ratio, and a majority of the credit we previously extended, when issued, had an LTV ratio of less 
than 80%. Our home equity loan portfolio has performed well in light of the ongoing volatility in the overall residential real 
estate market. 

Residential real estate. Our residential real estate portfolio includes one- to four-family adjustable rate mortgages, construction 
loans  to  individuals  and  bridge  financing  loans  for  qualifying  customers  as  well  as  certain  long-term  fixed  rate  loans.  As  of 
December 31, 2021, our residential loan portfolio totaled $1.6 billion, or 5% of our total outstanding loans.

Our adjustable rate mortgages are often non-agency conforming. Adjustable rate mortgage loans decrease the interest rate risk 
we face on our mortgage portfolio. However, this risk is not eliminated due to the fact that such loans generally provide for 
periodic and lifetime limits on the interest rate adjustments among other features. Additionally, adjustable rate mortgages may 
pose a higher risk of delinquency and default because they require borrowers to make larger payments when interest rates rise. 
As  of  December  31,  2021,  $16.4  million  of  our  residential  real  estate  mortgages,  or  1.0%  of  our  residential  real  estate  loan 
portfolio were classified as nonaccrual, no balances were 90 or more days past due and still accruing, $13.4 million were 30 to 
89 days past due or 0.8% and $1.6 billion were current or 98.2%. We believe that since our loan portfolio consists primarily of 
locally originated loans, and since the majority of our borrowers are longer-term customers with lower LTV ratios, we face a 
relatively low risk of borrower default and delinquency.

Due to interest rate risk considerations, we generally sell in the secondary market loans originated with long-term fixed rates, 
for which we receive fee income. We may also selectively retain certain of these loans within the banks’ own portfolios where 
they are non-agency conforming, or where the terms of the loans make them favorable to retain. A portion of the loans we sold 
into the secondary market were sold with the servicing of those loans retained. The amount of loans serviced for others as of 
December 31, 2021 and 2020 was $13.1 billion and $10.8 billion, respectively. All other mortgage loans sold into the secondary 
market were sold without the retention of servicing rights.

The Government National Mortgage Association (“GNMA”) optional repurchase programs allow financial institutions acting as 
servicers to buyout individual delinquent mortgage loans that meet certain criteria from the securitized loan pool for which the 
institution was the original transferor of such loans. At the option of the servicer and without prior authorization from GNMA, 
the servicer may repurchase such delinquent loans for an amount equal to the remaining principal balance of the loan. Under 
FASB  ASC  Topic  860,  “Transfers  and  Servicing,”  this  early  buyout  option  is  considered  a  conditional  option  until  the 
delinquency criteria are met, at which time the option becomes unconditional. When the Company is deemed to have regained 
effective control over these loans under the unconditional repurchase option and the expected benefit of the potential repurchase 
is more than trivial, the loans can no longer be reported as sold and must be brought back onto the balance sheet as loans at fair 

72

value,  regardless  of  whether  the  Company  intends  to  exercise  the  early  buyout  option.  These  rebooked  loans  are  reported  as 
loans  held-for-investment,  part  of  the  residential  real  estate  portfolio,  with  the  offsetting  liability  being  reported  in  accrued 
interest payable and other liabilities. Rebooked GNMA loans held-for-investment amounted to $22.7 million at December 31, 
2021,  compared  to  $44.9  million  at  December  31,  2020.    When  the  early  buyout  option  on  these  rebooked  GNMA  loans  is 
exercised,  the  repurchased  loans  continue  to  be  carried  at  fair  value.  Additionally,  such  loans  typically  transfer  to  mortgage 
loans held-for-sale at the time of early buyout as the Company’s intent is to cure and resell such loans subsequent to repurchase 
from GNMA. As of December 31, 2021 and 2020, early buyout exercised mortgage loans held-for-sale totaled  $344.8 million 
at both dates.

It is not our current practice to underwrite, and we have no plans to underwrite, subprime, Alt A, no or little documentation 
loans, or option ARM loans. As of December 31, 2021, none of our mortgage loans consist of interest-only loans.

Premium  finance  receivables  —  property  &  casualty.  FIRST  Insurance  Funding  and  FIFC  Canada  originated  approximately 
$11.3 billion in property and casualty insurance premium finance receivables during 2021 as compared to approximately $9.9 
billion  in  2020.  FIRST  Insurance  Funding  and  FIFC  Canada  make  loans  to  primarily  businesses  to  finance  the  insurance 
premiums they pay on their property and casualty insurance policies. The loans are originated by working through independent 
medium  and  large  insurance  agents  and  brokers  located  throughout  the  United  States  and  Canada.  The  insurance  premiums 
financed are primarily for commercial customers’ purchases of liability, property and casualty and other commercial insurance.

This  lending  involves  relatively  rapid  turnover  of  the  loan  portfolio  and  high  volume  of  loan  originations.  Because  of  the 
indirect nature of this lending through third party agents and brokers and because the borrowers are located nationwide and in 
Canada, this segment is more susceptible to third party fraud than relationship lending. The Company performs ongoing credit 
and other reviews of the agents and brokers, and performs various internal audit steps to mitigate against the risk of any fraud. 
The  majority  of  these  loans  are  purchased  by  the  banks  in  order  to  more  fully  utilize  their  lending  capacity  as  these  loans 
generally provide the banks with higher yields than alternative investments.

Premium  finance  receivables  —  life  insurance.  Wintrust  Life  Finance  originated  approximately  $1.6  billion  in  life  insurance 
premium finance receivables in 2021 as compared to $1.4 billion in 2020. The Company continues to experience a high level of 
competition  and  pricing  pressure  within  the  current  market.  These  loans  are  originated  directly  with  the  borrowers  with 
assistance from life insurance carriers, independent insurance agents, financial advisors and legal counsel. The life insurance 
policy is the primary form of collateral. In addition, these loans often are secured with a letter of credit, marketable securities or 
certificates of deposit. In some cases, Wintrust Life Finance may make a loan that has a partially unsecured position.

Consumer  and  other.  Included  in  the  consumer  and  other  loan  category  is  a  wide  variety  of  personal  and  consumer  loans  to 
individuals.  The  banks  originate  consumer  loans  in  order  to  provide  a  wider  range  of  financial  services  to  their  customers. 
Consumer loans generally have shorter terms and higher interest rates than mortgage loans but generally involve more credit 
risk than mortgage loans due to the type and nature of the collateral. 

Foreign.  The  Company  had  approximately  $677.0  million  of  loans  to  businesses  with  operations  in  foreign  countries  as  of 
December 31, 2021 compared to $616.4 million at December 31, 2020. This balance as of December 31, 2021 consists of loans 
originated by FIFC Canada.

Loan Concentrations

Loan concentrations are considered to exist when there are amounts loaned to multiple borrowers engaged in similar activities 
which  would  cause  them  to  be  similarly  impacted  by  economic  or  other  conditions.  The  Company  had  no  concentrations  of 
loans exceeding 10% of total loans at December 31, 2021, except for loans included in the specialty finance operating segment, 
which are diversified throughout the United States and Canada.

73

Maturities and Sensitivities of Loans to Changes in Interest Rates

The following table classifies the loan portfolio at December 31, 2021 by date at which the loans reprice or mature, and the type 
of rate exposure:

(Dollars in thousands)
Commercial

Fixed rate
Fixed rate -PPP
Variable rate
Total commercial
Commercial real estate

Fixed rate
Variable rate
Total commercial real estate

Home equity

Fixed rate
Variable rate
Total home equity

Residential real estate
Fixed rate
Variable rate
Total residential real estate

Premium finance receivables - property & 
casualty

Fixed rate
Variable rate
Total premium finance receivables - 
property & casualty

Premium finance receivables - life insurance

Fixed rate
Variable rate
Total premium finance receivables - life 
insurance
Consumer and other
Fixed rate
Variable rate
Total consumer and other

Total per category
Fixed rate
Fixed rate -PPP
Variable rate

Total loans, net of unearned income

Variable Rate Loan Pricing by Index:

Prime
One- month LIBOR
Three- month LIBOR
Twelve- month LIBOR
U.S. Treasury tenors

SOFR tenors

Thirty-Day Ameribor

Other

Total variable rate

One year or
less

From one to
five years

From five to 
fifteen years

After fifteen 
years

Total

$ 

$ 

$ 

$ 

$ 

$ 

$ 

$ 

536,782  $ 
40,533 
7,383,214 
7,960,529  $ 

2,092,006  $ 
517,750 
3,207 
2,612,963  $ 

1,319,692  $ 

— 
58 

1,319,750  $ 

10,826  $ 
— 
— 

3,959,306 
558,283 
7,386,479 
10,826  $  11,904,068 

518,488  $ 

5,550,141 
6,068,629  $ 

2,376,629  $ 
19,855 
2,396,484  $ 

489,996  $ 
— 
489,996  $ 

35,177  $ 
— 
35,177  $ 

3,420,290 
5,569,996 
8,990,286 

14,896  $ 
317,158 
332,054  $ 

3,059  $ 
— 
3,059  $ 

—  $ 
— 
—  $ 

42  $ 
— 
42  $ 

17,997 
317,158 
335,155 

17,812  $ 
58,968 
76,780  $ 

5,834  $ 

237,706 
243,540  $ 

29,063  $ 
419,463 
448,526  $ 

868,253  $ 
— 
868,253  $ 

920,962 
716,137 
1,637,099 

$ 

4,677,500  $ 

— 

177,987  $ 
— 

4,677,500  $ 

177,987  $ 

—  $ 
— 

—  $ 

—  $ 
— 

4,855,487 
— 

—  $ 

4,855,487 

8,579  $ 

6,538,039 

474,465  $ 
— 

21,727  $ 
— 

—  $ 
— 

504,771 
6,538,039 

6,546,618  $ 

474,465  $ 

21,727  $ 

—  $ 

7,042,810 

4,094  $ 
14,445 
18,539  $ 

5,004  $ 
— 
5,004  $ 

94  $ 
— 
94  $ 

562  $ 
— 
562  $ 

9,754 
14,445 
24,199 

$ 

$ 

$ 

$ 

$ 

$ 

5,778,151  $ 
40,533 
19,861,965 
$  25,680,649  $ 

5,134,984  $ 
517,750 
260,768 
5,913,502  $ 

1,860,572  $ 

— 
419,521 
2,280,093  $ 

914,860  $  13,688,567 
558,283 
20,542,254 
914,860  $  34,789,104 

— 
— 

$ 

3,273,915 
8,848,709 
285,441 
6,677,139 
107,037 
598,904 
89,832 
661,277 
$  20,542,254 

74

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
With  its  ongoing  transition  from  LIBOR  continuing  in  2021,  the  Company  increased  the  portion  of  its  loan  portfolio  with 
interest  rate  indices  that  are  an  alternative  to  LIBOR  during  that  period,  including  emerging  indices  such  as  SOFR  and 
Ameribor.  As  shown  above,  at  December  31,  2021,  variable  rate  loans  with  loans  priced  at  SOFR  and  thirty-day  Ameribor 
totaled  $598.9  million  and  $89.8  million,  respectively.  Additionally,  the  percentage  of  the  Company’s  variable  rate  loans 
indexed to LIBOR decreased to 77% at December 31, 2021 compared to 86% at December 31, 2020. The Company continues 
its transition of its loan portfolio from LIBOR for both loans existing at December 31, 2021 and future new originations.

Past Due Loans and Non-Performing Assets

Our ability to manage credit risk depends in large part on our ability to properly identify and manage problem loans. To do so, 
the Company operates a credit risk rating system under which our credit management personnel assign a credit risk rating to 
each loan at the time of origination and review loans on a regular basis to determine each loan’s credit risk rating on a scale of 1 
through 10 with higher scores indicating higher risk. The credit risk rating structure used is shown below:

1 Rating

—    

Minimal  Risk  (Loss  Potential  —  none  or  extremely  low)  (Superior  asset  quality,  excellent 
liquidity, minimal leverage)

2 Rating

—    

Modest  Risk  (Loss  Potential  demonstrably  low)  (Very  good  asset  quality  and  liquidity,  strong 
leverage capacity)

3 Rating

—    

Average Risk (Loss Potential low but no longer refutable) (Mostly satisfactory asset quality and 
liquidity, good leverage capacity)

4 Rating

—    

Above  Average  Risk  (Loss  Potential  variable,  but  some  potential  for  deterioration)  (Acceptable 
asset quality, little excess liquidity, modest leverage capacity)

5 Rating

—    

Management  Attention  Risk  (Loss  Potential  moderate  if  corrective  action  not  taken)  (Generally 
acceptable asset quality, somewhat strained liquidity, minimal leverage capacity, minimum for all 
commercial real estate construction loans)

6 Rating

—    

Special Mention (Loss Potential moderate if corrective action not taken) (Assets in this category 
are currently protected, potentially weak, but not to the point of substandard classification)

7 Rating

—    

Substandard Accrual (Loss Potential distinct possibility that the bank may sustain some loss, but 
no discernible impairment) (Must have well defined weaknesses that jeopardize the liquidation of 
the debt)

8 Rating

—    

Substandard Non-accrual (Loss Potential well documented probability of loss, including potential 
impairment) (Must have well defined weaknesses that jeopardize the liquidation of the debt)

9 Rating

—    

Doubtful (Loss Potential extremely high) (These assets have all the weaknesses in those classified 
“substandard” with the added characteristic that the weaknesses make collection or liquidation in 
full, on the basis of current existing facts, conditions, and values, highly improbable)

10 Rating

  —    

   Loss (fully charged-off) (Loans in this category are considered fully uncollectible.)

Loan  officers  are  responsible  for  monitoring  their  loan  portfolio,  recommending  a  credit  risk  rating  for  each  loan  in  their 
portfolio and ensuring the credit risk ratings are appropriate. These credit risk ratings are then ratified by the bank’s chief credit 
officer  and/or  concurrence  credit  officer.  Credit  risk  ratings  are  determined  by  evaluating  a  number  of  factors  including  a 
borrower’s  financial  strength,  cash  flow  coverage,  collateral  protection  and  guarantees.  The  Company  maintains  an  internal 
loan review function to independently review a portion of the loan portfolio to evaluate the appropriateness of the management-
assigned  credit  risk  ratings.  These  ratings  are  subject  to  further  review  at  each  of  our  bank  subsidiaries  by  the  applicable 
regulatory authority, including the FRB of Chicago and the OCC, and are also reviewed by our loan review and internal audit 
staff.

75

 
  
 
  
 
  
 
  
 
  
 
  
 
  
 
  
 
  
The  Company’s  Problem  Loan  Reporting  system  includes  all  loans  with  credit  risk  ratings  of  6  through  9.  This  system  is 
designed to provide an on-going detailed tracking mechanism for each problem loan. Once management determines that a loan 
has deteriorated to a point where it has a credit risk rating of 6 or worse, the Company’s Managed Asset Division performs an 
overall credit and collateral review. As part of this review, all underlying collateral is identified and the valuation methodology 
is analyzed and tracked. As a result of this initial review by the Company’s Managed Asset Division, the credit risk rating is 
reviewed and a portion of the outstanding loan balance may be deemed uncollectible and, as a result, no longer share similar 
risk characteristics as its related pool. If that is the case, the individual loan is considered collateral dependent and individually 
assessed  for  an  allowance  for  credit  loss.  The  Company’s  individual  assessment  utilizes  an  independent  re-appraisal  of  the 
collateral (unless such a third-party evaluation is not possible due to the unique nature of the collateral, such as a closely-held 
business  or  thinly  traded  securities).  In  the  case  of  commercial  real  estate  collateral,  an  independent  third  party  appraisal  is 
ordered by the Company’s Real Estate Services Group to determine if there has been any change in the underlying collateral 
value. These independent appraisals are reviewed by the Real Estate Services Group and sometimes by independent third party 
valuation experts and may be adjusted depending upon market conditions.

Through the credit risk rating process, loans are reviewed to determine if they are performing in accordance with the original 
contractual terms. If the borrower has failed to comply with the original contractual terms, further action may be required by the 
Company,  including  a  downgrade  in  the  credit  risk  rating,  movement  to  non-accrual  status  or  a  charge-off.  If  the  Company 
determines that a loan amount or portion thereof is uncollectible, the loan’s credit risk rating is immediately downgraded to an 8 
or 9 and the uncollectible amount is charged-off. Any loan that has a partial charge-off continues to be assigned a credit risk 
rating  of  an  8  or  9  for  the  duration  of  time  that  a  balance  remains  outstanding.  The  Company  undertakes  a  thorough  and 
ongoing analysis to determine if additional impairment and/or charge-offs are appropriate and to begin a workout plan for the 
credit  to  minimize  actual  losses.  In  determining  the  appropriate  charge-off  for  collateral-dependent  loans,  the  Company 
considers the results of appraisals for the associated collateral. 

The Company’s approach to workout plans and restructuring loans is built on the credit-risk rating process. A modification of a 
loan with an existing credit risk rating of 6 or worse or a modification of any other credit, which will result in a restructured 
credit risk rating of 6 or worse must be reviewed for TDR classification. In that event, our Managed Assets Division conducts 
an  overall  credit  and  collateral  review.  A  modification  of  a  loan  is  considered  to  be  a  TDR  if  both  (1)  the  borrower  is 
experiencing financial difficulty and (2) for economic or legal reasons, the bank grants a concession to a borrower that it would 
not  otherwise  consider.  The  modification  of  a  loan  where  the  credit  risk  rating  is  5  or  better  both  before  and  after  such 
modification  is  not  considered  to  be  a  TDR.  Based  on  the  Company’s  credit  risk  rating  system,  it  considers  that  borrowers 
whose credit risk rating is 5 or better are not experiencing financial difficulties and therefore, are not considered TDRs.

TDRs are individually assessed at the time of the modification and on a quarterly basis to measure an allowance for credit loss.  
The carrying amount of the loan is compared to the expected payments to be received, discounted at the loan's original rate, or 
for collateral dependent loans, to the fair value of the collateral.  Any shortfall is recorded as a reserve.

For non-TDR loans, if based on current information and events, it is probable that the Company will be unable to collect all 
amounts due to it according to the contractual terms of the loan agreement, a loan is individually assessed for measuring the 
allowance  for  credit  losses  and  if  necessary,  a  reserve  is  established.  In  determining  the  appropriate  reserve  for  collateral-
dependent loans, the Company considers the results of appraisals for the associated collateral.

Non-Performing Assets

The following table sets forth the Company’s non-performing assets and TDRs performing under the contractual terms of the 
loan  agreement  as  of  the  dates  shown.  Prior  to  January  1,  2020,  PCI  loans  were  aggregated  into  pools  by  common  risk 
characteristics  for  accounting  purposes,  including  recognition  of  interest  income  on  a  pool  basis.  As  a  result  of  the 
implementation of CECL, beginning in the first quarter of 2020, PCI loans transitioned to a classification of PCD loans, which 
no longer maintains the prior pools and related accounting concepts. Recognition of interest income on PCD loans is considered 
at the individual asset level following the Company's accrual policies, instead of based upon the entire pool of loans. Due to the 
adoption of CECL, the Company included  $22.6 million of PCD loans in total non-performing loans as of  December 31, 2020. 

76

(In  thousands)
Loans past due greater than 90 days and still 
accruing(2):

Commercial
Commercial real estate
Home equity
Residential real estate
Premium finance receivables – property & casualty
Premium finance receivables – life insurance
Consumer and other

Total loans past due greater than 90 days and still 
accruing
Non-accrual loans(3):

Commercial
Commercial real estate
Home equity
Residential real estate
Premium finance receivables – property & casualty
Premium finance receivables – life insurance
Consumer and other

Total non-accrual loans
Total non-performing loans(4):

Commercial
Commercial real estate
Home equity
Residential real estate
Premium finance receivables – property & casualty
Premium finance receivables – life insurance
Consumer and other

Total non-performing loans

Other real estate owned
Other real estate owned – from acquisitions
Other repossessed assets

Total non-performing assets

Accruing TDRs not included within non-performing 
assets

Total non-performing loans by category as a percent 
of its own respective category’s period-end balance:

Commercial
Commercial real estate
Home equity
Residential real estate
Premium finance receivables – property & casualty
Premium finance receivables – life insurance
Consumer and other

Total non-performing loans

Total non-performing assets as a percentage of total 
assets
Total non-accrual loans as a percentage of of total 
loans

Allowance for credit losses as a percentage of
nonaccrual loans

2021

2020

2019

2018

2017 (1)

$ 

$ 

15 
— 
— 
— 
7,210 
7 
137 

$ 

307 
— 
— 
— 
12,792 
— 
264 

— 
— 
— 
— 
11,517 
— 
163 

$ 

— 

$ 

— 

— 
— 
7,799 
— 
109 

— 
3,278 
9,242 
— 
40 

$ 

7,369 

$ 

13,363 

$ 

11,680 

$ 

7,908 

$ 

12,560 

$ 

$ 

$ 

$ 

$ 

$ 

$ 

$ 

$ 

$ 

20,399 
21,746 
2,574 
16,440 
5,433 
— 
477 
67,069 

20,414 
21,746 
2,574 
16,440 
12,643 
7 
614 
74,438 
1,959 
2,312 
— 
78,709 

37,486 

 0.17 %
 0.24 
 0.77 
 1.00 
 0.26 
 0.00 
 2.54 
 0.21 %

 0.16 %

 0.19 %

21,743 
46,107 
6,529 
26,071 
13,264 
— 
436 
114,150 

22,050 
46,107 
6,529 
26,071 
26,056 
— 
700 
127,513 
9,711 
6,847 
— 
144,071 

47,023 

37,224 
26,113 
7,363 
13,797 
20,590 
590 
231 
105,908 

37,224 
26,113 
7,363 
13,797 
32,107 
590 
394 
117,588 
5,208 
9,963 
4 
132,763 

36,725 

$ 

$ 

$ 

$ 

$ 

50,984 
19,129 
7,147 
16,383 
11,335 
— 
348 
105,326 

50,984 
19,129 
7,147 
16,383 
19,134 
— 
457 
113,234 
11,968 
12,852 
280 
138,334 

33,281 

$ 

$ 

$ 

$ 

$ 

15,696 
22,048 
8,978 
17,977 
12,163 
— 
740 
77,602 

15,696 
22,048 
8,978 
21,255 
21,405 
— 
780 
90,162 
20,244 
20,402 
153 
130,961 

39,683 

$ 

$ 

$ 

$ 

$ 

 0.18 %
 0.54 
 1.54 
 2.07 
 0.64 
 — 
 2.17 
 0.40 %

 0.32 %

 0.36 %

 0.45 %
 0.33 
 1.44 
 1.02 
 0.93 
 0.01 
 0.36 
 0.44 %

 0.36 %

 0.40 %

 0.65 %
 0.28 
 1.29 
 1.63 
 0.67 
 — 
 0.38 
 0.48 %

 0.44 %

 0.44 %

 0.23 %
 0.34 
 1.35 
 2.55 
 0.81 
 — 
 0.72 
 0.42 %

 0.47 %

 0.36 %

 446.78 %

 332.82 %

 149.62 %

 146.37 %

 179.34 %

(1)

(2)

(3)
(4)

Includes $2.6 million of non-performing loans and $2.9 million of other real estate owned reclassified from covered assets as a result of the termination of all existing loss share agreements with the 
FDIC during the fourth quarter of 2017.
As of  December 31, 2021, approximately $ 320,000 of  TDRs were past due greater than 90 days and still accruing interest. No TDRs as of December 31, 2020, 2019, 2018. or 2017 were past due 
greater than 90 days and still accruing interest.
Non-accrual loans included TDRs totaling $11.8 million, $21.2   million, $27.1 million, $32.8 million and $10.1 million as of December 31, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, and 2017, respectively.
Includes PCD loans. As a result of the adoption of ASU 2016-13, the Company transitioned all previously classified PCI loans to PCD loans effective January 1, 2020.

At this time, management believes reserves are appropriate to absorb losses that are expected upon the ultimate resolution of 
these credits. While the ultimate effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on non-performing assets still remains unknown, significant 
increases may occur in subsequent periods. Management will continue to actively review and monitor its loan portfolios, in an 
effort  to  identify  problem  credits  in  a  timely  manner.  Please  refer  to  Management's  Discussion  and  Analysis  of  Financial 
Condition and Results of Operation -Overview section of this report for additional discussion of the impact of the COVID-19 
pandemic. 

77

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Loan Portfolio Aging

The tables below show the aging of the Company’s loan portfolio at December 31, 2021 and 2020:

As of December 31, 2021
(In thousands)

Loan Balances:

Commercial:

Non-accrual

90+ days
and still
accruing

60-89
days past
due

30-59
days past
due

Current

Total Loans

Commercial, industrial and other, excluding 
PPP loans

$ 

20,399  $ 

—  $ 

23,492  $ 

42,933  $ 

11,258,961  $ 

11,345,785 

Commercial PPP loans

Commercial real-estate:

Construction and development

Non-construction

Home equity

Residential real estate

Premium finance receivables:

Property & casualty insurance loans

Life insurance loans

Consumer and other

— 

1,377 

20,369 

2,574 

16,440 

5,433 
— 

477 

15 

— 

— 

— 

— 

7,210 
7 

137 

770 

— 

284 

— 

982 

15,490 
12,614 

34 

928 

556,570 

558,283 

2,809 

37,634 

1,120 

12,420 

22,419 
66,651 

509 

1,352,018 

7,575,795 

331,461 

1,607,257 

4,804,935 
6,963,538 

23,042 

1,356,204 

7,634,082 

335,155 

1,637,099 

4,855,487 
7,042,810 

24,199 

Total loans, net of unearned income

$ 

67,069  $ 

7,369  $ 

53,666  $ 

187,423  $ 

34,473,577  $ 

34,789,104 

As of December 31, 2020
(In thousands)
Loan Balances:

Commercial:

Non-accrual

90+ days
and still
accruing

60-89
days past
due

30-59
days past
due

Current

Total Loans

Commercial, industrial and other, excluding 
PPP loans

$ 

21,743  $ 

307  $ 

6,900  $ 

44,345  $ 

9,166,751  $ 

9,240,046 

Commercial PPP loans

Commercial real-estate:

Construction and development

Non-construction

Home equity

Residential real estate

Premium finance receivables:

Property & casualty insurance loans

Life insurance loans

Consumer and other

— 

5,633 

40,474 

6,529 

26,071 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

13,264 

12,792 

— 

436 

— 

264 

— 

— 

5,178 

47 

1,635 

6,798 

21,003 

24 

36 

2,715,885 

2,715,921 

5,344 

26,772 

637 

12,584 

18,809 

30,465 

136 

1,360,825 

7,049,906 

418,050 

1,219,308 

4,002,826 

5,805,968 

31,328 

1,371,802 

7,122,330 

425,263 

1,259,598 

4,054,489 

5,857,436 

32,188 

Total loans, net of unearned income

$ 

114,150  $ 

13,363  $ 

41,585  $ 

139,128  $ 

31,770,847  $ 

32,079,073 

As of December 31, 2021, $53.7 million of all loans, or 0.2%, were 60 to 89 days past due and $187.4 million, or 0.5%, were 
30 to 59 days (or one payment) past due. As of December 31, 2020, $41.6 million of all loans, or 0.1%, were 60 to 89 days past 
due and $139.1 million, or 0.4%, were 30 to 59 days (or one payment) past due. Many of the commercial and commercial real 
estate loans shown as 60 to 89 days and 30 to 59 days past due are included on the Company’s internal problem loan reporting 
system. Loans on this system are closely monitored by management on a monthly basis. 

The Company’s home equity and residential loan portfolios continue to exhibit low delinquency ratios. Home equity loans at 
December  31,  2021  that  are  current  with  regard  to  the  contractual  terms  of  the  loan  agreement  represent  98.9%  of  the  total 
home equity portfolio. Residential real estate loans at December 31, 2021 that are current with regards to the contractual terms 
of the loan agreements comprise 98.2% of these residential real estate loans outstanding.

78

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Non-performing Loans Rollforward

The table below presents a summary of non-performing loans for the periods presented:

(In thousands)
Balance at beginning of period

Additions from becoming non-performing in the respective period
Additions from the adoption of ASU 2016-13
Return to performing status
Payments received
Transfers to OREO and other repossessed assets
Charge-offs, net
Net change for niche loans (1)

Balance at end of period

2021

2020

$ 

$ 

127,513  $ 
38,848 
— 
(10,592) 
(53,823) 
(6,027) 
(13,351) 
(8,130) 
74,438  $ 

117,588 
85,993 
37,285 
(10,254) 
(53,029) 
(14,557) 
(29,835) 
(5,678) 
127,513 

(1) This includes activity for premium finance receivables and indirect consumer loans.

Prior to January 1, 2020, PCI loans were excluded from non-performing loans as they continued to earn interest income from 
the related accretable yield, independent of performance with contractual terms of the loan. As a result of the adoption of ASU 
2016-13 effective January 1, 2020, the Company transitioned all previously classified PCI loans to PCD loans, which no longer 
maintain  the  prior  pools  and  related  accounting  concepts.  Specifically,  recognition  of  interest  income  on  PCD  loans  is 
considered at the individual asset level following the Company's accrual policies, instead of based upon the entire pool of loans. 
As such, after adoption, the Company includes PCD loans in total non-performing loans. 

Allowance for Credit Losses

The allowance for credit losses, specifically the allowance for loan losses and the allowance for unfunded commitment losses, 
represents  management’s  estimate  of  lifetime  expected  credit  losses  in  the  loan  portfolio.  The  allowance  for  credit  losses  is 
determined  quarterly  using  a  methodology  that  incorporates  important  risk  characteristics  of  each  loan,  as  described  below 
under “How We Determine the Allowance for Credit Losses” in this Item 7. 

The following table sets forth the allocation of the allowance for credit losses by major loan type and the percentage of loans in 
each category to total loans for the past five fiscal years:

December 31, 2021

December 31, 2020

December 31, 2019

December 31, 2018

December 31, 2017

(In thousands)
Allowance for credit losses allocation:

Commercial

Commercial real-estate

Home equity

Residential real-estate

Premium finance receivables – property & 
casualty

Premium finance receivables – life insurance

Consumer and other

Amount

$ 119,307 

  144,583 

  10,699 

8,782 

  15,246 
613 

423 

% of 
Loan 
Type to
Total
Loans

% of 
Loan 
Type to
Total
Loans

% of 
Loan 
Type to
Total
Loans

% of 
Loan 
Type to
Total
Loans

% of 
Loan 
Type to
Total
Loans

Amount

Amount

Amount

Amount

 34 % $  94,212 

 37 % $  64,920 

 31 % $  67,826 

 33 % $  57,811 

 31 %

 26 

 1 

 5 

 14 
 20 

 — 

  243,603 

  11,437 

  12,459 

  17,267 
510 

422 

 26 

  68,511 

 30 

  61,661 

 29 

  56,496 

 1 

 5 

 13 
 18 

 0 

3,878 

9,800 

8,132 
1,515 

1,705 

 2 

 5 

 13 
 19 

 0 

8,507 

7,194 

6,144 
1,571 

1,261 

 2 

 4 

 12 
 19 

 1 

  10,493 

6,688 

5,356 
1,490 

840 

 30 

 3 

 4 

 12 
 19 

 1 

Total allowance for credit losses

$ 299,653 

 100 % $ 379,910 

 100 % $ 158,461 

 100 % $ 154,164 

 100 % $ 139,174 

 100 %

Allowance category as a percent of total 
allowance for credit losses:

Commercial

Commercial real-estate
Home equity
Residential real-estate
Premium finance receivables—property & 
casualty

Premium finance receivables—life insurance
Consumer and other
Total allowance for credit losses

 40 %
 48 
 4 
 3 

 5 
 0 
 0 

 25 %
 64 
 3 
 3 

 5 
 0 
 0 

 41 %
 43 
 3 
 6 

 5 
 1 
 1 

 44 %
 39 
 6 
 5 

 4 
 1 
 1 

 42 %
 40 
 7 
 5 

 4 
 1 
 1 

 100 %  

 100 %  

 100 %  

 100 %  

 100 %  

Management determined that the allowance for credit losses was appropriate at December 31, 2021, and that the loan portfolio 
is well diversified and well secured, without undue concentration in any specific risk area. While this process involves a high 
degree  of  management  judgment,  the  allowance  for  credit  losses  is  based  on  a  comprehensive,  well  documented,  and 

79

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
consistently applied analysis of the Company’s loan portfolio. This analysis takes into consideration all available information 
existing  as  of  the  financial  statement  date,  including  environmental  factors  such  as  economic,  industry,  geographical  and 
political  factors,  when  considered  applicable.  The  relative  level  of  allowance  for  credit  losses  is  reviewed  and  compared  to 
industry  peers.  This  review  encompasses  levels  of  total  non-performing  loans,  portfolio  mix,  portfolio  concentrations  and 
overall levels of net charge-off. Historical trending of both the Company’s results and the industry peers is also reviewed to 
analyze comparative significance.

Allowance for Credit Losses

The  following  tables  summarize  the  activity  in  our  allowance  for  credit  losses,  specifically  related  to  loans  and  unfunded 
lending-related commitments, during the last five fiscal years.

(In thousands)
Allowance for credit losses at beginning of year

2021

2020

2019

2018

2017

$  379,910 

$ 

158,461 

$ 

154,164 

$ 

139,174 

$ 

123,964 

Cumulative effect adjustment from the adoption of ASU 2016-13

Provision for credit losses

Initial allowance for credit losses recognized on PCD assets 
acquired during the period (1) 
Other adjustments (2)
Charge-offs:

Commercial

Commercial real estate

Home equity

Residential real estate

Premium finance receivables

Consumer and other

Total charge-offs

Recoveries:

Commercial

Commercial real estate

Home equity

Residential real estate

Premium finance receivables

Consumer and other

Total recoveries

Net charge-offs
Allowance for credit losses at year end

Net charge-offs (recoveries) by category as a percentage of its 
own respective category’s average:

Commercial

Commercial real estate

Home equity

Residential real estate

Premium finance receivables

Consumer and other

Total loans, net of unearned income

Net charge-offs as a percentage of the provision for credit losses
Year-end total loans

— 

(59,280) 

47,344 

214,235 

470 

3 

20,801 

3,293 

336 

1,082 

9,020 

487 

— 

179 

18,293 

15,960 

2,061 

891 

15,472 

528 

— 

53,864 

— 

(21) 

35,880 

5,402 

3,702 

798 

12,902 

522 

— 

34,832 

— 

(182) 

14,532 

1,395 

2,245 

1,355 

12,228 

880 

— 

29,982 

— 

238 

5,159 

4,236 

3,952 

1,284 

7,335 

729 

$ 

35,019 

$ 

53,205 

$ 

59,206 

$ 

32,635 

$ 

22,695 

2,559 

1,304 

1,203 

330 

7,989 

184 

5,092 

1,835 

528 

184 

5,108 

149 

$ 

$ 

13,569 

(21,450) 

$  299,653 

$ 

$ 

$ 

12,896 

(40,309) 

379,910 

$ 

$ 

$ 

2,845 

2,516 

479 

422 

3,203 

195 

9,660 

(49,546) 

158,461 

1,457 

5,631 

541 

2,075 

3,069 

202 

$ 

$ 

$ 

12,975 

(19,660) 

154,164 

$ 

$ 

$ 

1,870 

2,190 

746 

452 

2,128 

299 

7,685 

(15,010) 

139,174 

 0.16 %

 0.02 

 (0.23) 

 0.05 

 0.01 

 0.66 

 0.06 %

NM

 0.12 %

 0.41 %

 0.18 %

 0.05 %

 0.17 

 0.33 

 0.06 

 0.11 

 0.52 

 0.04 

 0.61 

 0.04 

 0.12 

 0.29 

 0.13 %

 18.82 %

 0.20 %

 91.99 %

 (0.06) 

 0.28 

 (0.08) 

 0.13 

 0.50 

 0.09 %

 56.44 %

 0.03 

 0.46 

 0.11 

 0.08 

 0.34 

 0.07 %

 50.06 %

$ 34,789,104 

$ 32,079,073 

$ 26,800,290 

$ 23,820,691 

$ 21,640,797 

Allowance for loan losses as a percentage of loans at end of year

 0.71 %

 1.00 %

 0.59 %

 0.64 %

 0.64 %

Allowance for credit losses as a percentage of loans at end of 
year

Allowance for credit losses as a percentage of loans at end of 
year, excluding PPP loans

 0.86 

 0.88 

 1.18 

 1.29 

 0.59 

 0.59 

 0.65 

 0.65 

 0.64 

 0.64 

(1) The  initial  allowance  for  credit  losses  on  PCD  loans  acquired  during  the  period  measured  approximately  $2.8  million,  of  which  approximately  $2.3 
million was charged off related to PCD loans that met the Company’s charge-off policy at the time of acquisition. After considering these loans that were 
immediately charged off, the net impact of PCD allowance for credit losses at the acquisition date was approximately $470,000.
Includes $742,000 of allowance for covered loan losses reclassified as a result of the termination of all existing loss share agreements with the FDIC 
during the fourth quarter of 2017.

(2)

       NM—Not Meaningful

80

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The  allowance  for  credit  losses,  as  related  to  loans  and  lending-related  commitments,  is  comprised  of  an  allowance  for  loan 
losses, which is determined with respect to loans that we have originated, and an allowance for unfunded commitment losses. A 
separate allowance for held-to-maturity securities losses is measured related to such debt securities portfolio. Our allowance for 
unfunded commitment losses is determined with respect to funds that we have committed to lend but for which funds have not 
yet been disbursed and is computed using a methodology similar to that used to determine the allowance for loan losses. The 
allowance for unfunded lending-related commitments totaled $51.8 million as of December 31, 2021 compared to $60.5 million 
as of December 31, 2020.

Additions  to  the  allowance  for  credit  losses  are  charged  to  earnings  through  the  provision  for  credit  losses.  Charge-offs 
represent the amount of loans that have been determined to be uncollectible during a given period, and are deducted from the 
allowance  for  credit  losses,  and  recoveries  represent  the  amount  of  collections  received  from  loans  that  had  previously  been 
charged off, and are credited to the allowance for credit losses. See Note 5 of the Consolidated Financial Statements presented 
under  Item  8  of  this  report  for  further  discussion  of  activity  within  the  allowance  for  credit  losses  during  the  period  and  the 
relationship with respective loan balances for each loan category and the total loan portfolio.

How We Determine the Allowance for Credit Losses

The allowance for credit losses is measured on a collective or pooled basis by loans that share similar risk characteristics. If the 
loan no longer exhibits risk characteristics similar to that of a pool, typically due to credit deterioration of the related borrower, 
the Company analyzes the loan for purposes of individually assessing a specific allowance for credit loss as part of the Problem 
Loan  Reporting  system  review.  A  separate  reserve  is  collectively  measured  for  loans  continuing  to  share  risk  characteristics 
and,  as  a  result,  remaining  in  the  pools.  See  Note  5  of  the  Consolidated  Financial  Statements  presented  under  Item  8  of  this 
report for further discussion of the allowance for credit losses measurement process.

Collective Measurement

The allowance for credit losses is measured on a collective or pooled basis when similar risk characteristics exist, based upon 
the  segmentation  discussed  above.    The  Company  utilizes  modeling  methodologies  that  estimate  lifetime  credit  loss  rates  on 
each pool, including methodologies estimating the probability of default and loss given default on specific segments. Historical 
credit  loss  history  is  adjusted  for  reasonable  and  supportable  forecasts  developed  by  the  Company  on  a  quantitative  or 
qualitative  basis  and  incorporates  third  party  economic  forecasts.  Reasonable  and  supportable  forecasts  consider  the 
macroeconomic  factors  that  are  most  relevant  to  evaluating  and  predicting  expected  credit  losses  in  the  Company's  financial 
assets. Currently, the Company utilizes an eight quarter forecast period using a single macroeconomic scenario provided by a 
third-party and reviewed within the Company's governance structure. For periods beyond the ability to develop reasonable and 
supportable forecasts, the Company reverts to historical loss rates at an input level, straight-line over a four quarter reversion 
period.  Expected  credit  losses  are  measured  over  the  contractual  term  of  the  financial  asset  with  consideration  of  expected 
prepayments.  Expected  extensions,  renewals  or  modifications  of  the  financial  asset  are  only  considered  when  either  1)  the 
expected extension, renewal or modification is contained within the existing agreement and is not unconditionally cancelable, 
or 2) the expected extension, renewal or modification is reasonably expected to result in a TDR. The methodologies discussed 
above are applied to both current asset balances on the Company's Consolidated Statements of Condition and off-balance sheet 
commitments (i.e. unfunded lending-related commitments). 

Individual Assessment

Loans  with  a  credit  risk  rating  of  a  6  through  9  are  reviewed  on  a  monthly  basis  to  determine  if  (a)  an  amount  is  deemed 
uncollectible (a charge-off) or (b) it is probable that the Company will be unable to collect amounts due in accordance with the 
original contractual terms of the loan. In cases in which collectability is not probable, the loan is considered to no longer exhibit 
shared  risk  characteristics  of  a  pool  and  as  a  result,  is  individually  assessed  for  allowance  for  credit  losses  measurement 
purposes.  If  a  loan  is  individually  assessed,  the  carrying  amount  of  the  loan  is  compared  to  the  expected  payments  to  be 
received, discounted at the loan’s original rate, or for foreclosure-probable and collateral dependent loans, to the fair value of 
the collateral less the estimated cost to sell, when appropriate under accounting rules. Any shortfall is recorded as a specific 
reserve within the allowance for credit losses.

Home Equity, Residential Real Estate and Consumer Loans

The  determination  of  the  appropriate  allowance  for  credit  losses  for  home  equity,  residential  real  estate  and  consumer  loans 
differs from the process used for commercial and commercial real estate loans. These portfolios utilize the weighted-average 
remaining  maturity  ("WARM")  methodology.  The  WARM  methodology  is  an  assumption-based  approach  that  utilizes 
historical loss and prepayment information as the basis to estimate prepayment and credit adjusted contractual cash flows. The 

81

Company considers a qualitative factor to adjust historical information for current conditions and reasonable and supportable 
forecasts. The same credit risk rating system and Problem Loan Reporting systems are used. The only significant difference is 
in how the credit risk ratings are assigned to these loans.

The home equity loan portfolio is reviewed on a loan by loan basis by analyzing current FICO scores of the borrowers, line 
availability, recent line usage, an approaching maturity and the aging status of the loan. Certain of these factors, or combination 
of these factors, may cause a portion of the credit risk ratings of home equity loans across all banks to be downgraded. Similar 
to commercial and commercial real estate loans, once a home equity loan’s credit risk rating is downgraded to a 6 through 9, the 
Company’s Managed Asset Division reviews and advises the subsidiary banks as to collateral valuations and as to the ultimate 
resolution of the credits that deteriorate to a non-accrual status to minimize losses.

Residential  real  estate  loans  that  are  downgraded  to  a  credit  risk  rating  of  6  through  9  also  enter  the  problem  loan  reporting 
system and have the underlying collateral evaluated by the Managed Assets Division.

Premium Finance Receivables

The  determination  of  the  appropriate  allowance  for  credit  losses  for  premium  finance  receivables  is  an  assumption-based 
approach  focusing  on  historical  loss  rates  in  the  portfolio,  adjusted  qualitatively  for  current  macroeconomic  conditions  and 
reasonable and supportable forecasts. 

Methodology in Assessing Impairment and Charge-off Amounts

In determining the amount of reserves or charge-offs associated with collateral dependent loans, the Company values the loan 
generally  by  starting  with  a  valuation  obtained  from  an  appraisal  of  the  underlying  collateral  and  then  deducting  estimated 
selling costs, if appropriate, to arrive at a net appraised value. We obtain the appraisals of the underlying collateral typically on 
an  annual  basis  from  one  of  a  pre-approved  list  of  independent,  third  party  appraisal  firms.  Types  of  appraisal  valuations 
include “as-is,” “as-complete,” “as-stabilized,” bulk, fair market, liquidation and “retail sellout” values.

In many cases, the Company simultaneously values the underlying collateral by marketing the property to market participants 
interested in purchasing properties of the same type. If the Company receives offers or indications of interest, we will analyze 
the price and review market conditions to assess whether in light of such information the appraised value overstates the likely 
price and that a lower price would be a better assessment of the market value of the property and would enable us to liquidate 
the collateral. Additionally, the Company takes into account the strength of any guarantees or other credit enhancements, and 
the  ability  of  the  borrower  to  provide  value  related  to  those  guarantees  in  determining  the  ultimate  charge-off  or  reserve 
associated  with  any  individually  assessed  loans.  Accordingly,  the  Company  may  charge-off  a  loan  to  a  value  below  the  net 
appraised value if it believes that an expeditious liquidation is desirable in the circumstance and it has legitimate offers or other 
indications of interest to support a value that is less than the net appraised value. Alternatively, the Company may carry a loan 
at a value that is in excess of the appraised value if the Company has a guarantee from a borrower or other credit enhancements 
that  the  Company  believes  has  realizable  value.  In  evaluating  the  strength  of  any  guarantee,  the  Company  evaluates  the 
financial wherewithal of the guarantor, the guarantor’s reputation, and the guarantor’s willingness and desire to work with the 
Company. The Company then conducts a review of the strength of a guarantee on a frequency established as the circumstances 
and conditions of the borrower warrant.

In  circumstances  where  the  Company  has  received  an  appraisal  but  has  no  third  party  offers  or  indications  of  interest,  the 
Company may enlist the input of realtors in the local market as to the highest valuation that the realtor believes would result in a 
liquidation  of  the  property  given  a  reasonable  marketing  period  of  approximately  90  days.  To  the  extent  that  the  realtors’ 
indication of market clearing price under such scenario is less than the net appraised valuation, the Company may take a charge-
off on the loan to a valuation that is less than the net appraised valuation.

The Company may also charge-off a loan below the net appraised valuation if the Company holds a junior mortgage position in 
a piece of collateral whereby the risk to acquiring control of the property through the purchase of the senior mortgage position 
is deemed to potentially increase the risk of loss upon liquidation due to the amount of time to ultimately market the property 
and  the  volatile  market  conditions.  In  such  cases,  the  Company  may  abandon  its  junior  mortgage  and  charge-off  the  loan 
balance in full.

In other cases, the Company may allow the borrower to conduct a “short sale,” which is a sale where the Company allows the 
borrower to sell the property at a value less than the amount of the loan. Many times, it is possible for the current owner to 
receive  a  better  price  than  if  the  property  is  marketed  by  a  financial  institution  which  the  market  place  perceives  to  have  a 

82

greater  desire  to  liquidate  the  property  at  a  lower  price.  To  the  extent  that  we  allow  a  short  sale  at  a  price  below  the  value 
indicated by an appraisal, we may take a charge-off beyond the value that an appraisal would have indicated.

Other market conditions may require a reserve to bring the carrying value of the loan below the net appraised valuation such as 
litigation  surrounding  the  borrower  and/or  property  securing  our  loan  or  other  market  conditions  impacting  the  value  of  the 
collateral.

Having determined the net value based on the factors such as those noted above and compared that value to the book value of 
the  loan,  the  Company  arrives  at  a  charge-off  amount  or  a  specific  reserve  included  in  the  allowance  for  credit  losses.  In 
summary,  for  collateral  dependent  loans,  appraisals  are  used  as  the  fair  value  starting  point  in  the  estimate  of  net  value. 
Estimated costs to sell are deducted from the appraised value, when appropriate under current accounting rules, to arrive at the 
net  appraised  value.  Although  an  external  appraisal  is  the  primary  source  of  valuation  utilized  for  charge-offs  on  collateral 
dependent  loans,  alternative  sources  of  valuation  may  become  available  between  appraisal  dates.  As  a  result,  we  may  utilize 
values  obtained  through  these  alternative  sources,  which  include  purchase  and  sale  agreements,  legitimate  indications  of 
interest, negotiated short sales, realtor price opinions, sale of the note or support from guarantors, as the basis for charge-offs. 
These alternative sources of value are used only if deemed to be more representative of value based on updated information 
regarding collateral resolution. In addition, if an appraisal is not deemed current, a discount to appraised value may be utilized. 
Any adjustments from appraised value to net value are detailed and justified in an impairment analysis, which is reviewed and 
approved by the Company’s Managed Assets Division.

TDRs

At December 31, 2021, the Company had $49.3 million in loans modified as TDRs. The $49.3 million in TDRs represents 247 
credits  in  which  economic  concessions  were  granted  to  certain  borrowers  to  better  align  the  terms  of  their  loans  with  their 
current ability to pay. The balance decreased from $68.2 million representing 286 credits at December 31, 2020.

Concessions were granted on a case-by-case basis working with these borrowers to find modified terms that would assist them 
in  retaining  their  businesses  or  their  homes  and  attempt  to  keep  these  loans  in  an  accruing  status  for  the  Company.  Typical 
concessions include reduction of the interest rate on the loan to a rate considered lower than market and other modification of 
terms including forgiveness of a portion of the loan balance, extension of the maturity date, and/or modifications from principal 
and  interest  payments  to  interest-only  payments  for  a  certain  period.    See  Note  5,  “Allowance  for  Credit  Losses”  of 
Consolidated  Financial  Statements  in  Item  8  of  this  Annual  Report  on  Form  10-K  for  further  discussion  regarding  the 
effectiveness of these modifications in keeping the modified loans current based upon contractual terms.

Subsequent to its restructuring, any TDR that becomes nonaccrual or more than 90 days past-due and still accruing interest will 
be included in the Company’s nonperforming loans. Each TDR was individually assessed when measuring the allowance for 
credit  losses  at  December  31,  2021  and  approximately  $3.3  million  was  appropriately  reserved  for  through  the  Company’s 
normal  reserving  methodology  in  the  Company’s  allowance  for  credit  losses.    Additionally,  at  December  31,  2021,  the 
Company was committed to lend additional funds to borrowers totaling $11,000 under the contractual terms related to TDRs 
compared to $1.1 million commitments to lend additional funds to borrowers at December 31, 2020. 

83

The table below presents a summary of TDRs for the respective periods, presented by loan category and accrual status:

(In thousands)
Accruing TDRs:
Commercial
Commercial real estate
Residential real estate and other

Total accruing TDRs

Non-accrual TDRs: (1) 

Commercial
Commercial real estate
Residential real estate and other
Total non-accrual TDRs

Total TDRs:
Commercial
Commercial real estate
Residential real estate and other

Total TDRs

(1) Included in total non-performing loans.

TDR Rollforward

December 31,

December 31,

2021

2020

$ 

$ 

$ 

$ 

$ 

$ 

4,131  $ 
8,421 
24,934 
37,486  $ 

6,746  $ 
2,050 
3,027 
11,823  $ 

10,877  $ 
10,471 
27,961 
49,309  $ 

7,699 
10,549 
28,775 
47,023 

10,491 
6,177 
4,501 
21,169 

18,190 
16,726 
33,276 
68,192 

The table below presents a summary of TDRs as of December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019, and shows the changes in the balance 
during those periods:

Year Ended December 31, 2021
(In thousands)
Balance at beginning of period
Additions during the period
Reductions:

Charge-offs
Transferred to OREO and other repossessed assets
Removal of TDR loan status (1)
Payments received
Balance at period end

Year Ended December 31, 2020
(In thousands)
Balance at beginning of period
Additions during the period
Reductions:

Charge-offs
Transferred to OREO and other repossessed assets
Removal of TDR loan status (1)
Payments received
Balance at period end

Commercial

Commercial
Real Estate

Residential
Real Estate
and Other

Total

18,190  $ 
5,074 

16,726  $ 
2,944 

33,276  $ 
5,851 

68,192 
13,869 

(2,639)   
(99)   

(2,121)   
(7,528)   
10,877  $ 

(200)   
— 

(800)   
(8,199)   
10,471  $ 

(28)   
(459)   

(1,710)   
(8,969)   
27,961  $ 

(2,867) 
(558) 

(4,631) 
(24,696) 
49,309 

Commercial

Commercial
Real Estate

Residential
Real Estate
and Other

18,739  $ 
12,362 

16,873  $ 
19,281 

28,224  $ 
14,229 

(5,016)   
— 
(65)   
(7,830)   
18,190  $ 

(8,004)   
(857)   
(257)   
(10,310)   
16,726  $ 

(715)   
(945)   
(1,202)   
(6,315)   
33,276  $ 

Total

63,836 
45,872 

(13,735) 
(1,802) 
(1,524) 
(24,455) 
68,192 

$ 

$ 

$ 

$ 

84

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Year Ended December 31, 2019
(In thousands)
Balance at beginning of period
Additions during the period
Reductions:

Commercial

Commercial
Real Estate

Residential
Real Estate
and Other

$ 

36,319  $ 
26,341 

15,447  $ 
7,018 

14,336  $ 
20,206 

Charge-offs
Transferred to OREO and other repossessed assets
Removal of TDR loan status (1)
Payments received
Balance at period end

(20,771)   

— 
— 

(23,150)   
18,739  $ 

$ 

(589)   
— 
(856)   
(4,147)   
16,873  $ 

38 
— 
— 
(6,356)   
28,224  $ 

Total

66,102 
53,565 

(21,322) 
— 
(856) 
(33,653) 
63,836 

(1) Loan was previously classified as a TDR and subsequently performed in compliance with the loan’s modified terms for 
a period of six months (including over a calendar year-end) at a modified interest rate which represented a market rate 
at the time of restructuring. Per our TDR policy, the TDR classification is removed.

Potential Problem Loans

Management  believes  that  any  loan  where  there  are  serious  doubts  as  to  the  ability  of  such  borrowers  to  comply  with  the 
present loan repayment terms should be identified as a non-performing loan and should be included in the disclosure of “Past 
Due Loans and Non-Performing Assets.” At the periods presented in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, the Company has no 
potential problem loans as defined by SEC regulations.

COVID-19 Modifications

On March 22, 2020 interagency guidance was issued titled “Interagency Statement on Loan Modifications and Reporting for 
Financial  Institutions  Working  with  Customers  Affected  by  the  Coronavirus”  that  encourages  financial  institutions  to  work 
prudently  with  borrowers  who  are  or  may  be  unable  to  meet  their  contractual  payment  obligations  due  to  the  effect  of 
COVID-19. Additionally, Section 4013 of the CARES Act further provides that a qualified loan modification is exempt by law 
from classification as a TDR as defined by GAAP, from the period beginning March 1, 2020, until the earlier of December 31, 
2020 (subsequently extended to January 1, 2022 under CAA), or the date that is 60 days after the date on which the national 
emergency concerning the COVID-19 outbreak declared by the President of the United States under the National Emergencies 
Act (50 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.) terminates. Accordingly, we offered short-term modifications made in response to COVID-19 to 
borrowers who were current and otherwise not past due. These included short-term, 180 days or less, modifications in the form 
of  payment  deferrals,  fee  waivers,  extensions  of  repayment  terms,  or  other  delays  in  payment  that  are  insignificant. 
Modifications qualifying for the exemption from TDR classification totaled approximately $33.6 million as of December 31, 
2021 compared to  $279.6 million as of December 31, 2020.

85

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The tables below present a summary of all COVID-19 related modified loans, including those not qualifying for the exemption 
under Section 4013, as of December 31, 2021 and 2020, presented by loan category and type of modification:

Full Payment 
Deferral

Line Increases

Other

Total

Year Ended  December 31, 2021 
(In thousands)
Commercial
Commercial real estate
Home equity
Residential real estate
Premium finance receivables
Consumer and other
Total loans, net of unearned 
income

Interest-only

$ 

168  $ 

36,364 
— 
— 
— 
— 

2,847  $ 
929 
— 
— 
698 
— 

$ 

36,532  $ 

4,474  $ 

—  $ 
— 
— 
— 
— 
— 

—  $ 

—  $ 

3,289 
— 
— 
— 
— 

3,015 
40,582 
— 
— 
698 
— 

3,289  $ 

44,295 

Year Ended  December 31, 2020     
(In thousands)

Interest-only

Full Payment 
Deferral

Line Increases

Other

Total

Commercial

$ 

118,186  $ 

22,299  $ 

45,530  $ 

9,905  $ 

Commercial real estate

78,213 

— 

— 

— 

— 

44,391 

1,469 

407 

10,673 

29 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

13,718 

— 

— 

— 

— 

195,920 

136,322 

1,469 

407 

10,673 

29 

$ 

196,399  $ 

79,268  $ 

45,530  $ 

23,623  $ 

344,820 

Home equity

Residential real estate

Premium finance receivables

Consumer and other
Total loans, net of unearned 
income

Other Real Estate Owned

In  certain  circumstances,  the  Company  is  required  to  take  action  against  the  real  estate  collateral  of  specific  loans.  The 
Company  uses  foreclosure  only  as  a  last  resort  for  dealing  with  borrowers  experiencing  financial  hardships.  The  Company 
employs extensive contact and restructuring procedures to attempt to find other solutions for our borrowers. The tables below 
present a summary of other real estate owned and show the activity for the respective periods and the balance for each property 
type:

(In thousands)
Balance at beginning of period

Disposal/resolved
Transfers in at fair value, less costs to sell
Fair value adjustments
Balance at end of period

(In thousands)
Residential real estate
Residential real estate development
Commercial real estate
Total

86

Year Ended

December 31,

December 31,

2021

2020

16,558  $ 
(16,927)   
5,837 
(1,197)   
4,271  $ 

15,171 
(10,776) 
13,239 
(1,076) 
16,558 

Period End

December 31,

December 31,

2021

1,310 
— 
2,961 
4,271 

2020

2,324 
1,691 
12,543 
16,558 

$ 

$ 

$ 

$ 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Deposits and Other Funding Sources

Total  deposits  at  December  31,  2021,  were  $42.1  billion,  increasing  $5.0  billion,  or  13%,  compared  to  the  $37.1  billion  at 
December  31,  2020.  Average  deposit  balances  in  2021  were  $39.0  billion,  reflecting  an  increase  of  $5.0  billion,  or  15%, 
compared to the average balances in 2020. 

The increase in year end and average deposits in 2021 over 2020 is primarily attributable to the Company's continued overall 
growth during 2021, including additional deposits related to PPP lending. Average non-interest bearing deposits increased $3.2 
billion, or 34% in 2021 compared to 2020, with period end balances ending at 34% of total deposits at December 31, 2021, 
compared to 32% at December 31, 2020.

The following table presents the composition of average deposits by product category for each of the last three years:

(Dollars in thousands)
Non-interest bearing deposits
NOW and interest-bearing demand deposits
Wealth management deposits
Money market accounts
Savings accounts
Time certificates of deposit
Total average deposits

2021

Balance
$  12,638,518 
3,711,489 
4,429,929 
  10,051,444 
3,734,162 
4,447,871 
$  39,013,413 

Years Ended December 31,

2020

2019

Percent

Balance

Percent

Balance

 32 % $  9,432,090 
3,298,554 
 10 
3,882,975 
 11 
8,874,488 
 26 
3,354,662 
 10 
 11 
5,142,938 
 100 % $  33,985,707 

 28 % $  6,711,298 
2,903,441 
 10 
2,761,936 
 11 
6,659,376 
 26 
2,834,381 
 10 
 15 
5,467,192 
 100 % $  27,337,624 

Percent
 25 %
 11 
 10 
 24 
 10 
 20 
 100 %

Wealth  management  deposits  are  funds  from  the  brokerage  customers  of  Wintrust  Investments,  CDEC,  trust  and  asset 
management  customers  of  the  Company  and  brokerage  customers  from  unaffiliated  companies  which  have  been  placed  into 
deposit  accounts  of  the  banks  (“wealth  management  deposits”  in  the  table  above).  Wealth  management  deposits  consist 
primarily of money market accounts. Consistent with reasonable interest rate risk parameters, these funds have generally been 
invested in loan production of the banks as well as other investments suitable for banks.

Other  Funding  Sources.  Although  deposits  are  the  Company’s  primary  source  of  funding  its  interest-earning  assets,  the 
Company’s  ability  to  manage  the  types  and  terms  of  deposits  is  somewhat  limited  by  customer  preferences  and  market 
competition. As a result, in addition to deposits and the issuance of equity securities and the retention of earnings, the Company 
uses several other funding sources to support its growth. These sources include short-term borrowings, notes payable, FHLB 
advances,  subordinated  debt,  secured  borrowings  and  junior  subordinated  debentures.  The  Company  evaluates  the  terms  and 
unique characteristics of each source, as well as its asset-liability management position, in determining the use of such funding 
sources.

The following table sets forth, by category, the composition of the average balances of other funding sources for the periods 
presented:

Years Ended December 31,

2021

2020

Average

Balance

Percent

of Total

Average

Balance

Percent

of Total

(Dollars in thousands)
Federal Home Loan Bank advances
Subordinated notes

Notes payable
Short-term borrowings
Other
Secured borrowings

Total other borrowings

$ 

1,236,478 
436,697 

 51 % $ 
 18 

1,156,106 
436,275 

93,581 
13,931 
64,133 
343,012 
514,657 

 4 
 1 
 2 
 14 
 21 

122,091 
17,965 
60,908 
295,729 
496,693 

Junior subordinated debentures
Total other funding sources

253,566 
2,441,398 

$ 

 10 
 100 % $ 

253,566 
2,342,640 

87

 49 %
 19 

 5 
 1 
 3 
 12 
 21 

 11 
 100 %

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Notes payable balances represent the balances on a loan agreement (“Credit Agreement”) with unaffiliated banks consisting of a 
$100.0 million revolving credit facility (“Revolving Credit Facility”) and a $150.0 million term facility (“Term Facility”). Both 
the  Revolving  Credit  Facility  and  the  Term  Facility  are  available  for  corporate  purposes  such  as  to  provide  capital  to  fund 
continued  growth  at  existing  bank  subsidiaries,  possible  future  acquisitions  and  for  other  general  corporate  matters.  In 
December of 2021, the Revolving Credit Facility was amended to increase the commitment amount by $50.0 million for a total 
commitment of $100.0 million. At December 31, 2021, the Company had a notes payable balance of $80.3 million under the 
Term Facility. At December 31, 2021, the Company had no outstanding balance under the Revolving Credit Facility. See Note 
13, “Other Borrowings,” to the Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8 for further discussion of notes payable. 

FHLB advances provide the banks with access to fixed-rate funds which are useful in mitigating interest rate risk and achieving 
an  acceptable  interest  rate  spread  on  fixed-rate  loans  or  securities.  FHLB  advances  to  the  banks  totaled  $1.2  billion  at 
December  31,  2021  and  $1.2  billion  at  December  31,  2020.  See  Note  11,  “Federal  Home  Loan  Bank  Advances,”  to  the 
Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8 for further discussion of the terms of these advances.

The balance of secured borrowings primarily represents a third party Canadian transaction (“Canadian Secured Borrowing”). 
Under the Canadian Secured Borrowing, the Company, through its subsidiary, FIFC Canada, sells an undivided co-ownership 
interest  in  all  receivables  owed  to  FIFC  Canada  to  an  unrelated  third  party  in  exchange  for  cash  payments  pursuant  to  a 
receivables purchase agreement (“Receivables Purchase Agreement”). See Note 13, “Other Borrowings,” to the Consolidated 
Financial Statements in Item 8 for further discussion of these secured borrowings under this agreement. At December 31, 2021, 
the translated balance of the secured borrowings totaled $332.2 million.

At December 31, 2021 and 2020, subordinated notes totaled $436.9 million and $436.5 million, respectively. During 2019, the 
Company issued $300.0 million of subordinated notes receiving $296.7 million in proceeds, net of underwriting discount.  The 
notes  have  a  stated  interest  rate  of  4.85%  and  mature  in  June  2029.  During  2014,  the  Company  issued  $140.0  million  of 
subordinated notes receiving $139.1 million in proceeds, net of underwriting discount. The notes have a stated interest rate of 
5.00% and mature in June 2024. See Note 12, “Subordinated Notes,” to the Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8 for 
further discussion.

Short-term  borrowings  include  securities  sold  under  repurchase  agreements  and  federal  funds  purchased.  These  borrowings 
totaled  $9.2  million  and  $11.4  million  at  December  31,  2021  and  2020,  respectively.  Securities  sold  under  repurchase 
agreements represent sweep accounts for certain customers in connection with master repurchase agreements at the banks as 
well  as  short-term  borrowings  from  banks  and  brokers.  This  funding  category  typically  fluctuates  based  on  customer 
preferences and daily liquidity needs of the banks, their customers and the banks’ operating subsidiaries. See Note 13, “Other 
Borrowings,” to the Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8 for further discussion of these borrowings.

The  Company  has  $253.6  million  of  junior  subordinated  debentures  outstanding  as  of  December  31,  2021  and  2020.  The 
amounts reflected on the balance sheet represent the junior subordinated debentures issued to eleven trusts by the Company and 
equal the amount of the preferred and common securities issued by the trusts. See Note 14, “Junior Subordinated Debentures,” 
to  the  Consolidated  Financial  Statements  in  Item  8  for  further  discussion  of  the  Company’s  junior  subordinated  debentures. 
Starting in 2016, none of the junior subordinated debentures qualified as Tier 1 regulatory capital of the Company resulting in 
$245.5  million  of  the  junior  subordinated  debentures,  net  of  common  securities,  being  included  in  the  Company’s  Tier  2 
regulatory capital.

Other  borrowings  at  December  31,  2021  include  a  fixed-rate  promissory  note  issued  by  the  Company  in  June  2017  and 
amended  in  March  2020  (“Fixed-Rate  Promissory  Note”)  related  to  and  secured  by  three  office  buildings  owned  by  the 
Company.  At  December  31,  2021,  the  Fixed-Rate  Promissory  Note  had  a  balance  of  $63.3  million.  Under  the  Fixed-Rate 
Promissory  Note,  during  the  three  months  ended  March  31,  2020  and  the  twelve  months  ended  December  31,  2019  the 
Company  made  monthly  principal  payments  and  paid  interest  at  a  fixed  rate  of  3.36%.  An  amendment  to  the  Fixed-Rate 
Promissory Note was executed on and became effective as of March 31, 2020. The amendment increased the principal amount 
to  $66.4  million,  reduced  the  interest  rate  to  3.00%  and  extended  the  maturity  date  to  March  31,  2025.  See  Note  13,  “Other 
Borrowings,” to the Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8 for further discussion of these borrowings. 

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Company will continue to manage funding sources discussed above, including the 
utilization of availability with the FHLB and FRB and the Revolving Credit Facility with unaffiliated banks, to access needed 
liquidity in a timely manner. 

Shareholders’ Equity. Total shareholders’ equity was $4.5 billion at December 31, 2021, an increase of $382.7 million from the 
December 31, 2020 total of $4.1 billion. The increase in 2021 was primarily a result of net income of $466.2 million, $50.2 
million of net unrealized gains on cash flow hedges, net of tax, $19.8 million from the issuance of shares of the Company’s 

88

common stock pursuant to various stock compensation plans, net of treasury shares, $16.2 million of stock-based compensation 
costs  credited  to  surplus  and  $0.5  million  of  foreign  currency  translation  adjustments,  net  of  tax.  These  increases  to  total 
shareholders’  equity  were  partially  offset  by  common  stock  dividends  of  $70.7  million,  preferred  stock  dividends  of  $28.0 
million,  $62.0  million  in  net  unrealized  losses  from  investment  securities,  net  of  tax,  and  common  stock  repurchased  under 
authorized program of $9.5 million. See Note 23, “Shareholders’ Equity,” to the Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8 
for further discussion of shareholders’ equity. 

Liquidity and Capital Resources

The Company and the banks are subject to various regulatory capital requirements established by the federal banking agencies 
that  take  into  account  risk  attributable  to  balance  sheet  and  off-balance  sheet  activities.  Failure  to  meet  minimum  capital 
requirements  can  initiate  certain  mandatory  —  and  possibly  discretionary  —  actions  by  regulators,  that  if  undertaken  could 
have  a  direct  material  effect  on  the  Company’s  financial  statements.  Under  capital  adequacy  guidelines  and  the  regulatory 
framework  for  prompt  corrective  action,  the  Company  and  the  banks  must  meet  specific  capital  guidelines  that  involve 
quantitative  measures  of  the  Company’s  assets,  liabilities,  and  certain  off-balance  sheet  items  as  calculated  under  regulatory 
accounting practices. The Federal Reserve’s capital guidelines require bank holding companies to maintain a minimum ratio of 
qualifying total capital to risk-weighted assets of 8.0%, of which at least 4.50% must be in the form of Common Equity Tier 1 
capital and 6.0% must be in the form of Tier 1 capital. The Federal Reserve also requires a minimum leverage ratio of Tier 1 
capital  to  total  assets  of  4.0%.  In  addition,  the  Federal  Reserve  continues  to  consider  the  Tier  1  leverage  ratio  in  evaluating 
proposals for expansion or new activities.

The following table summarizes the capital guidelines for bank holding companies as of December 31, 2021, as well as certain 
ratios relating to the Company’s equity and assets as of December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019:

Common Equity Tier 1 capital to risk-weighted assets
Tier 1 capital to risk-weighted assets
Total capital to risk-weighted assets
Tier 1 leverage ratio
Total average equity to total average assets
Dividend payout ratio

Minimum 
Ratio + 
Capital 
Conservation 
Buffer (1)
7.00%
8.50
10.50
N/A
N/A
N/A

Minimum
Ratios

 4.5 %
 6.0 
 8.0 
 4.0 

N/A
N/A

Minimum 
Well
Capitalized
Ratios (2)

2020

2021
N/A
 8.6 %  8.8 %
 6.0 
 9.6 
 10.0 
 11.6 
N/A
 8.0 
 9.0 
N/A
N/A  16.4 

 10.0 
 12.6 
 8.1 
 9.5 
 23.9 

2019
 9.2 %
 9.6 
 12.2 
 8.7 
 10.4 
 16.6 

(1) Reflects the Capital Conservation Buffer of 2.5%. 
(2) Reflects the well-capitalized standard applicable to the Company for purposes of the Federal Reserve’s Regulation Y. 
The  Federal  Reserve  has  not  yet  revised  the  well-capitalized  standard  for  BHCs  to  reflect  the  higher  capital 
requirements imposed under the U.S. Basel III Rule or to add Common Equity Tier 1 capital ratio and Tier 1 leverage 
ratio requirements to this standard.  As a result, the Common Equity Tier 1 capital ratio and Tier 1 leverage ratio are 
denoted as “N/A” in this column.  If the Federal Reserve were to apply the same or a very similar well-capitalized 
standard to BHCs as the standard applicable to our subsidiary banks, the Company’s capital ratios as of December 
31, 2021 would exceed such revised well-capitalized standard.

As  reflected  in  the  table,  each  of  the  Company’s  capital  ratios  at  December  31,  2021,  exceeded  the  well-capitalized  ratios 
established by the Federal Reserve. Refer to Note 19 to the Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8 for further information 
on the capital positions of the banks.

The Company’s principal sources of funds at the holding company level are dividends from its subsidiaries, borrowings under 
its loan agreement with unaffiliated banks and proceeds from the issuances of subordinated debt and additional equity. Refer to 
Notes  12,  13,  14  and  23  to  the  Consolidated  Financial  Statements  in  Item  8  for  further  information  on  the  Company’s 
subordinated  notes,  other  borrowings,  junior  subordinated  debentures  and  shareholders’  equity,  respectively.  Management  is 
committed to maintaining the Company’s capital levels above the “Well Capitalized” levels established by the Federal Reserve 
for bank holding companies. 

In  June  2015,  the  Company  issued  and  sold  5,000,000  shares  of  fixed-to-floating  non-cumulative  perpetual  preferred  stock, 
Series D, liquidation preference of $25 per share (the “Series D Preferred Stock”) for $125.0 million in a public offering. When, 
as and if declared, dividends on the Series D Preferred Stock are payable quarterly in arrears at a rate of 6.50% per annum from 
the original issuance date to, but excluding, July 15, 2025, and from (and including) that date at a floating rate equal to three-

89

month LIBOR plus a spread of 4.06% per annum. The dividend rate of such floating rate dividends will be reset quarterly. The 
Company received proceeds, after deducting underwriting discounts, commissions and related costs, of approximately $120.8 
million from the issuance, which were intended to be used for general corporate purposes. The Series D Preferred Stock is listed 
on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol “WTFCM.” In January, April, July and October of 2021, Wintrust 
declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.41 per share of Series D Preferred Stock.

In  May  2020,  the  Company  issued  11,500  shares  of  fixed-rate  reset  non-cumulative  perpetual  preferred  stock,  Series  E, 
liquidation  preference  $25,000  per  share  (the  “Series  E  Preferred  Stock”)  as  part  of  a  $287.5  million  public  offering  of 
11,500,000  depositary  shares,  each  representing  a  1/1,000th  interest  in  a  share  of  Series  E  Preferred  Stock.  When,  as  and  if 
declared, dividends on the Series E Preferred Stock are payable quarterly in arrears at a fixed rate of 6.875% per annum from 
October 15, 2020 to, but excluding, July 15, 2025, and from (and including) July 15, 2025 at a floating rate equal to the Five-
Year Treasury Rate (as defined in the certificate of designations for the Series E Preferred Stock) plus 6.507%. See Note 23, 
“Shareholders’  Equity”  to  the  Consolidated  Financial  Statements  in  Item  8  for  more  information  on  the  Series  E  Preferred 
Stock. In January, April, July and October of 2021, Wintrust declared a quarterly cash dividend of $429.69  per share of Series 
E Preferred Stock.

The Board approved the first semi-annual dividend on the Company’s common stock in January 2000 and continued to approve 
semi-annual dividends until quarterly dividends were approved starting in 2014. The payment of dividends is also subject to 
statutory  restrictions  and  restrictions  arising  under  the  terms  of  the  Company's  Series  D  and  Series  E  Preferred  Stock,  the 
Company’s trust preferred securities offerings units and under certain financial covenants in the Company’s revolving and term 
facilities. Under the terms of these separate revolving and term facilities entered into on September 18, 2018, the Company is 
prohibited  from  paying  dividends  on  any  equity  interests,  including  its  common  stock  and  preferred  stock,  if  such  payments 
would cause the Company to be in default under its facilities or exceed a certain threshold. In January, April, July and October 
of 2021, Wintrust declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.31 per common share. In January, April, July and October of 2020, 
Wintrust declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.28 per common share. In January of 2022, Wintrust declared a quarterly cash 
dividend of $0.34 per common share. Taking into account the limitations on the payment of dividends, the final determination 
of timing, amount and payment of dividends is at the discretion of the Company’s Board of Directors and will depend on the 
Company’s earnings, financial condition, capital requirements and other relevant factors.

Banking laws impose restrictions upon the amount of dividends that can be paid to the holding company by the banks. Based on 
these  laws,  the  banks  could,  subject  to  minimum  capital  requirements,  declare  dividends  to  the  Company  without  obtaining 
regulatory approval in an amount not exceeding (a) undivided profits, and (b) the amount of net income reduced by dividends 
paid for the current and prior two years.

Since the banks are required to maintain their capital at the well-capitalized level (due to the Company being a financial holding 
company), funds otherwise available as dividends from the banks are limited to the amount that would not reduce any of the 
banks’ capital ratios below the well-capitalized level. During 2021, 2020 and 2019, the subsidiaries paid dividends to Wintrust 
totaling $145.0 million, $253.0 million, and $139.0 million, respectively. As of December 31, 2021, subject to minimum capital 
requirements  at  the  banks,  approximately  $431.9  million  was  available  as  dividends  from  the  banks  without  prior  regulatory 
approval and without compromising the banks’ well-capitalized positions.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Company continues to leverage its capital management framework to assess and 
monitor risk when making capital decisions.  The Company will continuously evaluate the adequacy of capital as a result of the 
uncertainty from the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Liquidity  management  at  the  banks  involves  planning  to  meet  anticipated  funding  needs  at  a  reasonable  cost.  Liquidity 
management  is  guided  by  policies,  formulated  and  monitored  by  the  Company’s  senior  management  and  each  Bank’s  asset/
liability  committee,  which  take  into  account  the  marketability  of  assets,  the  sources  and  stability  of  funding  and  the  level  of 
unfunded  commitments.  The  banks’  principal  sources  of  funds  are  deposits,  short-term  borrowings  and  capital  contributions 
from  the  holding  company.  In  addition,  the  banks  are  eligible  to  borrow  under  FHLB  advances  and  at  the  FRB  Discount 
Window, another source of liquidity. 

In accordance with the liquidity management noted above, deposit growth and increases in borrowings from various sources 
have resulted in accumulating liquidity assets in recent periods. In 2021, we increased our liquid assets to ensure that we have 
the balance sheet strength to serve our clients through the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, the Company believes that it has 
sufficient funds and access to funds to effectively manage through the COVID-19 pandemic as well as meet its working capital 
and other needs. The Company will continue to prudently evaluate liquidity sources, including the management of availability 
with the FHLB and FRB and utilization of the revolving credit facility with unaffiliated banks.

90

Core deposits are the most stable source of liquidity for community banks due to the nature of long-term relationships generally 
established with depositors and the security of deposit insurance provided by the FDIC. Core deposits are generally defined in 
the industry as total deposits less time deposits with balances greater than $100,000. Due to the affluent nature of many of the 
communities that the Company serves, management believes that many of its time deposits with balances in excess of $100,000 
are also a stable source of funds. Currently, standard deposit insurance coverage is $250,000 per depositor per insured bank, for 
each account ownership category.

While  the  Company  obtains  a  portion  of  its  total  deposits  through  brokered  deposits,  the  Company  does  so  primarily  as  an 
asset-liability management tool to assist in the management of interest rate risk, and the Company does not consider brokered 
deposits  to  be  a  vital  component  of  its  current  liquidity  resources.  Historically,  brokered  deposits  have  represented  a  small 
component of the Company’s total deposits outstanding, as set forth in the table below:

(Dollars in thousands)
Total deposits
Brokered Deposits (1) 
Brokered deposits as a percentage of 
total deposits (1) 

December 31,

2021

2020

2019

2018

2017

$  42,095,585 

$ 37,092,651 

$ 30,107,138 

$ 26,094,678 

$ 23,183,347 

1,591,083 

  1,843,227 

  1,011,404 

  1,071,562 

  1,445,306 

 3.8 %

 5.0 %

 3.4 %

 4.1 %

 6.2 %

(1) Brokered  Deposits  include  certificates  of  deposit  obtained  through  deposit  brokers,  deposits  received  through  the 
Certificate of Deposit Account Registry Program, as well as wealth management deposits of brokerage customers from 
unaffiliated companies which have been placed into deposit accounts of the banks.

The banks routinely accept deposits from a variety of municipal entities. Typically, these municipal entities require that banks 
pledge  marketable  securities  to  collateralize  these  public  deposits.  At  December  31,  2021  and  2020,  the  banks  had 
approximately  $2.6  billion  and  $2.4  billion,  respectively,  of  securities  collateralizing  public  deposits  and  other  short-term 
borrowings. Public deposits requiring pledged assets are not considered to be core deposits, however they provide the Company 
with a reliable, lower cost, short-term funding source than what is available through many other wholesale alternatives.

Other  than  as  discussed  in  this  section,  the  Company  is  not  aware  of  any  known  trends,  commitments,  events,  regulatory 
recommendations or uncertainties that would have any material adverse effect on the Company’s capital resources, operations 
or liquidity.

CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATIONS, OFF-BALANCE SHEET COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENT LIABILITIES 

The  Company  has  various  financial  obligations,  including  contractual  obligations  and  commitments,  that  may  require  future 
cash payments.

Contractual  Obligations.  Our  significant  contractual  obligations  with  third  parties  primarily  consist  of  deposit  liabilities  and 
other  sources  of  funding  for  our  businesses,  including  FHLB  advances,  subordinated  debt,  other  debt  borrowings  and  junior 
subordinated debentures. These debt obligations have fixed and determinable contractual repayment dates specific to each type 
of instrument. Deposit liabilities are primarily due on-demand, with certain time deposits due based on contractual maturities 
that may exceed one year. Repayment of debt obligations, including junior subordinated debentures, vary based on terms of the 
underlying debt instrument, with certain debt instruments requiring full repayment of the debt at the respective maturity date 
and other debt instruments requiring periodic partial repayment over the entire term of the debt instrument. Further information 
on these debt obligations is included in Notes 10 through 14 of the Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8 of this report.

The  Company  enters  into  various  leasing  arrangements  with  contractual  obligations  to  pay  for  use  of  specified  assets  over  a 
specific period of time. These leased assets primarily related to certain banking facilities as well as specific signage related to 
sponsorships  and  other  agreements,  and  certain  automatic  teller  machines  and  other  equipment.  Payments  under  these 
obligations are primarily made on a monthly basis. Further information on these lease obligations is included in Note 16 of the 
Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8 of this report.

The Company’s other purchase obligations relate to certain contractual cash obligations for acquisition related contingent costs, 
marketing  obligations  and  services  related  to  the  construction  of  facilities,  data  processing  and  the  outsourcing  of  certain 
operational  activities.  In  2021,  the  Company  continued  to  significantly  invest  in  technology,  including  enhancements  to  our 
customer’s digital experience, and we are subject to additional contractual purchase obligations in furtherance of these efforts. 

91

 
 
The Company also enters into derivative contracts under which the Company is required to either receive cash from or pay cash 
to  counterparties  depending  on  changes  in  interest  rates.  Derivative  contracts  are  carried  at  fair  value  representing  the  net 
present  value  of  expected  future  cash  receipts  or  payments  based  on  market  rates  as  of  the  balance  sheet  date.  Further 
information on derivative contracts is included in Note 21 of the Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8 of this report.

Commitments. The following table presents a summary of the amounts and expected maturities of significant commitments as 
of  December  31,  2021.  Further  information  on  these  commitments  is  included  in  Note  20  of  the  Consolidated  Financial 
Statements in Item 8 of this report.

(Dollars in thousands)
Commitment type:

Commercial, commercial real estate and 
construction
Residential real estate
Revolving home equity lines of credit
Letters of credit
Commitments to sell mortgage loans

One year or
less

From one to
three years

From three
to five years

Over
five years

Total

$  3,606,504  $  2,837,210  $  1,053,478  $ 

589,964 
749,425 
282,512 

952,291 

— 
— 
28,684 

— 

— 
— 
39,500 

— 

333,451  $  7,830,643 
589,964 
749,425 
351,051 

— 
— 
355 

— 

952,291 

Our remaining commitment to fund community investments totaled $40.3 million, which includes future cash outlays for the 
construction  and  development  of  properties  for  low-income  housing,  support  for  small  businesses,  and  historic  tax  credit 
projects that qualify for CRA purposes. These commitments are not included in the commitments table above, as the timing and 
amounts are based upon the financing arrangements provided in each project’s partnership or operating agreement and could 
change due to variances in the construction schedule, project revisions, or the cancellation of the project.  

Contingencies.  The  Company  enters  into  residential  mortgage  loan  sale  agreements  with  investors  in  the  normal  course  of 
business.  These  agreements  usually  require  certain  representations  concerning  credit  information,  loan  documentation, 
collateral  and  insurability.  Investors  have  requested  the  Company  to  indemnify  them  against  losses  on  certain  loans  or  to 
repurchase  loans  which  the  investors  believe  do  not  comply  with  applicable  representations.  Upon  completion  of  its  own 
investigation,  the  Company  generally  repurchases  or  provides  indemnification  on  certain  loans.  Indemnification  requests  are 
generally received within two years subsequent to sale. Management maintains a liability for estimated losses on loans expected 
to be repurchased or on which indemnification is expected to be provided and regularly evaluates the adequacy of this recourse 
liability  based  on  trends  in  repurchase  and  indemnification  requests,  actual  loss  experience,  known  and  inherent  risks  in  the 
loans  and  current  economic  conditions.  At  December  31,  2021,  the  liability  for  estimated  losses  on  repurchase  and 
indemnification was approximately $675,000 and was included in other liabilities on the balance sheet.

Forward Looking Statements 

This document contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of federal securities laws. Forward-looking information 
can  be  identified  through  the  use  of  words  such  as  “intend,”  “plan,”  “project,”  “expect,”  “anticipate,”  “believe,”  “estimate,” 
“contemplate,” “possible,” “will,” “may,” “should,” “would” and “could.” Forward-looking statements and information are not 
historical facts, are premised on many factors and assumptions, and represent only management’s expectations, estimates and 
projections  regarding  future  events.  Similarly,  these  statements  are  not  guarantees  of  future  performance  and  involve  certain 
risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict such as the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic (including the emergence of 
variant strains). The Company intends such forward-looking statements to be covered by the safe harbor provisions for forward- 
looking  statements  contained  in  the  Private  Securities  Litigation  Reform  Act  of  1995,  and  is  including  this  statement  for 
purposes of invoking these safe harbor provisions. Such forward-looking statements may be deemed to include, among other 
things, statements relating to the Company’s future financial performance, the performance of its loan portfolio, the expected 
amount of future credit reserves and charge-offs, delinquency trends, growth plans, regulatory developments, securities that the 
Company may offer from time to time, and management’s long-term performance goals, as well as statements relating to the 
anticipated  effects  on  financial  condition  and  results  of  operations  from  expected  developments  or  events,  the  Company’s 
business  and  growth  strategies,  including  future  acquisitions  of  banks,  specialty  finance  or  wealth  management  businesses, 
internal growth and plans to form additional de novo banks or branch offices. Actual results could differ materially from those 
addressed in the forward-looking statements as a result of numerous factors and uncertainties, including those discussed in the 
Risk  Factors  and  summary  thereof  disclosed  under  Item  1A  of  this  Annual  Report  on  10-K  and  in  any  of  the  Company’s 
subsequent SEC filings.

Therefore, there can be no assurances that future actual results will correspond to any forward-looking statements. The reader is 
cautioned  not  to  place  undue  reliance  on  any  forward-looking  statement  made  by  the  Company.  Any  such  statement  speaks 
only  as  of  the  date  the  statement  was  made  or  as  of  such  date  that  may  be  referenced  within  the  statement.  The  Company 

92

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement to reflect the impact of circumstances or events after the date 
of  this  Annual  Report  on  Form  10-K.  Persons  are  advised,  however,  to  consult  further  disclosures  management  makes  on 
related subjects in its reports filed with the SEC and in its press releases.

ITEM 7A. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISKS

Effects of Inflation

A banking organization’s assets and liabilities are primarily monetary. Changes in the rate of inflation do not have as great an 
impact on the financial condition of a bank as do changes in interest rates. Moreover, interest rates do not necessarily change at 
the same percentage as inflation. Accordingly, changes in inflation are not expected to have a material impact on the Company.

Asset-Liability Management

As an ongoing part of its financial strategy, the Company attempts to manage the impact of fluctuations in market interest rates 
on net interest income. This effort entails providing a reasonable balance between interest rate risk, credit risk, liquidity risk and 
maintenance of yield. Asset-liability management policies are established and monitored by management in conjunction with 
the boards of directors of the banks, subject to general oversight by the Risk Management Committee of the Company’s Board. 
The policies establish guidelines for acceptable limits on the sensitivity of the market value of assets and liabilities to changes 
in interest rates.

Interest rate risk arises when the maturity or re-pricing periods and interest rate indices of the interest earning assets, interest 
bearing liabilities, and derivative financial instruments are different. It is the risk that changes in the level of market interest 
rates  will  result  in  disproportionate  changes  in  the  value  of,  and  the  net  earnings  generated  from,  the  Company’s  interest 
earning assets, interest bearing liabilities and derivative financial instruments. The Company continuously monitors not only the 
organization’s current net interest margin, but also the historical trends of these margins. In addition, management attempts to 
identify  potential  adverse  changes  in  net  interest  income  in  future  years  as  a  result  interest  rate  fluctuations  by  performing 
simulation analysis of various interest rate environments. If a potential adverse change in net interest margin and/or net income 
is  identified,  management    takes  appropriate  action  with  its  asset-liability  structure  to  mitigate  these  potentially  adverse 
situations. Please refer to Item 7 “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” 
for further discussion of the net interest margin.

Since the Company’s primary source of interest bearing liabilities is from customer deposits, the Company’s ability to manage 
the types and terms of such deposits is somewhat limited by customer preferences and local competition in the market areas in 
which  the  banks  operate.  The  rates,  terms  and  interest  rate  indices  of  the  Company’s  interest  earning  assets  result  primarily 
from the Company’s strategy of investing in loans and securities that permit the Company to limit its exposure to interest rate 
risk, together with credit risk, while at the same time achieving an acceptable interest rate spread.

The  Company’s  exposure  to  interest  rate  risk  is  reviewed  on  a  regular  basis  by  management  and  the  Risk  Management 
Committees of the boards of directors of the banks and the Company. The objective of the review is to measure the effect on net 
income and to adjust balance sheet and derivative financial instruments to minimize the inherent risk while at the same time 
maximize net interest income.

The  following  interest  rate  scenarios  display  the  percentage  change  in  net  interest  income  over  a  one-year  time  horizon 
assuming increases and decreases of 100 and 200 basis points. The Static Shock Scenario results incorporate actual cash flows 
and  repricing  characteristics  for  balance  sheet  instruments  following  an  instantaneous,  parallel  change  in  market  rates  based 
upon  a  static  (i.e.  no  growth  or  constant)  balance  sheet.  Conversely,  the  Ramp  Scenario  results  incorporate  management’s 
projections of future volume and pricing of each of the product lines following a gradual, parallel change in market rates over 
twelve months. Actual results may differ from these simulated results due to timing, magnitude, and frequency of interest rate 
changes  as  well  as  changes  in  market  conditions  and  management  strategies.  The  interest  rate  sensitivity  for  both  the  Static 
Shock and Ramp Scenarios at December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020 is as follows:

93

Static Shock Scenarios
December 31, 2021
December 31, 2020

Ramp Scenarios
December 31, 2021
December 31, 2020

 +200
 Basis
 Points

 +100
 Basis
 Points

 -100
 Basis
 Points

 -200
 Basis
 Points

 25.3 %
 25.0 

 12.4 %
 11.6 

 (8.5) %
 (7.9) 

 (15.8) %
 (16.0) 

 +200
 Basis
 Points

 13.9 %
 11.4 

 +100
 Basis
 Points

 -100
 Basis
 Points

 -200
 Basis
 Points

 6.9 %
 5.7 

 (5.6) %
 (3.3) 

 (10.8) %
 (6.9) 

One  method  utilized  by  financial  institutions,  including  the  Company,  to  manage  interest  rate  risk  is  to  enter  into  derivative 
financial instruments. Derivative financial instruments include interest rate swaps, interest rate caps, floors and collars, futures, 
forwards, option contracts and other financial instruments with similar characteristics. Additionally, the Company enters into 
commitments  to  fund  certain  mortgage  loans  (interest  rate  locks)  to  be  sold  into  the  secondary  market  and  forward 
commitments  for  the  future  delivery  of  mortgage  loans  to  third  party  investors.  See  Note  21,  “Derivative  Financial 
Instruments,” to the Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for further information 
on the Company’s derivative financial instruments.

During 2021 and 2020, the Company entered into certain covered call option transactions related to certain securities held by 
the  Company.  The  Company  uses  these  option  transactions  (rather  than  entering  into  other  derivative  interest  rate  contracts, 
such as interest rate floors) to economically hedge positions and compensate for net interest margin compression by increasing 
the total return associated with the related securities through fees generated from these options. Although the revenue received 
from these options is recorded as non-interest income rather than interest income, the increased return attributable to the related 
securities from these options contributes to the Company’s overall profitability. The Company’s exposure to interest rate risk 
may  be  impacted  by  these  transactions.  To  further  mitigate  this  risk,  the  Company  may  acquire  fixed  rate  term  debt  or  use 
financial derivative instruments. There were no covered call options outstanding as of December 31, 2021 or 2020.

94

 
ITEM 8. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA 

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

To the Shareholders and Board of Directors of Wintrust Financial Corporation 

Opinion on the Financial Statements

We  have  audited  the  accompanying  consolidated  statements  of  condition  of  Wintrust  Financial  Corporation  and  subsidiaries 
(the  Company)  as  of  December  31,  2021  and  2020,  the  related  consolidated  statements  of  income,  comprehensive  income, 
changes  in  shareholders'  equity  and  cash  flows  for  each  of  the  three  years  in  the  period  ended  December  31,  2021,  and  the 
related  notes  (collectively  referred  to  as  the  “consolidated  financial  statements”).  In  our  opinion,  the  consolidated  financial 
statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company at December 31, 2021 and 2020, and 
the results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2021, in conformity 
with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.  

We also have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) 
(PCAOB), the Company’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2021, based on criteria established in 
Internal  Control-Integrated  Framework  issued  by  the  Committee  of  Sponsoring  Organizations  of  the  Treadway  Commission 
(2013 framework), and our report dated February 25, 2022 expressed an unqualified opinion thereon.

Adoption of ASU 2016-13

As  discussed  in  Note  5  of  the  consolidated  financial  statements,  the  Company  changed  its  method  of  accounting  for  credit 
losses in 2020 due to the adoption of Accounting Standards Update (ASU) No. 2016-13 Financial Instruments – Credit Losses 
(Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments, and the related amendments. See below for discussion of 
our related critical audit matter. 

Basis for Opinion

These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s management.  Our responsibility is to express an opinion on 
the Company’s financial statements based on our audits.  We are a public accounting firm registered with the PCAOB and are 
required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable 
rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the 
audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to 
error  or  fraud.  Our  audits  included  performing  procedures  to  assess  the  risks  of  material  misstatement  of  the  financial 
statements,  whether  due  to  error  or  fraud,  and  performing  procedures  that  respond  to  those  risks.    Such  procedures  included 
examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our audits also included 
evaluating  the  accounting  principles  used  and  significant  estimates  made  by  management,  as  well  as  evaluating  the  overall 
presentation of the financial statements. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

95

Critical Audit Matter 

The critical audit matter communicated below is a matter arising from the current period audit of the financial statements that 
was communicated or required to be communicated to the audit committee and that: (1) relates to accounts or disclosures that 
are  material  to  the  financial  statements  and  (2)  involved  our  especially  challenging,  subjective,  or  complex  judgments.  The 
communication of the critical audit matter does not alter in any way our opinion on the consolidated financial statements, taken 
as a whole, and we are not, by communicating the critical audit matter below, providing a separate opinion on the critical audit 
matter or on the account or disclosure to which it relates. 

Description of the 
Matter

Allowance for credit losses
At  December  31,  2021,  the  Company’s  loan  portfolio  totaled  $34.8  billion  and  the  associated 
Allowance for credit losses (ACL) was $299.7 million. As more fully described in Notes 1 and 5 
to the consolidated financial statements, the ACL represents management’s estimate of expected 
credit  losses  over  the  contractual  term  of  the  loan.  The  ACL  is  measured  on  a  collective  or 
pooled  basis  when  assets  share  the  same  risk  characteristics  or  on  an  individual  basis  when 
assets  do  not  share  similar  risk  characteristics.  For  assets  measured  on  a  collective  basis,  the 
Company applies modeling methodologies that utilize the Company’s historical loss experience 
to  estimate  lifetime  credit  loss  rates  on  each  pool,  including  methodologies  estimating  the 
probability  of  default  and  loss  given  default  on  specific  segments.  The  historical  credit  loss 
experience utilized in the ACL models is adjusted for the Company’s reasonable and supportable 
economic  forecasts.  The  modeled  results  are  then  adjusted  for  certain  qualitative  factors.  For 
assets  measured  on  an  individual  basis,  the  Company  measures  the  expected  losses  primarily 
based on the estimated collateral value.  

Auditing management’s estimate of the ACL was especially challenging due to the complexity 
of  the  Company’s  ACL  models  and  the  significant  judgement  required  in  establishing 
management’s reasonable and supportable economic forecasts.

How we Addressed 
the Matter in Our 
Audit

We  obtained  an  understanding,  evaluated  the  design,  and  tested  the  operating  effectiveness  of 
internal  controls  over  the  ACL  process,  including  among  other  things,  controls  over 
management’s  process  of  assessing  and  challenging  the  reasonable  and  supportable  economic 
forecasts, the development, operation and monitoring of the ACL models, and the completeness 
and accuracy of key inputs and assumptions used in the ACL models.

To  test  the  Company’s  ACL  models,  we  involved  our  specialists  to  test  a  sample  of  the  ACL 
models  by  evaluating  model  methodology,  model  performance  and  testing  key  modeling 
assumptions. Additionally, we tested the accuracy of data utilized by the models by agreeing key 
data  fields  to  source  documentation  and  performed  targeted  re-calculations  for  a  sample  of 
models.

To test the reasonable and supportable economic forecasts, our audit procedures included among 
others, evaluating the basis of the economic forecast factors utilized by management and testing 
the completeness and accuracy of data used by management to develop the economic forecasts.

In addition, we evaluated the overall ACL and whether the ACL appropriately reflects expected 
lifetime losses in the loan portfolio as of the consolidated balance sheet date. For example, we 
compared  the  overall  ACL  amount  to  those  established  by  similar  banking  institutions  with 
similar loan portfolios. 

/s/ Ernst & Young LLP
We have served as the Company’s auditor since 1999.
Chicago, Illinois
February 25, 2022

96

WINTRUST FINANCIAL CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CONDITION

(In thousands, except share data)

Assets

Cash and due from banks
Federal funds sold and securities purchased under resale agreements

Interest-bearing deposits with banks

Available-for-sale securities, at fair value
Held-to-maturity securities, at amortized cost, net of allowance for credit losses of $78 and $59 at 
December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, respectively ($2.9 billion and $593.8 million fair value at 
December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, respectively)
Trading account securities

Equity securities with readily determinable fair value

Federal Home Loan Bank and Federal Reserve Bank stock

Brokerage customer receivables

Mortgage loans held-for-sale, at fair value

Loans, net of unearned income

Allowance for loan losses

Net loans

Premises, software and equipment, net

Lease investments, net

Accrued interest receivable and other assets

Goodwill

Other intangible assets

Total assets

Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity

Deposits:

Non-interest-bearing

Interest-bearing

Total deposits

Federal Home Loan Bank advances

Other borrowings

Subordinated notes

Junior subordinated debentures

Trade date securities payable

Accrued interest payable and other liabilities

Total liabilities

Shareholders’ Equity:

Preferred stock, no par value; 20,000,000 shares authorized:

Series D - $25 liquidation value; 5,000,000 shares issued and outstanding at December 31, 2021 and 
December 31, 2020

Series E - $25,000 liquidation value; 11,500 shares issued and outstanding at December 31, 2021 and 
December 31, 2020

Common stock, no par value; $1.00 stated value; 100,000,000 shares authorized at December 31, 2021 and 
December 31, 2020; 58,891,780 shares issued at December 31, 2021 and 58,473,252 shares issued at 
December 31, 2020  

Surplus

Treasury stock, at cost, 1,837,689 shares at December 31, 2021 and 1,703,627 shares at December 31, 
2020

Retained earnings
Accumulated other comprehensive income 

Total shareholders’ equity

December 31,

2021

2020

$ 

411,150  $ 
700,055 

5,372,603 

2,327,793 

2,942,285 
1,061 

90,511 

135,378 

26,068 

817,912 

34,789,104 

(247,835) 

34,541,269 

766,405 

242,082 

1,084,115 

655,149 

28,307 

322,415 
59 

4,802,527 

3,055,839 

579,138 
671 

90,862 

135,588 

17,436 

1,272,090 

32,079,073 

(319,374) 

31,759,699 

768,808 

242,434 

1,351,455 

645,707 

36,040 

$ 

50,142,143  $ 

45,080,768 

$ 

14,179,980  $ 

27,915,605 

42,095,585 

1,241,071 

494,136 

436,938 

253,566 

— 

1,122,159 

45,643,455 

125,000 

287,500 

58,892 

1,685,572 

(109,903) 

2,447,535 
4,092 

4,498,688 

11,748,455 

25,344,196 

37,092,651 

1,228,429 

518,928 

436,506 

253,566 

200,907 

1,233,786 

40,964,773 

125,000 

287,500 

58,473 

1,649,990 

(100,363) 

2,080,013 
15,382 

4,115,995 

Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity

$ 

50,142,143  $ 

45,080,768 

See accompanying Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

97

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
WINTRUST FINANCIAL CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME

(In thousands, except per share data)
Interest income

Interest and fees on loans
Mortgage loans held-for-sale
Interest-bearing deposits with banks
Federal funds sold and securities purchased under resale agreements
Investment securities
Trading account securities
Federal Home Loan Bank and Federal Reserve Bank stock
Brokerage customer receivables
Total interest income

Interest expense

Interest on deposits
Interest on Federal Home Loan Bank advances
Interest on other borrowings
Interest on subordinated notes
Interest on junior subordinated debentures

Total interest expense

Net interest income
Provision for credit losses
Net interest income after provision for credit losses
Non-interest income
Wealth management
Mortgage banking
Service charges on deposit accounts
(Losses) gains on investment securities, net
Fees from covered call options
Trading gains (losses), net
Operating lease income, net
Other

Total non-interest income

Non-interest expense

Salaries and employee benefits
Software and equipment
Operating lease equipment depreciation
Occupancy, net
Data processing
Advertising and marketing
Professional fees
Amortization of other acquisition-related intangible assets
FDIC insurance
OREO expense, net
Other

Total non-interest expense

Income before taxes
Income tax expense
Net income
Preferred stock dividends
Net income applicable to common shares
Net income per common share—Basic
Net income per common share—Diluted
Cash dividends declared per common share
Weighted average common shares outstanding
Dilutive potential common shares
Average common shares and dilutive common shares

See accompanying Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

98

$ 

$ 

$ 
$ 
$ 
$ 

Years Ended December 31,

2021

2020

2019

1,133,528  $ 
32,169 
6,606 
173 
95,286 
10 
7,067 
645 
1,275,484 

88,119 
19,581 
9,928 
21,983 
10,916 
150,527 
1,124,957 
(59,263) 
1,184,220 

124,019 
273,010 
54,168 
(1,059) 
3,673 
245 
53,691 
78,373 
586,120 

691,669 
87,515 
40,880 
74,184 
27,279 
47,275 
29,494 
7,734 
27,030 
(1,654) 
101,138 
1,132,544 
637,796 
171,645 
466,151  $ 
27,964 
438,187  $ 
7.69  $ 
7.58  $ 
1.24  $ 

56,994 
792 
57,786 

1,157,249  $ 
20,077 
8,553 
102 
99,634 
37 
6,891 
477 
1,293,020 

189,178 
18,193 
12,773 
21,961 
11,008 
253,113 
1,039,907 
214,220 
825,687 

100,336 
346,013 
45,023 
(1,926) 
2,292 
(1,004) 
47,604 
65,851 
604,189 

626,076 
68,496 
37,915 
69,957 
30,196 
36,296 
27,426 
11,018 
25,004 
(921) 
108,632 
1,040,095 
389,781 
96,791 
292,990  $ 
21,377 
271,613  $ 
4.72  $ 
4.68  $ 
1.12  $ 

57,523 
496 
58,019 

1,228,480 
11,992 
29,803 
700 
108,046 
39 
5,416 
666 
1,385,142 

278,892 
9,878 
13,897 
15,555 
12,001 
330,223 
1,054,919 
53,864 
1,001,055 

97,114 
154,293 
39,070 
3,525 
3,670 
(158) 
47,041 
62,617 
407,172 

546,420 
52,328 
35,760 
64,289 
27,820 
48,595 
27,471 
11,844 
9,199 
3,628 
100,772 
928,126 
480,101 
124,404 
355,697 
8,200 
347,497 
6.11 
6.03 
1.00 
56,857 
762 
57,619 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
WINTRUST FINANCIAL CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME

(In thousands)
Net income
Unrealized (losses) gains on available-for-sale securities

Before tax
Tax effect

Net of tax

Reclassification of net gains on available-for-sale securities included 
in net income

Years Ended December 31,

2021

2020

2019

$ 

466,151  $ 

292,990  $ 

355,697 

(83,199)   
22,152 
(61,047)   

76,464 
(20,378)   
56,086 

79,702 
(21,361) 
58,341 

221 
(59)   
162 

899 
(241) 
658 

1,079 
(290)   
789 

241 
(64)   
177 
(62,013)   

68,441 
(18,240)   

50,201 

231 
(62)   
169 
55,755 

(13,591)   
3,642 

(9,949)   

479 
(131) 
348 
57,335 

(28,685) 
7,687 

(20,998) 

7,483 
(1,626) 
5,857 
42,194 
397,891 

620 
(98)   
522 
(11,290)   
454,861  $ 

5,367 
(1,113)   
4,254 
50,060 
343,050  $ 

$ 

Before tax
Tax effect

Net of tax

Reclassification of amortization of unrealized gains on investment 
securities transferred to held-to-maturity from available-for-sale

Before tax
Tax effect

Net of tax

Net unrealized (losses) gains on available-for-sale securities

Unrealized gains (losses) on derivative instruments

Before tax
Tax effect

Net unrealized gains (losses) on derivative instruments

Foreign currency translation adjustment

Before tax
Tax effect

Net foreign currency translation adjustment

Total other comprehensive (loss) income
Comprehensive income

See accompanying Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

99

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
WINTRUST FINANCIAL CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY 

(In thousands, except per share data)
Balance at December 31, 2018

Cumulative effect adjustment from the 
adoption of ASU 2017-08

Net income

Other comprehensive income, net of tax

Cash dividends declared on common 
stock, $1.00 per share
Dividends on preferred stock, $1.64 
per share
Stock-based compensation

Common stock issued for:

Acquisitions

Exercise of stock options and 
warrants
Restricted stock awards

Employee stock purchase plan

Director compensation plan
Balance at December 31, 2019

Cumulative effect adjustment from the 
adoption of ASU 2016-13, net of tax
Net income

Other comprehensive income, net of tax

Cash dividends declared on common 
stock, $1.12 per share
Dividends on Series D preferred stock, 
$1.64 per share and Series E preferred 
stock, $1,145.84 per share
Common stock repurchased under 
authorized program

Stock-based compensation
Issuance of Series E preferred stock

Common stock issued for:

Exercise of stock options and 
warrants
Restricted stock awards

Employee stock purchase plan

Director compensation plan

Balance at December 31, 2020
Net income

Other comprehensive loss, net of tax

Cash dividends declared on common 
stock, $1.24 per share

Dividends on Series D preferred stock, 
$1.64 per share and Series E preferred 
stock, $1,718.76 per share

Common stock repurchased under 
authorized program

Stock-based compensation

Common stock issued for:

Exercise of stock options and 
warrants
Restricted stock awards

Employee stock purchase plan
Director compensation plan

Balance at December 31, 2021

Preferred
stock

Common
stock

Surplus

Treasury
stock

Retained
earnings

Accumulated
other
comprehensive
income (loss)

Total
shareholders'
equity

$ 

125,000  $ 

56,518  $  1,557,984  $ 

(5,634)  $  1,610,574  $ 

(76,872)  $ 

3,267,570 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 
125,000  $ 

$ 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 
— 

287,500 

— 

— 

— 

— 

(1,531) 

355,697 

— 

— 

— 

42,194 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

11,304 

1,074 

70,682 

146 

150 

44 

19 

5,541 

(150) 

2,775 

2,142 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

(844) 

(453) 

— 

— 

(56,910) 

(8,200) 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

(1,531) 

355,697 

42,194 

(56,910) 

(8,200) 

11,304 

71,756 

4,843 

(453) 

2,819 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

57,951  $  1,650,278  $ 

(6,931)  $  1,899,630  $ 

— 
(34,678)  $ 

2,161 
3,691,250 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 
— 

— 

229 

201 

72 

20 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 
(4,938) 

(9,887) 

9,434 

(201) 

2,906 

2,398 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

(92,055) 
— 

— 

(625) 

(752) 

— 

— 

(26,717) 

292,990 

— 

— 

— 

50,060 

(64,513) 

(21,377) 

— 
— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 
— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

(26,717) 

292,990 

50,060 

(64,513) 

(21,377) 

(92,055) 
(4,938) 

277,613 

9,038 

(752) 

2,978 

2,418 

$ 

412,500  $ 

58,473  $  1,649,990  $ 

(100,363)  $  2,080,013  $ 

15,382  $ 

4,115,995 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 
— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

327 

20 
48 

24 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

16,177 

13,708 

(20) 
3,277 

2,440 

— 

— 

— 

— 

(9,540) 

— 

— 

— 
— 

— 

466,151 

— 

— 

(11,290) 

(70,663) 

(27,966) 

— 

— 

— 

— 
— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 
— 

— 

466,151 

(11,290) 

(70,663) 

(27,966) 

(9,540) 

16,177 

14,035 

— 
3,325 

2,464 

$ 

412,500  $ 

58,892  $  1,685,572  $ 

(109,903)  $  2,447,535  $ 

4,092  $ 

4,498,688 

See accompanying Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

100

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
WINTRUST FINANCIAL CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

(In thousands)

Operating Activities:
Net income
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by (used for) operating activities

Provision for credit losses
Depreciation, amortization and accretion, net
Deferred income tax (benefit) expense
Stock-based compensation expense (benefit)
Amortization of premium on securities, net
Accretion of discount and deferred fees on loans, net
Mortgage servicing rights fair value changes, net
Non-designated derivatives fair value changes, net
Originations and purchases of mortgage loans held-for-sale
Early buy-out exercises of mortgage loans held-for-sale guaranteed by U.S. Government Agencies, net 
of subsequent paydowns or payoffs
Proceeds from sales of mortgage loans held-for-sale
Bank owned life insurance (“BOLI”) income
(Increase) decrease in trading securities, net
Increase in brokerage customer receivables, net
Gains on mortgage loans sold
Losses (gains) on investment securities, net, and dividend reinvestment on equity securities
(Gains) losses on sales of premises and equipment, net, and sale of related deposit liabilities
(Gains) losses on sales and fair value adjustments of other real estate owned, net
Decrease (increase) in accrued interest receivable and other assets, net
Increase (decrease) in accrued interest payable and other liabilities, net

Net Cash Provided by (Used for) Operating Activities
Investing Activities:

Proceeds from maturities and calls of available-for-sale securities
Proceeds from maturities and calls of held-to-maturity securities
Proceeds from sales of available-for-sale securities
Proceeds from sales of equity securities with readily determinable fair value
Proceeds from sales and capital distributions of equity securities without readily determinable fair value
Purchases of available-for-sale securities
Purchases of held-to-maturity securities
Purchases of equity securities with readily determinable fair value
Purchases of equity securities without readily determinable fair value
Redemption (purchase) of FHLB and FRB stock, net
(Contributions to) distributions from investments in partnerships, net
Net cash paid in business combinations
Proceeds from sale of other real estate owned
Increase in securities purchased under resale agreements with terms exceeding three months, net
Increase in interest-bearing deposits with banks, net
Increase in loans, net
Redemption of BOLI
Purchases of premises and equipment, net

Net Cash Used for Investing Activities
Financing Activities:

Increase in deposit accounts, net
(Decrease) increase in other borrowings, net
Increase in Federal Home Loan Bank advances, net
Cash payments to settle contingent consideration liabilities recognized in business combinations
Proceeds from the issuance of preferred stock, net
Proceeds from the issuance of subordinated notes, net
Issuance of common shares resulting from exercise of stock options and employee stock purchase plan

Common stock repurchases under authorized program
Common stock repurchases for tax withholdings related to stock-based compensation
Dividends paid

Net Cash Provided by Financing Activities
Net Increase (Decrease) in Cash and Cash Equivalents
Cash and Cash Equivalents at Beginning of Period
Cash and Cash Equivalents at End of Period
Supplemental Disclosure of Cash Flow Information:

Cash paid during the year for:

Interest
Income taxes, net

Business combinations:

Fair value of assets acquired, including cash and cash equivalents
Value ascribed to goodwill and other intangible assets
Fair value of liabilities assumed

Non-cash activities

Transfer to other real estate owned from loans
Common stock issued for acquisitions

See accompanying Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

101

2021

Years Ended December 31,
2020

2019

$ 

466,151 

$ 

292,990 

$ 

355,697 

(59,263) 
101,797 
(2,861) 
16,177 
6,391 
(83,434) 
16,515 
(569) 
(6,803,777) 

88 
7,441,705 
(5,812) 
(390) 
(8,632) 
(214,085) 
1,059 
(3,614) 
(2,792) 
187,743 
78,475 
1,130,872 

1,290,126 
307,971 
192,227 
9,759 
2,685 
(842,170) 
(2,873,691) 
(9,060) 
(9,265) 
210 
(2,107) 
(585,402) 
16,927 
(700,000) 
(569,205) 
(2,101,121) 
332 
(57,075) 
(5,928,859) 

5,006,801 
(27,784) 
12,629 
(16,583) 
— 
— 

19,824 
(9,540) 
— 
(98,629) 
4,886,718 
88,731 
322,474 
411,205 

156,868 
178,575 

591,409 
9,275 
6,007 

5,837 
— 

$ 

$ 

214,220 
96,369 
(4,058) 
(4,938) 
10,881 
(81,604) 
63,343 
(484) 
(8,004,730) 

(297,599) 
7,624,799 
(4,488) 
397 
(863) 
(339,127) 
2,373 
421 
(1,421) 
(131,870) 
46,924 
(518,465) 

1,613,143 
879,713 
502,250 
6,530 
1,857 
(1,998,380) 
(125,220) 
(45,735) 
(5,118) 
(34,849) 
76 
— 
10,776 
— 
(2,636,581) 
(5,290,668) 
3,428 
(63,646) 
(7,182,424) 

6,985,964 
88,596 
553,500 
(4,523) 
277,613 
— 

15,059 
(92,055) 
(1,377) 
(85,890) 
7,736,887 
35,998 
286,476 
322,474 

257,408 
105,268 

— 
— 
— 

13,239 
— 

$ 

$ 

53,864 
88,362 
44,557 
11,304 
6,605 
(26,624) 
34,896 
640 
(4,497,921) 

— 
4,484,838 
(4,846) 
624 
(3,964) 
(135,607) 
(3,525) 
92 
1,921 
(133,022) 
(11,898) 
265,993 

718,345 
422,959 
972,253 
19,200 
1,764 
(2,226,834) 
(493,389) 
(32,729) 
(4,394) 
(9,385) 
1,955 
(108,365) 
14,516 
— 
(983,513) 
(2,229,637) 
326 
(82,021) 
(4,018,949) 

3,142,499 
15,480 
248,442 
(66) 
— 
296,617 

10,667 
— 
(1,297) 
(65,110) 
3,647,232 
(105,724) 
392,200 
286,476 

327,329 
60,845 

1,093,254 
80,581 
896,686 

5,722 
71,756 

$ 

$ 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
(1) Summary of Significant Accounting Policies 

The  accounting  and  reporting  policies  of  Wintrust  Financial  Corporation  (“Wintrust”  or  the  “Company”)  and  its  subsidiaries 
conform to generally accepted accounting principles in the United States and prevailing practices of the banking industry. In the 
preparation  of  the  consolidated  financial  statements,  management  is  required  to  make  certain  estimates  and  assumptions  that 
affect the reported amounts contained in the consolidated financial statements. Management believes that the estimates made 
are reasonable; however, changes in estimates may be required if economic or other conditions change beyond management’s 
expectations. Reclassifications of certain prior year amounts have been made to conform to the current year presentation. The 
following is a summary of the Company’s significant accounting policies.

Principles of Consolidation

The  consolidated  financial  statements  of  Wintrust  include  the  accounts  of  the  Company  and  its  subsidiaries.  All  significant 
intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in the consolidated financial statements.

Earnings per Share

Basic earnings per share is computed by dividing income available to common shareholders by the weighted-average number of 
common  shares  outstanding  for  the  period.  Diluted  earnings  per  share  reflects  the  potential  dilution  that  would  occur  if 
securities or other contracts to issue common stock were exercised or converted into common stock or resulted in the issuance 
of common stock that then share in the earnings of the Company. The weighted-average number of common shares outstanding 
is increased by the assumed conversion of any outstanding convertible preferred stock shares from the beginning of the year or 
date of issuance, if later, and the number of common shares that would be issued assuming the exercise of stock options, the 
issuance  of  restricted  shares  and  stock  warrants  using  the  treasury  stock  method.  The  adjustments  to  the  weighted-average 
common  shares  outstanding  are  only  made  when  such  adjustments  will  dilute  earnings  per  common  share.  If  relevant 
convertible  preferred  shares  are  outstanding  during  a  period,  net  income  applicable  to  common  shares  used  in  the  diluted 
earnings per share calculation may be adjusted to consider potential conversion of such preferred shares.  Where the effect of 
this conversion would reduce the loss per share or increase the income per share, net income applicable to common shares is not 
adjusted by the associated preferred dividends.

Business Combinations

The Company accounts for business combinations under the acquisition method of accounting in accordance with ASC 805, 
“Business Combinations” (“ASC 805”) when it obtains control of a business. When determining whether a business has been 
acquired, the Company first evaluates whether substantially all of the fair value of the gross assets acquired are concentrated in 
a  single  identifiable  asset  or  a  group  of  similar  identifiable  assets.  If  concentrated  in  such  a  manner,  the  set  of  assets  and 
activities is not a business. If not concentrated in such a manner, the Company assesses whether the set meets the definition of a 
business  by  containing  inputs,  outputs  and  at  least  one  substantive  process.    If  the  set  represents  a  business,  the  Company 
recognizes the fair value of the assets acquired and liabilities assumed, immediately expenses transaction costs and accounts for 
restructuring plans separately from the business combination. The excess of the cost of the acquisition over the fair value of the 
net  tangible  and  intangible  assets  acquired  is  recorded  as  goodwill.  Alternatively,  a  gain  is  recorded  equal  to  the  amount  by 
which the fair value of assets purchased exceeds the fair value of liabilities assumed and consideration paid.

If the set of assets and activities do not constitute a business, the transaction is accounted for as an asset acquisition. The cost of 
a group of assets acquired is allocated to the individual assets acquired or liabilities assumed based on the relative fair value and 
does  not  result  in  the  recognition  of  goodwill.  Generally,  any  excess  of  the  cost  of  the  transaction  over  the  fair  value  of  the 
individual assets acquired or liabilities assumed, or, in contrast, any excess of the fair value of the individual assets acquired or 
liabilities assumed over the cost of the transaction, should be allocated on a relative fair value basis. Certain "non-qualifying" 
assets are excluded from this allocation, and are recognized at the individual asset's fair value.

Results  of  operations  of  the  acquired  business  are  included  in  the  income  statement  from  the  effective  date  of  acquisition. 
Subsequent adjustments to provisional amounts that are identified in reporting periods within one year after the acquisition date 
in a business combination are recognized in the reporting period in which the adjustment amounts are determined. 

102

Cash Equivalents

For  purposes  of  the  consolidated  statements  of  cash  flows,  Wintrust  considers  cash  on  hand,  cash  items  in  the  process  of 
collection, non-interest bearing amounts due from correspondent banks, federal funds sold and securities purchased under resale 
agreements with original maturities of three months or less, to be cash equivalents. At December 31, 2021, federal funds sold 
and  securities  purchased  under  resale  agreements  on  the  Company’s  Consolidated  Statements  of  Condition  included 
approximately  $700.0  million  of  securities  sold  under  agreements  to  repurchase  with  original  maturities  exceeding  three 
months. As a result, such balance was not considered a cash equivalent for purposes of the Company’s Consolidated Statements 
of Cash Flows for the respective period.  

Investment Securities

The  Company  classifies  debt  and  equity  securities  upon  purchase  in  one  of  five  categories:  trading,  held-to-maturity  debt 
securities, available-for-sale debt securities, equity securities with a readily determinable fair value or equity securities without 
a readily determinable fair value. Debt and equity securities held for resale are classified as trading securities. Debt securities 
for which the Company has the ability and positive intent to hold until maturity are classified as held-to-maturity. All other debt 
securities  are  classified  as  available-for-sale  as  they  may  be  sold  prior  to  maturity  in  response  to  changes  in  the  Company’s 
interest rate risk profile, funding needs, demand for collateralized deposits by public entities or other reasons. Equity securities 
are classified based upon whether a readily determinable fair value exists on such security. The fair value of an equity security 
is readily determinable if it meets certain conditions, including whether sales prices or bid-ask quotes are currently available on 
certain  securities  exchanges;  traded  only  in  a  foreign  market  that  is  of  a  breadth  and  scope  comparable  to  one  of  the  U.S. 
markets;  or  the  security  is  an  investment  in  a  mutual  fund  or  similar  structure  with  a  fair  value  per  share  or  unit  that  is 
determined and published, and is the basis for current transactions.

Held-to-maturity  debt  securities  are  stated  at  amortized  cost,  which  represents  actual  cost  adjusted  for  premium  amortization 
and  discount  accretion  using  methods  that  approximate  the  effective  interest  method.  Available-for-sale  debt  securities  are 
stated  at  fair  value,  with  unrealized  gains  and  losses,  net  of  related  taxes,  included  in  shareholders’  equity  as  a  separate 
component  of  other  comprehensive  income.  Trading  account  securities  and  equity  securities  with  a  readily  determinable  fair 
value are stated at fair value. Realized and unrealized gains and losses from sales and fair value adjustments are included in 
other non-interest income. Equity securities without a readily determinable fair value are stated at either a calculated net asset 
value  per  share,  if  available,  or  the  cost  of  the  security  minus  impairment,  if  any,  plus  or  minus  changes  resulting  from 
observable price changes in orderly transactions for the identical or similar instrument of the same issuer.

Subsequent  to  classification  at  the  time  of  purchase,  the  Company  may  transfer  debt  securities  between  trading,  held-to-
maturity,  or  available-for-sale.  For  debt  securities  transferred  to  trading,  the  current  unrealized  gain  or  loss  at  the  date  of 
transfer, net of related taxes, is immediately recognized in earnings.  Debt securities transferred from trading to either held-to-
maturity or available-for-sale have already recognized any unrealized gain or loss into earnings and this amount is not reversed. 
Unrealized  gains  or  losses,  net  related  taxes,  for  available-for-sale  debt  securities  transferred  to  held-to-maturity  remain  as  a 
separate component of other comprehensive income and an offsetting discount is included in the amortized cost of the held-to-
maturity  debt  security.  These  amounts  are  amortized  over  the  remaining  life  of  the  debt  security  in  equal  and  offsetting 
amounts. Unrealized gains or losses for held-to-maturity debt securities transferred to available-for-sale are recognized at the 
transfer date as a separate component of other comprehensive income, net of related taxes.

Declines in the fair value of held-to-maturity and available-for-sale debt investment securities (with certain exceptions for debt 
securities noted below) that are deemed to be credit losses are charged to the allowance for credit losses. In evaluating credit 
impairment, management considers the extent to which the fair value has been less than cost, the financial condition and near-
term prospects of the issuer, and the intent and ability of the Company to retain its investment in the issuer for a period of time 
sufficient to allow for any anticipated recovery in fair value in the near term. Declines in the fair value of debt securities below 
amortized cost are deemed to be credit losses in circumstances where: (1) the Company has the intent to sell a security; (2) it is 
more likely than not that the Company will be required to sell the debt security before recovery of its amortized cost basis; or 
(3) the Company does not expect to recover the entire amortized cost basis of the debt security. If the Company intends to sell a 
debt security or if it is more likely than not that the Company will be required to sell the debt security before recovery, a credit 
impairment  write-down  is  recognized  in  the  allowance  for  credit  losses  equal  to  the  difference  between  the  debt  security’s 
amortized cost basis and its fair value. If an entity does not intend to sell the debt security or it is not more likely than not that it 
will  be  required  to  sell  the  debt  security  before  recovery,  the  credit  impairment  write-down  is  separated  into  an  amount 
representing credit loss, which is recognized in the allowance for credit losses, and an amount related to all other factors, which 
is recognized in other comprehensive income.

103

Equity securities with readily determinable fair values are measured at fair value with changes recognized in net income. Equity 
securities  without  readily  determinable  fair  values  are  measured  at  cost  minus  impairment,  if  any,  plus  or  minus  changes 
resulting  from  observable  price  changes  in  orderly  transactions  for  identical  or  similar  investments  of  the  same  issuer.  Such 
investments are included within accrued interest receivable and other assets within the Company's Consolidated Statements of 
Condition. 

Interest and dividends, including amortization of premiums and accretion of discounts, are recognized as interest income when 
earned.  Realized  gains  and  losses  on  sales  (using  the  specific  identification  method),  unrealized  gains  and  losses  on  equity 
securities and declines in value judged to be other-than-temporary are included in non-interest income.

FHLB and FRB Stock

Investments in FHLB and FRB stock are restricted as to redemption and are carried at cost.

Securities Purchased Under Resale Agreements and Securities Sold Under Repurchase Agreements

Securities  purchased  under  resale  agreements  and  securities  sold  under  repurchase  agreements  are  generally  treated  as 
collateralized financing transactions and are recorded at the amount at which the securities were acquired or sold plus accrued 
interest. Securities, consisting of U.S. Treasury, U.S. Government agency and mortgage-backed securities, pledged as collateral 
under  these  financing  arrangements  cannot  be  sold  by  the  secured  party.  The  fair  value  of  collateral  either  received  from  or 
provided to a third party is monitored and additional collateral is obtained or requested to be returned as deemed appropriate.

Brokerage Customer Receivables

The  Company,  under  an  agreement  with  an  out-sourced  securities  clearing  firm,  extends  credit  to  its  brokerage  customers  to 
finance  their  purchases  of  securities  on  margin.  The  Company  receives  income  from  interest  charged  on  such  extensions  of 
credit. Brokerage customer receivables represent amounts due on margin balances. Securities owned by customers are held as 
collateral for these receivables.

Mortgage Loans Held-for-Sale

Mortgage  loans  are  classified  as  held-for-sale  when  originated  or  acquired  with  the  intent  to  sell  the  loan  into  the  secondary 
market. ASC 825, “Financial Instruments” provides entities with an option to report selected financial assets and liabilities at 
fair value. Mortgage loans classified as held-for-sale are measured at fair value which is typically determined by reference to 
investor prices for loan products with similar characteristics. Changes in fair value are recognized in mortgage banking revenue. 

Market conditions or other developments may change management’s intent with respect to the disposition of these loans and 
loans previously classified as mortgage loans held-for-sale may be reclassified to the loans held-for-investment portfolio, with 
the balance transferred continuing to be carried at fair value.

Loans and Leases

Loans are generally reported at the principal amount outstanding, net of unearned income. Interest income is recognized when 
earned. Loan origination fees and certain direct origination costs are deferred and amortized over the expected life of the loan as 
an adjustment to the yield using methods that approximate the effective interest method. Finance charges on premium finance 
receivables are earned over the term of the loan, using a method which approximates the effective yield method.

Leases  classified  as  direct  financing  leases  are  included  within  lease  loans  for  financial  statement  purposes.  Direct  financing 
leases are stated as the sum of remaining minimum lease payments from lessees plus estimated residual values less unearned 
lease income.  Unearned lease income on direct financing leases is recognized over the term of the leases using the effective 
interest method.

Interest  income  is  not  accrued  on  loans  where  management  has  determined  that  the  borrowers  may  be  unable  to  meet 
contractual  principal  or  interest  obligations,  or  where  interest  or  principal  is  90  days  or  more  past  due,  unless  the  loans  are 
adequately secured and in the process of collection. Cash receipts on non-accrual loans are generally applied to the principal 
balance until the remaining balance is considered collectible, at which time interest income may be recognized when received.  

104

Allowance for Credit Losses

In accordance with ASC 326, “Financial Instruments – Credit Losses” (“ASC 326”), the Company measures the allowance for 
credit losses at the time of origination or purchase of a financial asset, representing an estimate of lifetime expected credit losses 
on the related asset. Financial assets include assets measured under the amortized cost basis, including loans, net investments in 
leases recognized by a lessor, held-to-maturity debt securities and purchased credit deteriorated (“PCD”) assets at the time of 
and subsequent to acquisition, and off-balance-sheet credit exposures considered not unconditionally cancellable. In addition to 
financial assets measured at amortized cost, credit losses related to available-for-sale debt securities are recorded through the 
allowance  for  credit  losses  and  not  as  a  direct  adjustment  to  the  amortized  cost  of  the  securities.  The  Company  elects  the 
collateral  maintenance  practical  expedient  under  ASC  326  and  applies  this  approach  to  securities  sold  under  agreements  to 
repurchase and brokerage customer receivables. In accordance with contractual terms, these assets require underlying collateral 
to be monitored continuously and replenished when collateral is less than required levels. The Company measures an allowance 
for credit losses if the carrying balance of such assets exceeds the amount of underlying collateral.

The  allowance  for  credit  losses  on  financial  assets  held  at  amortized  cost  is  measured  on  a  collective  or  pooled  basis  when 
similar risk characteristics exist. The Company utilizes modeling methodologies that estimate lifetime credit loss rates on each 
pool, including methodologies estimating the probability of default and loss given default on specific segments. Credit quality 
indicators,  specifically  the  Company's  internal  risk  rating  systems,  reflect  how  the  Company  monitors  credit  losses  and 
represent factors used by the Company when measuring the allowance for credit losses. Historical credit loss history is adjusted 
for  reasonable  and  supportable  forecasts  developed  by  the  Company  and  incorporates  third  party  economic  forecasts  on  a 
quantitative  or  qualitative  basis.  Reasonable  and  supportable  forecasts  consider  the  macroeconomic  factors  that  are  most 
relevant to evaluating and predicting expected credit losses in the Company's financial assets. For periods beyond the ability to 
develop  reasonable  and  supportable  forecasts,  the  Company  reverts  to  historical  loss  rates.  Qualitative  factors  assessed  by 
Management include the following:

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Changes in the nature and volume of the institution’s financial assets;
Changes in the existence, growth, and effect of any concentrations of credit;
Changes in the volume and severity of past due financial assets, the volume of non-accrual assets, and the volume and 
severity of adversely classified or graded assets;
Changes in the value of the underlying collateral for loans that are not collateral-dependent;
Changes in the institution’s lending policies and procedures, including changes in underwriting standards and practices 
for collections, write-offs, and recoveries;
Changes in the quality of the institution’s credit review function;
Changes  in  the  experience,  ability,  and  depth  of  the  institution’s  lending,  investment,  collection,  and  other  relevant 
management and staff;
The  effect  of  changes  in  other  external  factors  such  as  the  regulatory,  legal  and  technological  environments; 
competition; and events such as natural disasters; and
Actual  and  expected  changes  in  international,  national,  regional,  and  local  economic  and  business  conditions  and 
developments in which the institution operates that affect the collectability of financial assets.

Expected  credit  losses  are  measured  over  the  contractual  term  of  the  financial  asset  with  consideration  of  expected 
prepayments. Expected extensions, renewals or modifications of the financial asset are considered when either 1) the expected 
extension, renewal or modification is contained within the existing agreement and is not unconditionally cancellable, or 2) the 
expected extension, renewal or modification is reasonably expected to result in a troubled debt restructuring (“TDR”).

Financial assets that do not share similar risk characteristics with any pool are assessed for the allowance for credit losses on an 
individual basis. These typically include assets experiencing financial difficulties, including substandard non-accrual assets and 
assets currently classified or expected to be classified as TDRs. If an individual asset is removed from a pool, the allowance for 
credit losses for such pool will be measured without considering the removed asset. If foreclosure is probable or the asset is 
considered  collateral-dependent,  expected  credit  losses  are  measured  based  upon  the  fair  value  of  the  underlying  collateral 
adjusted for selling costs, if appropriate. For certain accruing current and expected TDRs, expected credit losses are measured 
based upon the present value of future cash flows of the modified asset terms compared to the amortized cost of the asset. 

For  purchased  financial  assets  that  have  experienced  more-than-insignificant  deterioration  in  credit  quality  since  origination 
(“PCD assets”), the Company recognizes the sum of the purchase price and estimate of the allowance for credit losses as of the 
date  of  acquisition  as  the  initial  amortized  cost  basis.  If  the  estimated  allowance  for  credit  losses  is  recognized  under  a 
methodology that is not a discounted cash flow methodology, such allowance for credit losses will be estimated based upon the 
unpaid principal balance of the financial asset.

The  Company  does  not  measure  an  allowance  for  credit  losses  on  accrued  interest  receivable  balances  if  these  balances  are 
written off in a timely manner. Write-offs of accrued interest receivable balances are recorded as a reduction to interest income.

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Recoveries  of  financial  assets  previously  written  off  are  recognized  when  received  and  recorded  as  a  component  of  the 
allowance for credit losses. When measuring the allowance for credit losses, the Company incorporates an estimate of expected 
recoveries provided the estimate is reasonable and supportable. Write-offs of financial assets are charged-off or deducted from 
the allowance for credit losses and recorded in the period when the Company concludes that all or a portion of a financial asset 
is no longer collectible. A provision for credit losses is charged to income based on Management’s periodic evaluation of the 
factors previously described. Evaluations are conducted at least quarterly and more frequently if deemed necessary.

Mortgage Servicing Rights ("MSRs")

MSRs  are  recorded  in  the  Consolidated  Statements  of  Condition  at  fair  value  in  accordance  with  ASC  860,  “Transfers  and 
Servicing.” The Company originates mortgage loans for sale to the secondary market. Certain loans are originated and sold with 
servicing rights retained. MSRs associated with loans originated and sold, where servicing is retained, are capitalized at the time 
of  sale  at  fair  value  based  on  the  future  net  cash  flows  expected  to  be  realized  for  performing  the  servicing  activities,  and 
included in other assets in the Consolidated Statements of Condition. The change in the fair value of MSRs is recorded as a 
component  of  mortgage  banking  revenue  in  non-interest  income  in  the  Consolidated  Statements  of  Income.  The  Company 
measures the fair value of MSRs by stratifying the servicing rights into pools based on homogeneous characteristics, such as 
product type and interest rate. The fair value of each servicing rights pool is calculated based on the present value of estimated 
future cash flows using a discount rate commensurate with the risk associated with that pool, given current market conditions. 
Estimates  of  fair  value  include  assumptions  about  prepayment  speeds,  interest  rates  and  other  factors  which  are  subject  to 
change over time. Changes in these underlying assumptions could cause the fair value of MSRs to change significantly in the 
future.

Lease Investments 

The  Company’s  investments  in  equipment  and  other  assets  held  on  operating  leases  are  reported  as  lease  investments,  net. 
Rental income on operating leases is recognized as income over the lease term on a straight-line basis. Equipment and other 
assets  held  on  operating  leases  is  stated  at  cost  less  accumulated  depreciation.  Depreciation  of  the  cost  of  the  assets  held  on 
operating  leases,  less  any  residual  value,  is  computed  using  the  straight-line  method  over  the  term  of  the  leases,  which  is 
generally seven years or less. 

Premises and Equipment

Premises and equipment, including leasehold improvements, are stated at cost less accumulated depreciation and amortization. 
Depreciation and amortization are computed using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the related assets. 
Useful lives generally range from two to 15 years for furniture, fixtures and equipment, two to seven years for software and 
computer-related equipment and seven to 39 years for buildings and improvements. Land improvements are amortized over a 
period of 15 years and leasehold improvements are amortized over the shorter of the useful life of the improvement or the term 
of the respective lease including any lease renewals deemed to be reasonably assured. Land, antique furnishings and artwork are 
not subject to depreciation. Expenditures for major additions and improvements are capitalized, and maintenance and repairs 
are charged to expense as incurred. Eligible costs related to the configuration, coding, testing and installation of internal use 
software and qualifying cloud computing arrangements are capitalized.

Long-lived depreciable assets are evaluated periodically for impairment when events or changes in circumstances indicate the 
carrying amount may not be recoverable. Impairment exists when the expected undiscounted future cash flows of a long-lived 
asset are less than its carrying value. In that event, a loss is recognized for the difference between the carrying value and the 
estimated fair value of the asset based on a quoted market price, if applicable, or a discounted cash flow analysis. Impairment 
losses are recognized in other non-interest expense.

Other Real Estate Owned

Other real estate owned is comprised of real estate acquired in partial or full satisfaction of loans and is included in other assets 
in  the  Consolidated  Statements  of  Condition.  Other  real  estate  owned  is  recorded  at  its  estimated  fair  value  less  estimated 
selling  costs  at  the  date  of  transfer.  Any  excess  of  the  related  loan  balance  over  the  fair  value  less  expected  selling  costs  is 
charged to the allowance for credit losses. In contrast, any excess of the fair value less expected selling costs over the related 
loan balance is recorded as a recovery of prior charge-offs on the loan and, if any portion of the excess exceeds prior charge-
offs,  as  an  increase  to  earnings.  Subsequent  changes  in  value  are  reported  as  adjustments  to  the  carrying  amount  and  are 
recorded in other non-interest expense. Gains and losses upon sale, if any, are also charged to other non-interest expense. At 
December 31, 2021 and 2020, other real estate owned totaled $4.3 million and $16.6 million, respectively.

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Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets

Goodwill represents the excess of the cost of an acquisition over the fair value of net assets acquired. Other intangible assets 
represent purchased assets that also lack physical substance but can be distinguished from goodwill because of contractual or 
other legal rights or because the asset is capable of being sold or exchanged either on its own or in combination with a related 
contract,  asset  or  liability.  In  accordance  with  accounting  standards,  goodwill  is  not  amortized,  but  rather  is  tested  for 
impairment on an annual basis or more frequently when events warrant, using a qualitative or quantitative approach.  Intangible 
assets  which  have  finite  lives  are  amortized  over  their  estimated  useful  lives  and  also  are  subject  to  impairment  testing. 
Intangible assets which have indefinite lives are evaluated each reporting date to determine whether events and circumstances 
continue to support an indefinite useful life. If an indefinite useful life can no longer be supported for such asset, the intangible 
asset will be amortized prospectively over the remaining estimated useful life. If an indefinite useful life can be supported, the 
asset is not amortized, but rather is tested for impairment on an annual basis or more frequently when events warrant, using a 
qualitative or quantitative approach. The Company’s intangible assets having finite lives are amortized over varying periods not 
exceeding twenty years.  

Bank-Owned Life Insurance ("BOLI")

The  Company  maintains  BOLI  on  certain  executives.  BOLI  balances  are  recorded  at  their  cash  surrender  values  and  are 
included in other assets in the Consolidated Statements of Condition. Changes in the cash surrender values are included in non-
interest income. At December 31, 2021 and 2020, BOLI totaled $157.7 million and $154.6 million, respectively.

Derivative Instruments

The  Company  enters  into  derivative  transactions  principally  to  protect  against  the  risk  of  adverse  price  or  interest  rate 
movements on the future cash flows or the value of certain assets and liabilities. The Company is also required to recognize 
certain contracts and commitments, including certain commitments to fund mortgage loans held-for-sale, as derivatives when 
the  characteristics  of  those  contracts  and  commitments  meet  the  definition  of  a  derivative.  The  Company  accounts  for 
derivatives in accordance with ASC 815, “Derivatives and Hedging,” which requires that all derivative instruments be recorded 
in  the  Consolidated  Statements  of  Condition  at  fair  value.  The  accounting  for  changes  in  the  fair  value  of  a  derivative 
instrument depends on whether it has been designated and qualifies as part of a hedging relationship and further, on the type of 
hedging relationship.

Derivative  instruments  designated  in  a  hedge  relationship  to  mitigate  exposure  to  changes  in  the  fair  value  of  an  asset  or 
liability  attributable  to  a  particular  risk,  such  as  interest  rate  risk,  are  considered  fair  value  hedges.  Derivative  instruments 
designated in a hedge relationship to mitigate exposure to variability in expected future cash flows, or other types of forecasted 
transactions, are considered cash flow hedges. Formal documentation of the relationship between a derivative instrument and a 
hedged asset or liability, as well as the risk-management objective and strategy for undertaking each hedge transaction and an 
assessment of effectiveness, is required at inception to apply hedge accounting. In addition, formal documentation of ongoing 
effectiveness testing is required to maintain hedge accounting.

Fair value hedges are accounted for by recording the changes in the fair value of the derivative instrument and the changes in 
the fair value related to the risk being hedged of the hedged asset or liability on the statement of condition with corresponding 
offsets recorded in the income statement. The adjustment to the hedged asset or liability is included in the basis of the hedged 
item, while the fair value of the derivative is recorded as a freestanding asset or liability. Actual cash receipts or payments and 
related amounts accrued during the period on derivatives included in a fair value hedge relationship are recorded as adjustments 
to the interest income or expense recorded on the hedged asset or liability.

Cash flow hedges are accounted for by recording the changes in the fair value of the derivative instrument on the statement of 
condition as either a freestanding asset or liability, with a corresponding offset recorded in other comprehensive income within 
shareholders’ equity, net of deferred taxes. Amounts are reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income to interest 
expense in the period or periods the hedged forecasted transaction affects earnings.

Under both the fair value and cash flow hedge scenarios, changes in the fair value of derivatives not considered to be highly 
effective in hedging the change in fair value or the expected cash flows of the hedged item are recognized in earnings as non-
interest income during the period of the change.

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Derivative  instruments  that  are  not  designated  as  hedges  according  to  accounting  guidance  are  reported  on  the  statement  of 
condition at fair value and the changes in fair value are recognized in earnings as non-interest income during the period of the 
change.

Commitments to fund mortgage loans (i.e. interest rate locks) to be sold into the secondary market and forward commitments 
for the future delivery of these mortgage loans are accounted for as derivatives and are not designated in hedging relationships. 
Fair  values  of  these  mortgage  derivatives  are  estimated  primarily  based  on  changes  in  mortgage  rates  from  the  date  of  the 
commitments. Changes in the fair values of these derivatives are included in mortgage banking revenue.

Forward currency contracts used to manage foreign exchange risk associated with certain assets are accounted for as derivatives 
and  are  not  designated  in  hedging  relationships.    Foreign  currency  derivatives  are  recorded  at  fair  value  based  on  prevailing 
currency exchange rates at the measurement date.  Changes in the fair values of these derivatives resulting from fluctuations in 
currency rates are recognized in earnings as non-interest income during the period of change.

Periodically, the Company sells options to an unrelated bank or dealer for the right to purchase certain securities held within its 
investment  portfolios  (“covered  call  options”).  These  option  transactions  are  designed  primarily  as  an  economic  hedge  to 
compensate for net interest margin compression by increasing the total return associated with holding the related securities as 
earning assets by using fee income generated from these options. These transactions are not designated in hedging relationships 
pursuant to accounting guidance and, accordingly, changes in fair values of these contracts, are reported in other non-interest 
income. 

The  Company  periodically  purchases  options  for  the  right  to  purchase  securities  not  currently  held  within  its  investment 
portfolios  or  enters  into  interest  rate  swaps  in  which  the  Company  elects  to  not  designate  such  derivatives  as  hedging 
instruments.  These  option  and  swap  transactions  are  designed  primarily  to  economically  hedge  a  portion  of  the  fair  value 
adjustments  related  to  the  Company’s  mortgage  servicing  rights  portfolio.  The  gain  or  loss  associated  with  these  derivative 
contracts are included in mortgage banking revenue. 

Trust Assets, Assets Under Management and Brokerage Assets

Assets held in fiduciary or agency capacity for customers are not included in the consolidated financial statements as they are 
not assets of Wintrust or its subsidiaries. Fee income is recognized on an accrual basis and is included as a component of non-
interest income.

Income Taxes

Wintrust  and  its  subsidiaries  file  a  consolidated  Federal  income  tax  return.  Income  tax  expense  is  based  upon  income  in  the 
consolidated financial statements rather than amounts reported on the income tax return. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are 
recognized  for  the  estimated  future  tax  consequences  attributable  to  differences  between  the  financial  statement  carrying 
amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using 
currently enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected 
to be recovered or settled. The effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities of a change in tax rates is recognized as an income tax 
benefit or income tax expense in the period that includes the enactment date.

Positions  taken  in  the  Company’s  tax  returns  may  be  subject  to  challenge  by  the  taxing  authorities  upon  examination.  In 
accordance  with  applicable  accounting  guidance,  uncertain  tax  positions  are  initially  recognized  in  the  financial  statements 
when it is more likely than not the positions will be sustained upon examination by the tax authorities. Such tax positions are 
both initially and subsequently measured as the largest amount of tax benefit that is greater than 50% likely of being realized 
upon settlement with the tax authority, assuming full knowledge of the position and all relevant facts. Interest and penalties on 
income tax uncertainties are classified within income tax expense in the income statement.

Stock-Based Compensation Plans

In accordance with ASC 718, “Compensation — Stock Compensation,” compensation cost is measured as the fair value of the 
awards on their date of grant. A Black-Scholes model is utilized to estimate the fair value of stock options and the market price 
of the Company’s stock at the date of grant is used to estimate the fair value of restricted stock awards. Compensation cost is 
recognized  over  the  required  service  period,  generally  defined  as  the  vesting  period.  For  awards  with  graded  vesting, 
compensation cost is recognized on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period for the entire award.

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Accounting  guidance  permits  for  the  recognition  of  stock  based  compensation  for  the  number  of  awards  that  are  ultimately 
expected  to  vest.  As  a  result,  recognized  compensation  expense  for  stock  options  and  restricted  share  awards  is  reduced  for 
estimated  forfeitures  prior  to  vesting.  Forfeitures  rates  are  estimated  for  each  type  of  award  based  on  historical  forfeiture 
experience.  Estimated  forfeitures  will  be  reassessed  in  subsequent  periods  and  may  change  based  on  new  facts  and 
circumstances. The Company issues new shares to satisfy option exercises and vesting of restricted shares.

Comprehensive Income

Comprehensive  income  consists  of  net  income  and  other  comprehensive  income.  Other  comprehensive  income  includes 
unrealized gains and losses on available-for-sale debt securities, net of deferred taxes, changes in deferred gains and losses on 
investment securities transferred from available-for-sale debt securities to held-to-maturity debt securities, net of deferred taxes, 
adjustments  related  to  cash  flow  hedges,  net  of  deferred  taxes,  and  foreign  currency  translation  adjustments,  net  of  deferred 
taxes. The Company has a policy for releasing the income tax effects from accumulated other comprehensive income using an 
individual security approach.

Stock Repurchases

The  Company  periodically  repurchases  shares  of  its  outstanding  common  stock  through  open  market  purchases  or  other 
methods. Repurchased shares are recorded as treasury shares on the trade date using the treasury stock method, and the cash 
paid is recorded as treasury stock.

Foreign Currency Translation 

The Company revalues assets, liabilities, revenue and expense denominated in non-U.S. currencies into U.S. dollars at the end 
of each month using applicable exchange rates.

Gains  and  losses  relating  to  translating  functional  currency  financial  statements  for  U.S.  reporting  are  included  in  other 
comprehensive income. Gains and losses relating to the re-measurement of transactions to the functional currency are reported 
in the Consolidated Statements of Income.

Going Concern

In  connection  with  preparing  financial  statements  for  each  reporting  period,  the  Company  evaluates  whether  conditions  or 
events, considered in the aggregate, exist that would raise substantial doubt about the Company's ability to continue as a going 
concern within one year after the date the financial statements are issued. If substantial doubt exists, specific disclosures are 
required to be included in the Company's financial statements issued. Through its evaluation, the Company did not identify any 
conditions or events that would raise substantial doubt about the Company's ability to continue as a going concern within one 
year of the issuance of these consolidated financial statements.

Accounting Pronouncements Newly Adopted

Income Taxes

In December 2019, the FASB issued ASU No. 2019-12, "Income Taxes (Topic 740): Simplifying the Accounting for Income 
Taxes,"  to  simplify  the  accounting  for  income  taxes  by  removing  certain  exceptions  to  the  general  principles  of  ASC  740, 
"Income Taxes". The guidance also improved consistent application by clarifying and amending existing guidance from ASC 
740. The Company adopted ASU No. 2019-12 as of January 1, 2021. Adoption of this standard did not have a material impact 
on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

Investment Securities

In January 2020, the FASB issued ASU No. 2020-01, “Clarifying the Interactions Between Investments-Equity Securities (ASC 
Topic 321), Investments-Equity Method and Joint Ventures (ASC Topic 323), and Derivatives and Hedging (ASC Topic 815),” 
which  amended  ASC  323,  Investments-Equity  Method  &  Joint  Ventures  to  clarify  that  an  entity  should  consider  observable 
transactions that require it to either apply or discontinue using the equity method of accounting for purposes of applying the 
measurement  alternative  in  accordance  with  ASC  321,  Investments-Equity  Securities,  immediately  before  applying  or 
discontinuing the equity method under ASC 323.

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The  guidance  also  amended  ASC  815,  Derivatives  &  Hedging,  to  clarify  that,  when  determining  the  accounting  for  certain 
nonderivative  forward  contracts  and  purchased  options,  an  entity  should  not  consider  how  to  account  for  the  resulting 
investments upon eventual settlement or exercise, and that an entity should evaluate the remaining characteristics in accordance 
with ASC 815 to determine the accounting for those forward contracts and purchased options.

The Company adopted ASU No. 2020-01 as of January 1, 2021 under a prospective approach. Adoption of this standard did not 
have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

Legislation and Regulations Issued as a Result of the COVID-19 Pandemic

On March 27, 2020, the former President of the United States signed the CARES Act, which provides entities with optional 
temporary relief from certain accounting and financial reporting requirements under U.S. GAAP.

Section  4013  of  the  CARES  Act  allowed  financial  institutions  to  suspend  application  of  certain  current  TDR  accounting 
guidance under ASC 310-40 for loan modifications related to the COVID-19 pandemic made between March 1, 2020 and the 
earlier of December 31, 2020 or 60 days after the end of the COVID-19 national emergency, provided certain criteria were met. 
This relief was able to be applied to loan modifications for borrowers that were not more than 30 days past due as of December 
31, 2019 and to loan modifications that deferred or delayed the payment of principal or interest, or changed the interest rate on 
the loan. The Company chose to apply this relief to eligible loan modifications.

In April 2020, federal and state banking regulators issued the Interagency Statement on Loan Modifications and Reporting for 
Financial Institutions Working with Customers Affected by the Coronavirus to provide separate relief, specifically indicating 
that  if  a  modification  is  either  short-term  (e.g.,  six  months)  or  mandated  by  a  federal  or  state  government  in  response  to  the 
COVID-19 pandemic, the borrower is not considered to be experiencing financial difficulty and thus does not represent a TDR 
under ASC 310-40. Additionally, in August 2020, regulators issued the Joint Statement on Additional Loan Accommodations 
Related  to  the  COVID-19  pandemic  to  provide  prudent  risk  management  and  consumer  protection  principles  for  financial 
institutions to consider while working with borrowers as loans near the end of initial loan accommodation periods applicable 
during  the  COVID-19  pandemic.  The  Company  continues  to  prudently  work  with  borrowers  negatively  impacted  by  the 
COVID-19 pandemic while managing credit risks and recognizing appropriate allowance for credit losses on its loan portfolio.

The business tax provisions of the CARES Act include temporary changes to income and non-income based tax laws, including 
immediate recovery of qualified improvement property costs and acceleration of Alternative Minimum Tax ("AMT") credits. 
These provisions are not expected to have a material impact on the Company's deferred taxes.

On  December  27,  2020,  the  Consolidated  Appropriations  Act,  2021  (the  "CAA"),  which  combined  stimulus  relief  for  the 
COVID-19 pandemic with an omnibus spending bill for the 2021 fiscal year, was signed by the former President of the United 
States.  The  CAA  included  extension  of  TDR  accounting  relief  provided  under  the  CARES  Act  to  January  1,  2022.  The 
Company considered this extension in the identification of TDRs during the year ended December 31, 2021.

Reference Rate Reform

In March 2020, the FASB issued ASU No. 2020-04, “Reference Rate Reform (Topic 848),” which provides temporary optional 
relief  for  contracts  modified  as  a  result  of  reference  rate  reform  meeting  certain  modification  criteria,  generally  allowing  an 
entity  to  account  for  contract  modifications  occurring  due  to  reference  rate  reform  as  an  event  that  does  not  require  contract 
remeasurement  or  reassessment  of  a  previous  accounting  determination  at  the  modification  date.  The  guidance  also  includes 
temporary  optional  expedients  intended  to  provide  relief  from  various  hedge  effectiveness  requirements  for  hedging 
relationships  affected  by  reference  rate  reform,  provided  certain  criteria  are  met,  and  allows  a  one-time  election  to  sell  or 
transfer to either available-for-sale or trading any held-to-maturity ("HTM") debt securities that refer to an interest rate affected 
by reference rate reform and were classified as HTM prior to January 1, 2020. Additionally, in January 2021, the FASB issued 
ASU No. 2021-01, “Reference Rate Reform (Topic 848): Scope,” which provided additional clarification that certain optional 
expedients and exceptions noted above apply to derivative instruments that use an interest rate for margining, discounting or 
contract price alignment that is modified as a result of reference rate reform. This guidance was effective upon issuance and can 
be applied prospectively, with certain exceptions, through December 31, 2022. 

In  November  2020,  federal  and  state  banking  regulators  issued  the  “Interagency  Policy  Statement  on  Reference  Rates  for 
Loans"  to  reiterate  that  a  specific  replacement  rate  for  loans  impacted  by  reference  rate  reform  has  not  been  endorsed  and 
entities  may  utilize  any  replacement  reference  rate  determined  to  be  appropriate  based  on  its  funding  model  and  customer 
needs. As discussed in the “Interagency Policy Statement on Reference Rates for Loans," fallback language should be included 
in lending contracts to provide for use of a robust fallback rate if the initial reference rate is discontinued. Additionally, federal 
banking regulators issued the "Interagency Statement on LIBOR Transition" acknowledging that the administrator of LIBOR 
has announced it will consult on its intention to cease the publication of the one week and two month USD LIBOR settings 

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immediately  following  the  LIBOR  publication  on  December  31,  2021,  and  the  remaining  USD  LIBOR  settings  immediately 
following  the  LIBOR  publication  on  June  30,  2023.    As  discussed  in  the  "Interagency  Statement  on  LIBOR  Transition," 
regulators encouraged banks to cease entering into new contracts that use USD LIBOR as a reference rate as soon as practicable 
and  in  any  event  by  December  31,  2021,  in  order  to  facilitate  an  orderly,  safe  and  sound  LIBOR  transition.  The  Company 
continues to monitor efforts and evaluate the impact of reference rate reform on its consolidated financial statements, including 
developing processes for assessing accounting impact.

Codification Improvements

In  October  2020,  the  FASB  issued  ASU  No.  2020-08,  “Codification  Improvements  to  Subtopic  310-20,  Receivables  — 
Nonrefundable Fees and Other Costs,” clarifying that, for each reporting period, an entity should reevaluate whether a callable 
debt security with multiple call dates is within the scope of ASC 310-20, which was amended to require amortization of any 
premium to the next call date. The next call date was defined as the first date when a call option at a specified price becomes 
exercisable.  The  Company  adopted  ASU  No.  2020-08  as  of  January  1,  2021  under  a  prospective  approach.  Adoption  of  this 
standard did not have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

Additionally, the FASB issued ASU No. 2020-10, “Codification Improvements,” in October 2020 to improve the consistency of 
the  codification  by  adding  or  moving  disclosure-specific  guidance  contained  in  the  Other  Presentation  Matters  section  to  the 
appropriate  Disclosure  Section  for  various  Topics.  The  Company  adopted  ASU  No.  2020-10  as  of  January  1,  2021  under  a 
retrospective  approach.  Adoption  of  this  standard  did  not  have  a  material  impact  on  the  Company’s  consolidated  financial 
statements.

Debt

In October 2020, the FASB issued ASU No. 2020-09, “Debt (Topic 470): Amendments to SEC Paragraphs Pursuant to SEC 
Release  No.  33-10762,"  which  provides  amendments  to  the  SEC  Materials  and  Disclosure  sections  within  ASC  Topics  270, 
Interim Reporting, 460, Guarantees, 470, Debt, and 505, Equity, impacted by the Financial Disclosures about Guarantors and 
Issuers  of  Guaranteed  Securities  and  Affiliates  Whose  Securities  Collateralize  a  Registrant’s  Securities  SEC  ruling.  This 
guidance was effective on January 4, 2021, consistent with SEC Release No. 33-10762, and the Company applied the guidance 
prospectively.  Adoption of this guidance did not have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

Financial Disclosures about Acquired and Disposed Businesses

In May 2020, the SEC issued a final rule on “Amendments to Financial Disclosures about Acquired and Disposed Businesses,” 
which provides for specific disclosure changes, including revising the investment and income significance tests, conforming the 
significance threshold and tests for a disposed business to those used for an acquired business, permitting abbreviated financial 
statements for certain acquisitions of a component of an entity, and reducing the maximum number of years for which financial 
statements  are  required  for  acquired  businesses  from  three  years  to  two  years,  among  other  amendments.  This  guidance  was 
effective on January 1, 2021. Adoption of this guidance did not have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial 
statements.

In August 2021, the FASB issued ASU No. 2021-06, "Presentation of Financial Statements (Topic 206), Financial Services - 
Depository and Lending (Topic 942), and Financial Services - Investment Companies (Topic 946)" which amends certain SEC 
paragraphs  in  the  codification  in  response  to  SEC  final  rule  over  Financial  Disclosures  about  Acquired  and  Disposed 
Businesses  by  amending  ASC  Topic  946  by  providing  additional  guidance  on  financial  statement  requirements  related  to 
Regulation  S-X  Rule  6-11,  Financial  Statements  of  Funds  Acquired  or  to  be  Acquired.  This  guidance  was  effective  upon 
issuance on August 9, 2021. Adoption of this standard did not have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial 
statements.

Statistical Disclosures for Bank and Savings and Loan Registrants

In  September  2020,  the  SEC  issued  a  final  rule  on  the  “Update  of  Statistical  Disclosures  for  Bank  and  Savings  and  Loan 
Registrants,” which adopts rules to update statistical disclosure requirements for banking registrants. The amendments update 
and  expand  the  disclosures  that  registrants  are  required  to  provide,  codify  certain  Industry  Guide  3  disclosure  items  and 
eliminate  other  Guide  3  disclosures  that  overlap  with  SEC  rules,  GAAP  or  IFRS  standards.  In  addition,  Guide  3  is  being 
rescinded  and  replaced  with  a  new  subpart  of  Regulation  S-K.  The  SEC  ruling  is  applicable  to  fiscal  years  beginning  after 
December 15, 2021 and early compliance is permitted. The Company adopted this guidance in conjunction with the issuance of 
2021 Form 10-K and adoption did not have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

111

In August 2021, the FASB issued ASU No. 2021-06, "Presentation of Financial Statements (Topic 206), Financial Services - 
Depository and Lending (Topic 942), and Financial Services - Investment Companies (Topic 946)" which amends certain SEC 
paragraphs in the codification in response to the SEC final rule on the Update of Statistical Disclosures for Banks and Savings 
and  Loan  Registrants  by  removing  the  disclosure  requirements  for  various  categories  of  loans  contained  in  ASC  Topic  942. 
This guidance was effective upon issuance on August 9, 2021. Adoption of this standard did not have a material impact on the 
Company’s consolidated financial statements.

(2) Recent Accounting Pronouncements 

Debt

In August 2020, the FASB issued ASU No. 2020-06, “Debt-Debt with Conversion and Other Options (Subtopic 470-20) and 
Derivatives  and  Hedging-Contracts  in  Entity’s  Own  Equity  (Subtopic  815-40):  Accounting  for  Convertible  Instruments  and 
Contracts  in  an  Entity’s  Own  Equity,”  which  includes  provisions  for  reducing  the  number  of  accounting  models  used  in 
accounting for convertible debt instruments and convertible preferred stock, amending derivatives and earnings-per-share (EPS) 
guidance  and  expanding  disclosures  for  convertible  debt  instruments  and  EPS.  This  guidance  is  effective  for  fiscal  years 
beginning  after  December  15,  2021,  including  interim  periods  therein,  and  is  to  be  applied  under  either  a  full  or  modified 
retrospective approach. Early adoption is permitted. The Company does not expect this guidance to have a material impact on 
the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

Equity Instruments

In May 2021, the FASB issued ASU No. 2021-04, “Earnings Per Share (Topic 260), Debt—Modifications and Extinguishments 
(Subtopic  470-50),  Compensation—Stock  Compensation  (Topic  718),  and  Derivatives  and  Hedging—Contracts  in  Entity’s 
Own Equity (Subtopic 815-40): Issuer’s Accounting for Certain Modifications or Exchanges of Freestanding Equity-Classified 
Written  Call  Options,”  which  requires  an  issuer  to  account  for  any  modification  or  exchange  of  the  terms  or  conditions  of  a 
freestanding equity-classified written call option that remains classified as equity to be treated as an exchange of the original 
instrument  for  a  new  instrument,  and  provides  a  framework  for  measuring  and  recognizing  the  effect  of  the  exchange  as  an 
adjustment to either equity or expense. This guidance is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2021, including 
interim  periods  therein,  and  is  to  be  applied  prospectively.  Early  adoption  is  permitted.  The  Company  does  not  expect  this 
guidance to have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

Leases

In  July  2021,  the  FASB  issued  ASU  No.  2021-05,  "Leases  (Topic  842):  Lessors  –  Certain  Leases  with  Variable  Lease 
Payments"  which  amends  lessor  lease  classification  requirements  to  allow  leases  with  variable  lease  payments  that  are  not 
dependent on a reference index or rate to be classified and accounted for as an operating lease, provided the lease would have 
been classified as a sales-type or direct financing lease and the lessor would have otherwise recognized a day-one loss. This 
guidance is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2021, including interim periods therein, with early adoption 
permitted.  As  the  Company  has  adopted  ASC  Topic  842,  this  guidance  is  to  be  applied  retrospectively  to  leases  that 
commenced or were modified after adoption or prospectively to leases that will commence or be modified after the application 
of these amendments. The Company does not expect this guidance to have a material impact on the Company's consolidated 
financial statements.

Business Combinations 

In October 2021, the FASB issued ASU No. 2021-08, “Business Combinations (Topic 805), Accounting for Contract Assets 
and  Contract  Liabilities  from  Customers  with  Contracts,”  which  clarifies  diversity  in  practice  related  to  recognition  and 
measurement  of  contract  assets  and  liabilities  related  to  revenue  contracts  with  customers  which  are  acquired  in  a  business 
combination by aligning business combination accounting with the subsequent accounting for contract assets and liabilities by 
requiring entities to apply ASC Topic 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers, in order to recognize and measure deferred 
revenue  in  a  business  combination.  The  guidance  also  creates  an  exception  to  the  general  recognition  and  measurement 
principle in ASC Topic 805, Business Combinations, under which such amounts are recognized by the acquirer at fair value on 
the acquisition date by providing two practical expedients for acquirers. This guidance is effective for fiscal years beginning 
after  December  15,  2022,  including  interim  periods  therein,  and  is  to  be  applied  either  prospectively  or  retrospectively 
depending on the date of initial application. Early adoption is permitted. The Company does not expect this guidance to have a 
material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

112

Disclosure of Government Assistance Received

In December 2021, the FASB issued ASU No. 2021-10, “Government Assistance (Topic 832), Disclosures by Business Entities 
about  Government  Assistance,”  which  improves  transparency  in  financial  reporting  by  requiring  business  entities  to  disclose 
information  about  certain  types  of  government  assistance  received,  specifically  transactions  with  a  government  which  are 
accounted  for  by  analogizing  to  a  grant  or  contribution  model.  This  guidance  is  effective  for  fiscal  years  beginning  after 
December 15, 2021, with early adoption permitted, and is to be applied either prospectively to all previous and new transactions 
within the scope of the amendments at time of initial application or retrospectively. The Company does not expect this guidance 
to have a material impact on the Company's consolidated financial statements.

(3) Investment Securities 

A summary of the available-for-sale and held-to-maturity securities portfolios presenting carrying amounts and gross unrealized 
gains and losses as of December 31, 2021 and 2020 is as follows:

(Dollars in thousands)
Available-for-sale securities

U.S. Treasury

U.S. Government agencies

Municipal

Corporate notes:

Financial issuers

Other

Mortgage-backed: (1)

Mortgage-backed securities

Collateralized mortgage 
obligations

Total available-for-sale securities
Held-to-maturity securities

U.S. Government agencies

Municipal

Mortgage-backed securities

Corporate notes

Total held-to-maturity securities

Less: Allowance for credit losses
Held-to-maturity securities, net 
of allowance for credit losses
Equity securities with readily 
determinable fair value 

December 31, 2021
Gross
Gross
unrealized
unrealized
losses
gains

Amortized
Cost

Fair Value

Amortized
Cost

December 31, 2020
Gross
Gross
unrealized
unrealized
losses
gains

Fair Value

$ 

—  $ 

—  $ 

—  $ 

—  $  304,956  $ 

15  $  —  $  304,971 

50,158 

161,618 

2,349 

4,193 

— 

52,507 

80,074 

(217) 

165,594 

141,244 

4,439 

5,707 

— 

(41) 

84,513 

146,910 

96,878 

1,000 

418 

7 

(2,599) 

— 

94,697 

1,007 

91,786 

1,000 

1,363 

(2,764) 

20 

— 

90,385 

1,020 

  1,901,005 

  32,830 

  (25,854) 

  1,907,981 

  2,330,332 

  86,721 

(15) 

  2,417,038 

105,710 

11,002 
$ 2,316,369  $  40,094  $  (28,670)  $ 2,327,793  $  2,960,081  $  98,578  $  (2,820)  $ 3,055,839 

106,007 

10,689 

297 

313 

— 

— 

$  180,192  $ 

201  $  (3,314)  $  177,079  $  177,959  $  2,552  $  —  $  180,511 

187,486 

9,544 

(223) 

196,807 

200,707 

  12,232 

(214) 

212,725 

  2,530,730 

864 

  (47,622) 

  2,483,972 

200,531 

43,955 

— 

(1,119) 

42,836 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

200,531 

— 

$ 2,942,363  $  10,609  $  (52,278)  $ 2,900,694  $  579,197  $  14,784  $ 

(214)  $  593,767 

(78) 

$ 2,942,285 

(59) 

$  579,138 

$ 

86,989  $  5,354  $  (1,832)  $ 

90,511  $ 

87,618  $  3,674  $ 

(430)  $ 

90,862 

(1) Consisting entirely of residential mortgage-backed securities, none of which are subprime.

Equity  securities  without  readily  determinable  fair  values  totaled  $37.5  million  as  of  December  31,  2021.  Equity  securities 
without readily determinable fair values are included as part of accrued interest receivable and other assets in the Company’s 
Consolidated Statements of Condition. The Company monitors its equity investments without readily determinable fair values 
to  identify  potential  transactions  that  may  indicate  an  observable  price  change  in  orderly  transactions  for  the  identical  or  a 
similar investment of the same issuer, requiring adjustment to its carrying amount. The Company recorded no upward and no 
downward  adjustments  on  such  securities  in  2021.  The  Company  conducts  a  quarterly  assessment  of  its  equity  securities 
without readily determinable fair values to determine whether impairment exists in such equity securities, considering, among 
other factors, the nature of the securities, financial condition of the issuer and expected future cash flows. During the year ended 
December 31, 2021, the Company recorded $2.4 million of impairment of equity securities without readily determinable fair 
values. 

113

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The  following  tables  present  the  portion  of  the  Company’s  available-for-sale  debt  securities  portfolios  which  had  gross 
unrealized losses, reflecting the length of time that individual securities have been in a continuous unrealized loss position at 
December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively:

As of December 31, 2021

(Dollars in thousands)
Available-for-sale securities
U.S. Treasury
U.S. Government agencies
Municipal
Corporate notes:

Financial issuers
Other

Mortgage-backed:

Continuous unrealized
losses existing for less
than 12 months

Continuous unrealized
losses existing for
greater than 12 months

Total

Fair value

Unrealized
losses

Fair value

Unrealized
losses

Fair value

Unrealized
losses

$ 

—  $ 
— 
47,726 

—  $ 
— 
(200)   

—  $ 
— 
850 

—  $ 
— 
(17)   

—  $ 
— 
48,576 

— 
— 
(217) 

23,855 
— 

(1,145)   
— 

45,539 
— 

(1,454)   
— 

69,394 
— 

(2,599) 
— 

Mortgage-backed securities
Collateralized mortgage obligations

742,743 
— 

(16,571)   

— 

221,350 
— 

(9,283)   
— 

964,093 
— 

Total available-for-sale securities

$  814,324  $ 

(17,916)  $  267,739  $ 

(10,754)  $ 1,082,063  $ 

(25,854) 
— 
(28,670) 

As of December 31, 2020

(Dollars in thousands)
Available-for-sale securities
U.S. Treasury
U.S. Government agencies
Municipal
Corporate notes:

Financial issuers
Other

Mortgage-backed:

Continuous unrealized
losses existing for less
than 12 months

Continuous unrealized
losses existing for
greater than 12 months

Total

Fair value

Unrealized
losses

Fair value

Unrealized
losses

Fair value

Unrealized
losses

$ 

—  $ 
— 
17,997 

—  $ 
— 
(38)   

—  $ 
— 
112 

—  $ 
— 
(3)   

—  $ 
— 
18,109 

— 
— 
(41) 

— 
— 

— 
— 

72,058 
— 

(2,764)   
— 

72,058 
— 

(2,764) 
— 

Mortgage-backed securities
Collateralized mortgage obligations

Total available-for-sale securities

$ 

972 
— 
18,969  $ 

(14)   
— 
(52)  $ 

62 
— 
72,232  $ 

(1)   
— 
(2,768)  $ 

1,034 
— 
91,201  $ 

(15) 
— 
(2,820) 

The Company conducts a regular assessment of its investment securities to determine whether securities are experiencing credit 
losses. Factors for consideration include the nature of the securities, credit ratings or financial condition of the issuer, the extent 
of  the  unrealized  loss,  expected  cash  flows,  market  conditions  and  the  Company’s  ability  to  hold  the  securities  through  the 
anticipated recovery period.

The Company does not consider available-for-sale securities with unrealized losses at December 31, 2021 to be experiencing 
credit losses and recognized no resulting allowance for credit losses for such individually assessed credit losses. The Company 
does  not  intend  to  sell  these  investments  and  it  is  more  likely  than  not  that  the  Company  will  not  be  required  to  sell  these 
investments  before  recovery  of  the  amortized  cost  bases,  which  may  be  the  maturity  dates  of  the  securities.  The  unrealized 
losses  within  each  category  have  occurred  as  a  result  of  changes  in  interest  rates,  market  spreads  and  market  conditions 
subsequent to purchase. Available-for-sale securities with continuous unrealized losses existing for more than twelve months at 
December 31, 2021 were primarily mortgage-backed securities.

See  Note  5—Allowance  for  Credit  Losses  for  further  discussion  regarding  any  credit  losses  associated  with  held-to-maturity 
securities at December 31, 2021.

114

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The  following  table  provides  information  as  to  the  amount  of  gross  gains  and  gross  losses  realized  and  proceeds  received 
through the sales and calls of investment securities: 

(Dollars in thousands)
Realized gains on investment securities
Realized losses on investment securities

Net realized gains on investment securities

Unrealized gains on equity securities with readily determinable fair value
Unrealized losses on equity securities with readily determinable fair value
Net unrealized gains on equity securities with readily determinable fair 
value

Upward adjustments of equity securities without readily determinable fair 
values
Downward adjustments of equity securities without readily determinable 
fair values
Impairment of equity securities without readily determinable fair values
Adjustment and impairment, net, of equity securities without readily 
determinable fair values

Other than temporary impairment charges(1)
(Losses) gains on investment securities, net

Proceeds from sales of available-for-sale securities(2)
Proceeds from sales of equity securities with readily determinable fair 
value
Proceeds from sales and capital distributions of equity securities without 
readily determinable fair value

$ 

$ 

$ 

Years Ended December 31,
2020

2019

2021

1,252  $ 
(173)   
1,079 
2,688 
(2,411)   

277 

— 

751  $ 
(530)   
221 
4,265 
(3,818)   

447 

401 

— 
(2,415)   

— 
(2,995)   

(2,415)   
— 
(1,059)  $ 

(2,594)   
— 
(1,926)  $ 

931 
(32) 
899 
3,057 
(568) 

2,489 

505 

(106) 
(262) 

137 
— 
3,525 

192,227  $ 

502,250  $ 

972,253 

9,759 

2,685 

6,530 

1,857 

19,200 

1,764 

(1) Applicable to periods prior to the adoption of ASU 2016-13.
(2) Includes  proceeds  from  available-for-sale  securities  sold  in  accordance  with  written  covered  call  options  sold  to  a 

third party.

Net losses/gains on investment securities resulted in income tax (benefit) expense of $(282,000), $(513,000) and $939,000 in 
2021, 2020 and 2019, respectively. 

115

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The amortized cost and fair value of securities as of December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, by contractual maturity, are 
shown in the following table. Contractual maturities may differ from actual maturities as borrowers may have the right to call or 
repay  obligations  with  or  without  call  or  prepayment  penalties.  Mortgage-backed  securities  are  not  included  in  the  maturity 
categories in the following maturity summary as actual maturities may differ from contractual maturities because the underlying 
mortgages may be called or prepaid without penalties:

(Dollars in thousands)
Available-for-sale securities
Due in one year or less
Due in one to five years
Due in five to ten years
Due after ten years
Mortgage-backed

Total available-for-sale securities

Held-to-maturity securities
Due in one year or less
Due in one to five years
Due in five to ten years
Due after ten years
Mortgage-backed

Total held-to-maturity securities
Less: Allowance for credit losses

December 31, 2021

December 31, 2020

Amortized
Cost

Fair Value

Amortized
Cost

Fair Value

$ 

$ 

$ 

$ 

49,714  $ 
72,382 
118,358 
69,200 
2,006,715 
2,316,369  $ 

49,822  $ 
73,850 
117,573 
72,560 
2,013,988 
2,327,793  $ 

343,601  $ 
67,901 
111,886 
95,672 
2,341,021 
2,960,081  $ 

343,846 
70,334 
112,178 
101,441 
2,428,040 
3,055,839 

2,976  $ 
79,422 
106,713 
222,522 
2,530,730 
2,942,363  $ 

(78) 

2,992  $ 
79,705 
112,667 
221,358 
2,483,972 
2,900,694  $ 

7,138  $ 
22,217 
150,621 
198,690 
200,531 
579,197  $ 

(59) 

7,186 
23,068 
159,293 
203,689 
200,531 
593,767 

Held-to-maturity securities, net of allowance for 
credit losses

$ 

2,942,285 

$ 

579,138 

At December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, securities having a carrying value of $2.6 billion and $2.4 billion, respectively, 
were pledged as collateral for public deposits, trust deposits, FHLB advances, securities sold under repurchase agreements and 
derivatives. At December 31, 2021, there were no securities of a single issuer, other than U.S. Government-sponsored agency 
securities, which exceeded 10% of shareholders’ equity.

116

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
(4) Loans

The following table shows the Company's loan portfolio by category as of the dates shown:

(Dollars in thousands)
Balance:
Commercial
Commercial real estate
Home equity
Residential real estate
Premium finance receivables—property & casualty
Premium finance receivables—life insurance
Consumer and other

Total loans, net of unearned income

Mix:
Commercial
Commercial real estate
Home equity
Residential real estate
Premium finance receivables—property & casualty
Premium finance receivables—life insurance
Consumer and other

Total loans, net of unearned income

December 31, 2021

December 31, 2020

$ 

$ 

11,904,068 
8,990,286 
335,155 
1,637,099 
4,855,487 
7,042,810 
24,199 
34,789,104 

$ 

$ 

11,955,967 
8,494,132 
425,263 
1,259,598 
4,054,489 
5,857,436 
32,188 
32,079,073 

 34 %
 26 
 1 
 5 
 14 
 20 
 0 
 100 %

 37 %
 26 
 1 
 5 
 13 
 18 
 0 
 100 %

The Company’s loan portfolio is generally comprised of loans to consumers and small to medium-sized businesses, which, for 
the commercial and commercial real estate portfolios, are located primarily within the geographic market areas that the banks 
serve. Various niche lending businesses, including lease finance and franchise lending, operate on a national level. Additionally, 
to provide short-term relief due to macroeconomic deterioration from the COVID-19 pandemic to small businesses within such 
market areas, the Company originated loans through PPP, an expansion of guaranteed lending under Section 7(a) of the Small 
Business Act within the CARES Act. As of December 31, 2021, the Company's commercial portfolio included approximately 
$558.3 million of such PPP loans. The premium finance receivables portfolios are made to customers throughout the United 
States and Canada. The Company strives to maintain a loan portfolio that is diverse in terms of loan type, industry, borrower 
and geographic concentrations. Such diversification reduces the exposure to economic downturns that may occur in different 
segments of the economy or in different industries.

Certain  premium  finance  receivables  are  recorded  net  of  unearned  income.  The  unearned  income  portions  of  such  premium 
finance receivables were $135.5 million and $113.1 million at December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively. 

Total  loans,  excluding  PCD  loans,  include  net  deferred  loan  fees  and  costs  and  fair  value  purchase  accounting  adjustments 
totaling $50.8 million at December 31, 2021 and $(3.2) million at December 31, 2020. Net deferred fees as of December 31, 
2021  includes  $12.7  million  of  net  deferred  fees  paid  by  the  SBA  for  loans  originated  under  the  PPP.  As  PPP  loans  share 
similar characteristics (loan terms), and prepayments are considered probable and can reasonably be estimated due to terms of 
the program, the Company considers estimated future principal prepayments in recognizing such deferred fee for determining a 
constant effective yield on the portfolio of loans.

Certain real estate loans, including mortgage loans held-for-sale, commercial, consumer, and home equity loans with balances 
totaling approximately $8.0 billion and $7.0 billion at December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively, were pledged as collateral to 
secure the availability of borrowings from certain federal agency banks. At December 31, 2021, approximately $7.8 billion of 
these pledged loans are included in a blanket pledge of qualifying loans to the FHLB. The remaining $189.7 million of pledged 
loans was used to secure potential borrowings at the FRB discount window. At December 31, 2021 and 2020, the banks had 
outstanding  borrowings  of  $1.2  billion  and  $1.2  billion,  respectively,  from  the  FHLB  in  connection  with  these  collateral 
arrangements. See Note 11, “Federal Home Loan Bank Advances,” for a summary of these borrowings.

It is the policy of the Company to review each prospective credit in order to determine the appropriateness and, when required, 
the adequacy of security or collateral necessary to obtain when making a loan. The type of collateral, when required, will vary 

117

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
from liquid assets to real estate. The Company seeks to assure access to collateral, in the event of default, through adherence to 
state lending laws and the Company’s credit monitoring procedures.

Acquired Loan Information — PCD Loans

As  part  of  the  Company’s  acquisitions  during  2021,  the  Company  acquired  loans  that  were  classified  as  PCD  based  upon 
various factors as of the acquisition date, including internal risk rating methodologies and prior classification as a TDR. The 
following table provides estimated details as of the date of acquisition on PCD loans acquired in 2021:

(Dollars in thousands)
Contractually required payments (unpaid principal balance)
Allowance for credit losses (1)
Discount, net of any premium

    Purchase price of PCD loans acquired

Insurance 
Agency Loan 
Portfolio

$ 

13,882 

(2,806) 

(214) 

$ 

10,862 

(1) The initial allowance for credit losses on PCD loans acquired during 2021 measured approximately $2.8 million, of which $2.3 million 
was charged off related to PCD loans that met the Company’s charge-off policy at the time of acquisition. After considering these loans 
that  were  immediately  charged  off,  the  net  impact  of  PCD  allowance  for  credit  losses  at  the  acquisition  date  was  approximately 
$470,000.

(5) Allowance for Credit Losses 

In accordance with ASC 326, the Company is required to measure the allowance for credit losses of financial assets with similar 
risk characteristics on a collective or pooled basis. In considering the segmentation of financial assets measured at amortized 
cost  into  pools,  the  Company  considered  various  risk  characteristics  in  its  analysis.  Generally,  the  segmentation  utilized 
represents the level at which the Company develops and documents its systematic methodology to determine the allowance for 
credit  losses  for  the  financial  asset  held  at  amortized  cost,  specifically  the  Company's  loan  portfolio  and  debt  securities 
classified as held-to-maturity. Below is a summary of the Company's loan portfolio segments and major debt security types:

Commercial loans, including PPP loans: The Company makes commercial loans for many purposes, including working capital 
lines and leasing arrangements, that are generally renewable annually and supported by business assets, personal guarantees and 
additional  collateral.  Underlying  collateral  includes  receivables,  inventory,  enterprise  value  and  the  assets  of  the  business. 
Commercial business lending is generally considered to involve a slightly higher degree of risk than traditional consumer bank 
lending.  This  portfolio  includes  a  range  of  industries,  including  manufacturing,  restaurants,  franchise,  professional  services, 
equipment finance and leasing, mortgage warehouse lending and industrial.

The Company also originated loans through PPP. Administered by the SBA, PPP provides short-term relief primarily related to 
the  disruption  from  COVID-19  to  companies  and  non-profits  that  meet  the  SBA’s  definition  of  an  eligible  small  business. 
Under the program, the SBA will forgive all or a portion of the loan if, during a certain period, loans are used for qualifying 
expenses.  If  all  or  a  portion  of  the  loan  is  not  forgiven,  the  borrower  is  responsible  for  repayment.  PPP  loans  are  fully 
guaranteed  by  the  SBA,  including  any  portion  not  forgiven.  The  SBA  guarantee  exists  at  the  inception  of  the  loan  and 
throughout its life and is not separated from the loan if the loan is subsequently sold or transferred. As it is not considered a 
freestanding contract, the Company considers the impact of the SBA guarantee when measuring the allowance for credit losses.

Commercial real estate loans, including construction and development, and non-construction: The Company's commercial real 
estate loans are generally secured by a first mortgage lien and assignment of rents on the underlying property. Since most of the 
Company's  bank  branches  are  located  in  the  Chicago  metropolitan  area  and  southern  Wisconsin,  a  significant  portion  of  the 
Company's  commercial  real  estate  loan  portfolio  is  located  in  this  region.  As  the  risks  and  circumstances  of  such  loans  in 
construction phase vary from that of non-construction commercial real estate loans, the Company assessed the allowance for 
credit losses separately for these two segments.

Home  equity  loans:  The  Company's  home  equity  loans  and  lines  of  credit  are  primarily  originated  by  each  of  the  bank 
subsidiaries  in  their  local  markets  where  there  is  a  strong  understanding  of  the  underlying  real  estate  value.  The  Company's 
banks monitor and manage these loans, and conduct an automated review of all home equity loans and lines of credit at least 
twice per year. The bank’s subsidiaries use this information to manage loans that may be higher risk and to determine whether 
to obtain additional credit information or updated property valuations. In a limited number of cases, the Company may issue 
home equity credit together with first mortgage financing, and requests for such financing are evaluated on a combined basis.

118

 
 
Residential  real  estate  loans:  The  Company's  residential  real  estate  portfolio  includes  one-  to  four-family  adjustable  rate 
mortgages that have repricing terms generally over five years, construction loans to individuals and bridge financing loans for 
qualifying  customers  as  well  as  certain  long-term  fixed  rate  loans.  The  Company's  residential  mortgages  relate  to  properties 
located principally in the Chicago metropolitan area and southern Wisconsin or vacation homes owned by local residents. Due 
to interest rate risk considerations, the Company generally sells in the secondary market loans originated with long-term fixed 
rates,  however,  certain  of  these  loans  may  be  retained  within  the  banks’  own  loan  portfolios  where  they  are  non-agency 
conforming, or where the terms of the loans make them favorable to retain. The Company believes that since this loan portfolio 
consists  primarily  of  locally  originated  loans,  and  since  the  majority  of  the  borrowers  are  longer-term  customers  with  lower 
LTV  ratios,  the  Company  faces  a  relatively  low  risk  of  borrower  default  and  delinquency.  It  is  not  the  Company's  current 
practice to underwrite, and there are no plans to underwrite subprime, Alt A, no or little documentation loans, or option ARM 
loans.

Premium  finance  receivables:  The  Company  makes  loans  to  businesses  to  finance  the  insurance  premiums  they  pay  on  their 
property and casualty insurance policies. The loans are indirectly originated by working through independent medium and large 
insurance agents and brokers located throughout the United States and Canada. The insurance premiums financed are primarily 
for commercial customers’ purchases of liability, property and casualty and other commercial insurance. This lending involves 
relatively rapid turnover of the loan portfolio and high volume of loan originations. The Company performs ongoing credit and 
other reviews of the agents and brokers to mitigate against the risk of fraud.

The Company also originates life insurance premium finance receivables. These loans are originated directly with the borrowers 
with  assistance  from  life  insurance  carriers,  independent  insurance  agents,  financial  advisors  and  legal  counsel.  The  life 
insurance policy is the primary form of collateral. In addition, these loans often are secured with a letter of credit, marketable 
securities or certificates of deposit. In some cases, the Company may make a loan that has a partially unsecured position.

Consumer and other loans: Included in the consumer and other loan category is a wide variety of personal and consumer loans 
to  individuals.  The  Company  originates  consumer  loans  in  order  to  provide  a  wider  range  of  financial  services  to  their 
customers.  Consumer  loans  generally  have  shorter  terms  and  higher  interest  rates  than  mortgage  loans  but  generally  involve 
more credit risk than mortgage loans due to the type and nature of the collateral.

U.S. government agency securities: This security type includes debt obligations of certain government-sponsored entities of the 
U.S. government such as the Federal Home Loan Bank, Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corporation, Federal Farm Credit Banks 
Funding Corporation and Fannie Mae. Such securities often contain an explicit or implicit guarantee of the U.S. government.

Municipal  securities:  The  Company's  municipal  securities  portfolio  includes  bond  issues  for  various  municipal  government 
entities located throughout the United States, including the Chicago metropolitan area and southern Wisconsin, some of which 
are privately placed and non-rated. Though the risk of loss is typically low, including within the Company, default history exists 
on municipal securities within the United States.

Mortgage-backed securities: This security type includes debt obligations supported by pools of individual mortgage loans and 
issued by certain government-sponsored entities of the U.S. Government such as Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae. Such securities 
are considered to contain an implicit guarantee of the U.S. Government.

Corporate notes: The Company’s corporate notes portfolio includes bond issues for various public companies representing a 
diversified  population  of  industries.  The  risk    of  loss  in  this  portfolio  is  considered  low  based  on  the  characteristics  of  the 
investments, including the Company’s own past history with similar investments.

In accordance with ASC 326, the Company elected to not measure an allowance for credit losses on accrued interest. As such, 
accrued  interest  is  written  off  in  a  timely  manner  when  deemed  uncollectible.  Any  such  write-off  of  accrued  interest  will 
reverse  previously  recognized  interest  income.  In  addition,  the  Company  elected  to  not  include  accrued  interest  within 
presentation and disclosures of the carrying amount of financial assets held at amortized cost. This election is applicable to the 
various  disclosures  included  within  the  Company's  financial  statements.  Accrued  interest  related  to  financial  assets  held  at 
amortized cost is included within accrued interest receivable and other assets within the Company's Consolidated Statements of 
Condition and totaled $117.4 million at December 31, 2021 and $121.9 million at December 31, 2020.

119

The tables below show the aging of the Company’s loan portfolio by the segmentation noted above at December 31, 2021 and 
2020. 

As of December 31, 2021
(In thousands)
Loan Balances (includes PCD):

Commercial

Commercial, industrial and other, 
excluding PPP loans
Commercial PPP loans

Commercial real estate:

Construction and development
Non-construction

Home equity
Residential real estate
Premium finance receivables

Property & casualty insurance loans
Life insurance loans

Consumer and other

Total loans, net of unearned 
income

As of December 31, 2020
(In thousands)
Loan Balances (includes PCD):

Commercial

Commercial, industrial and other, 
excluding PPP loans
Commercial PPP loans

Commercial real estate

Construction and development

Non-construction

Home equity

Residential real estate

Premium finance receivables

Life insurance loans

Consumer and other

Total loans, net of unearned 
income

Credit Quality Indicators

Nonaccrual

90+ days
and still
accruing

60-89
days past
due

30-59
days past
due

Current

Total Loans

$ 

20,399  $ 

—  $ 

23,492  $ 

42,933  $  11,258,961  $  11,345,785 

— 

1,377 
20,369 
2,574 
16,440 

5,433 
— 
477 

15 

— 
— 
— 
— 

770 

— 
284 
— 
982 

7,210 
7 
137 

15,490 
12,614 
34 

928 

556,570 

558,283 

2,809 
37,634 
1,120 
12,420 

22,419 
66,651 
509 

1,352,018 
7,575,795 
331,461 
1,607,257 

4,804,935 
6,963,538 
23,042 

1,356,204 
7,634,082 
335,155 
1,637,099 

4,855,487 
7,042,810 
24,199 

$ 

67,069  $ 

7,369  $ 

53,666  $ 

187,423  $  34,473,577  $  34,789,104 

Nonaccrual

90+ days
and still
accruing

60-89
days past
due

30-59
days past
due

Current

Total Loans

$ 

21,743  $ 

307  $ 

6,900  $ 

44,345  $ 

9,166,751  $ 

9,240,046 

— 

5,633 

40,474 

6,529 

26,071 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

436 

— 

264 

— 

36 

2,715,885 

2,715,921 

— 

5,178 

47 

1,635 

6,798 

21,003 

24 

5,344 

26,772 

637 

1,360,825 

7,049,906 

418,050 

1,371,802 

7,122,330 

425,263 

12,584 

1,219,308 

1,259,598 

18,809 

30,465 

136 

4,002,826 

5,805,968 

31,328 

4,054,489 

5,857,436 

32,188 

$ 

114,150  $ 

13,363  $ 

41,585  $ 

139,128  $ 

31,770,847  $ 

32,079,073 

Property & casualty insurance loans

13,264 

12,792 

Credit  quality  indicators,  specifically  the  Company's  internal  risk  rating  systems,  reflect  how  the  Company  monitors  credit 
losses and represents factors used by the Company when measuring the allowance for credit losses. The following discusses the 
Company's credit quality indicators by financial asset.

Loan portfolios

The Company's ability to manage credit risk depends in large part on our ability to properly identify and manage problem loans. 
To do so, the Company operates a credit risk rating system under which credit management personnel assign a credit risk rating 
(1 to 10 rating) to each loan at the time of origination and review loans on a regular basis. These credit risk ratings are also an 
important aspect of the Company's allowance for credit losses measurement methodology. The credit risk rating structure and 
classifications are shown below:

120

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Pass (risk rating 1 to 5): Based on various factors (liquidity, leverage, etc.), the Company believes asset quality is acceptable 
and is deemed to not require additional monitoring by the Company.

Special  mention  (risk  rating  6):  Assets  in  this  category  are  currently  protected,  potentially  weak,  but  not  to  the  point  of 
substandard classification. Loss potential is moderate if corrective action is not taken.

Substandard accrual (risk rating 7): Assets in this category have well defined weaknesses that jeopardize the liquidation of the 
debt. Loss potential is distinct but with no discernible impairment.

Substandard nonaccrual/doubtful (risk rating 8 and 9): Assets have all the weaknesses in those classified “substandard accrual” 
with the added characteristic that the weaknesses make collection or liquidation in full, on the basis of current existing facts, 
conditions, and values, improbable.

Loss/fully charged-off (risk rating 10): Assets in this category are considered fully uncollectible. As such, these assets have no 
carrying balance on the Company's Consolidated Statements of Condition.

Each loan officer is responsible for monitoring his or her loan portfolio, recommending a credit risk rating for each loan in his 
or her portfolio and ensuring the credit risk ratings are appropriate. These credit risk ratings are then ratified by the bank’s chief 
credit officer and/or concurrence credit officer. Credit risk ratings are determined by evaluating a number of factors including: a 
borrower’s financial strength, cash flow coverage, collateral protection and guarantees.

The  Company’s  Problem  Loan  Reporting  system  includes  all  loans  with  credit  risk  ratings  of  6  through  9.  This  system  is 
designed to provide an on-going detailed tracking mechanism for each problem loan. Once management determines that a loan 
has deteriorated to a point where it has a credit risk rating of 6 or worse, the Company’s Managed Asset Division performs an 
overall credit and collateral review. As part of this review, all underlying collateral is identified and the valuation methodology 
is analyzed and tracked. As a result of this initial review by the Company’s Managed Asset Division, the credit risk rating is 
reviewed and a portion of the outstanding loan balance may be deemed uncollectible and, as a result, no longer share similar 
risk characteristics as its related pool. If that is the case, the individual loan is considered collateral dependent and individually 
assessed  for  an  allowance  for  credit  loss.  The  Company’s  individual  assessment  utilizes  an  independent  re-appraisal  of  the 
collateral (unless such a third-party evaluation is not possible due to the unique nature of the collateral, such as a closely-held 
business  or  thinly  traded  securities).  In  the  case  of  commercial  real  estate  collateral,  an  independent  third  party  appraisal  is 
ordered by the Company’s Real Estate Services Group to determine if there has been any change in the underlying collateral 
value. These independent appraisals are reviewed by the Real Estate Services Group and sometimes by independent third party 
valuation experts and may be adjusted depending upon market conditions.

Through the credit risk rating process, loans are reviewed to determine if they are performing in accordance with the original 
contractual terms. If the borrower has failed to comply with the original contractual terms, further action may be required by the 
Company,  including  a  downgrade  in  the  credit  risk  rating,  movement  to  non-accrual  status  or  a  charge-off.  If  the  Company 
determines that a loan amount or portion thereof is uncollectible, the loan’s credit risk rating is immediately downgraded to an 8 
or 9 and the uncollectible amount is charged-off. Any loan that has a partial charge-off continues to be assigned a credit risk 
rating  of  an  8  or  9  for  the  duration  of  time  that  a  balance  remains  outstanding.  The  Company  undertakes  a  thorough  and 
ongoing analysis to determine if additional impairment and/or charge-offs are appropriate and to begin a workout plan for the 
credit  to  minimize  actual  losses.  In  determining  the  appropriate  charge-off  for  collateral-dependent  loans,  the  Company 
considers the results of appraisals for the associated collateral.

The table below shows the Company’s loan portfolio by credit quality indicator and year of origination at December 31, 2021:

As of December 31, 2021

(In thousands)

Loan Balances:

Commercial, industrial and other

Pass

Special mention

Substandard accrual

Substandard nonaccrual/doubtful

2021

2020

2019

2018

2017

Prior

Revolving

to Term

Year of Origination

Revolving

Total

Loans

$  2,878,530  $  1,517,832  $ 

971,713  $  692,439  $  466,042  $  661,422 

$  3,656,205  $ 

18,101 

$ 10,862,284 

48,867 

3,034 

204 

56,220 

11,359 

3,959 

74,411 

22,101 

7,283 

26,005 

27,428 

1,364 

11,261 

39,945 

108,572 

5,727 

371,008 

5,739 

2,438 

6,752 

4,831 

15,502 

72 

179 

248 

92,094 

20,399 

Total commercial, industrial and other

$  2,930,635  $  1,589,370  $  1,075,508  $  747,236  $  485,480  $  712,950 

$  3,780,351  $ 

24,255 

$ 11,345,785 

Commercial PPP

121

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Pass

Special mention

Substandard accrual

Substandard nonaccrual/doubtful

$ 

483,710  $ 

66,051  $ 

—  $ 

—  $ 

—  $ 

161 

— 

— 

7,466 

895 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

Total commercial PPP

$ 

483,871  $ 

74,412  $ 

—  $ 

—  $ 

—  $ 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

$ 

—  $ 

— 

— 

— 

$ 

—  $ 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

$ 

549,761 

7,627 

895 

— 

$ 

558,283 

Construction and development

Pass

Special mention

Substandard accrual

Substandard nonaccrual/doubtful

$ 

370,769  $ 

416,115  $ 

286,959  $ 

55,842  $ 

41,015  $ 

87,517 

$ 

11,817  $ 

2,657 

$  1,272,691 

282 

— 

— 

8,475 

12,282 

25,115 

— 

— 

313 

— 

2,547 

— 

18,172 

14,682 

116 

— 

— 

1,378 

— 

— 

— 

— 

151 

— 

64,442 

17,693 

1,378 

Total construction and development

$ 

371,051  $ 

424,590  $ 

299,554  $ 

83,504  $ 

73,869  $ 

89,011 

$ 

11,817  $ 

2,808 

$  1,356,204 

Non-construction

Pass

Special mention

Substandard accrual

Substandard nonaccrual/doubtful

$  1,555,684  $  1,137,883  $ 

938,729  $  767,775  $  696,357  $ 1,940,673 

$ 

185,525  $ 

15,863 

$  7,238,489 

3,543 

15,452 

— 

— 

286 

— 

53,902 

14,545 

— 

38,721 

27,322 

12 

27,169 

110,332 

18,133 

1,717 

65,820 

18,639 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

249,119 

126,106 

20,368 

Total non-construction

$  1,559,227  $  1,153,621  $  1,007,176  $  833,830  $  743,376  $ 2,135,464 

$ 

185,525  $ 

15,863 

$  7,634,082 

$ 

2  $ 

—  $ 

—  $ 

—  $ 

28  $ 

6,252 

$ 

310,285  $ 

— 

$ 

316,567 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

108 

— 

183 

— 

— 

67 

42 

438 

6,803 

2,136 

4,868 

860 

288 

241 

2,554 

— 

5,547 

10,467 

2,574 

$ 

2  $ 

—  $ 

108  $ 

183  $ 

137  $ 

15,629 

$ 

316,301  $ 

2,795 

$ 

335,155 

$ 

842,095  $ 

280,081  $ 

169,515  $ 

68,780  $ 

75,953  $  154,674 

$ 

—  $ 

1,849 

1,249 

— 

264 

2,208 

1,075 

450 

724 

1,640 

1,663 

1,075 

1,024 

1,766 

2,425 

2,406 

6,892 

8,996 

10,295 

— 

— 

— 

Total residential real estate

$ 

845,193  $ 

283,628  $ 

172,329  $ 

72,542  $ 

82,550  $  180,857 

$ 

—  $ 

$  4,766,171  $ 

26,706  $ 

9,637  $ 

1,020  $ 

48  $ 

44,648 

1,086 

4,645 

423 

280 

788 

— 

— 

— 

— 

35 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

$ 

—  $ 

— 

— 

— 

$  4,816,550  $ 

28,197  $ 

9,637  $ 

1,055  $ 

48  $ 

— 

$ 

—  $ 

— 

$  4,855,487 

$ 

510,661  $ 

857,553  $ 

798,535  $  702,894  $  736,384  $ 3,436,783 

$ 

—  $ 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

Total premium finance receivables - life

$ 

510,661  $ 

857,553  $ 

798,535  $  702,894  $  736,384  $ 3,436,783 

$ 

—  $ 

$ 

2,960  $ 

885  $ 

1,127  $ 

1,197  $ 

57  $ 

4,436 

$ 

12,780  $ 

5 

— 

— 

2 

2 

4 

13 

— 

— 

— 

— 

100 

78 

— 

— 

54 

107 

373 

9 

10 

— 

$ 

2,965  $ 

893  $ 

1,140  $ 

1,297  $ 

135  $ 

4,970 

$ 

12,799  $ 

$ 11,410,582  $  4,303,106  $  3,176,215  $ 2,289,947  $ 2,015,884  $ 6,291,757 

$  4,176,612  $ 

36,621 

$ 33,700,724 

99,355 

5,369 

4,849 

88,302 

15,030 

5,826 

141,058 

37,683 

9,031 

91,504 

58,590 

2,500 

58,446 

157,777 

113,449 

41,046 

6,603 

88,478 

37,652 

16,372 

360 

5,968 

2,884 

248 

755,859 

265,452 

67,069 

Total loans

$ 11,520,155  $  4,412,264  $  3,363,987  $ 2,442,541  $ 2,121,979  $ 6,575,664 

$  4,306,793  $ 

45,721 

$ 34,789,104 

(1)

Includes $31.7 million of loans with COVID-19 related modifications that migrated from pass as of March 1, 2020 to special mention or 
substandard  accrual  as  of  December  31,  2021.  These  loans  were  also  qualitatively  evaluated  as  a  part  of  the  measurement  of  the 
allowance for credit losses as of  December 31, 2021.

122

Home equity

Pass

Special mention

Substandard accrual

Substandard nonaccrual/doubtful

Total home equity

Residential real estate

Pass

Special mention

Substandard accrual

Substandard nonaccrual/doubtful

Premium finance receivables - property & 
casualty

Pass

Special mention

Substandard accrual

Substandard nonaccrual/doubtful

Total premium finance receivables - property & 
casualty

Premium finance receivables - life

Pass

Special mention

Substandard accrual

Substandard nonaccrual/doubtful

Consumer and other

Pass

Special mention

Substandard accrual

Substandard nonaccrual/doubtful

Total consumer and other
Total loans (1)

Pass

Special mention

Substandard accrual

Substandard nonaccrual/doubtful

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

$  1,591,098 

12,884 

16,677 

16,440 

$  1,637,099 

$  4,803,582 

45,071 

1,401 

5,433 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

$  7,042,810 

— 

— 

— 

$  7,042,810 

$ 

23,442 

161 

119 

477 

$ 

24,199 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Held-to-maturity debt securities

The Company conducts an assessment of its investment securities, including those classified as held-to-maturity, at the time of 
purchase  and  on  at  least  an  annual  basis  to  ensure  such  investment  securities  remain  within  appropriate  levels  of  risk  and 
continue to perform satisfactorily in fulfilling its obligations. The Company considers, among other factors, the nature of the 
securities  and  credit  ratings  or  financial  condition  of  the  issuer.  If  available,  the  Company  obtains  a  credit  rating  for  issuers 
from a Nationally Recognized Statistical Rating Organization (“NRSRO”) for consideration. If no such rating is available for an 
issuer, the Company performs an internal rating based on the scale utilized within the loan portfolio as discussed above. For 
purposes of the table below, the Company has converted any issuer rating from an NRSRO into the Company’s internal ratings 
based on Investment Policy and review by the Company’s management.

As of December 31, 2021

(In thousands)

Amortized Cost Balances:

U.S. government agencies

1-4 internal grade

5-7 internal grade

8-10 internal grade

2021

2020

2019

2018

2017

Prior

Balance

Year of Origination

Total

$ 

147,793  $ 

25,000  $ 

4,058  $ 

—  $ 

—  $ 

3,341 

$ 

180,192 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

Total U.S. government agencies

$ 

147,793  $ 

25,000  $ 

4,058  $ 

—  $ 

—  $ 

3,341 

$ 

180,192 

Municipal

1-4 internal grade

5-7 internal grade

8-10 internal grade

Total municipal

Mortgage-backed securities

1-4 internal grade

5-7 internal grade

8-10 internal grade

$ 

6,368  $ 

326  $ 

161  $ 

7,487  $ 

43,121  $ 

130,023 

$ 

187,486 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

$ 

6,368  $ 

326  $ 

161  $ 

7,487  $ 

43,121  $ 

130,023 

$ 

187,486 

$  2,530,730  $ 

—  $ 

—  $ 

—  $ 

—  $ 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

$  2,530,730 

— 

— 

$  2,530,730 

Total mortgage-backed securities

$  2,530,730  $ 

—  $ 

—  $ 

—  $ 

—  $ 

Corporate notes

1-4 internal grade

5-7 internal grade

8-10 internal grade

Total corporate notes

Total held-to-maturity securities

Less: Allowance for credit losses

Held-to-maturity securities, net of allowance for credit losses

Measurement of Allowance for Credit Losses

$ 

$ 

—  $ 

6,012  $ 

7,398  $ 

3,264  $ 

3,215  $ 

24,066 

$ 

43,955 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

—  $ 

6,012  $ 

7,398  $ 

3,264  $ 

3,215  $ 

24,066 

$ 

43,955 

$  2,942,363 

(78) 

$  2,942,285 

The Company's allowance for credit losses consists of the allowance for loan losses, the allowance for unfunded commitment 
losses  and  the  allowance  for  held-to-maturity  debt  security  losses.  In  accordance  with  ASC  326,  the  Company  measures  the 
allowance  for  credit  losses  at  the  time  of  origination  or  purchase  of  a  financial  asset,  representing  an  estimate  of  lifetime 
expected credit losses on the related asset. When developing its estimate, the Company considers available information relevant 
to  assessing  the  collectability  of  cash  flows,  from  both  internal  and  external  sources.  Historical  credit  loss  experience  is  one 
input  in  the  estimation  process  as  well  as  inputs  relevant  to  current  conditions  and  reasonable  and  supportable  forecasts.  In 
considering past events, the Company considers the relevance, or lack thereof, of historical information due to changes in such 
things as financial asset underwriting or collection practices, and changes in portfolio mix due to changing business plans and 
strategies. In considering current conditions and forecasts, the Company considers both the current economic environment and 
the forecasted direction of the economic environment with emphasis on those factors deemed relevant to or driving changes in 
expected credit losses. As significant judgment is required, the review of the appropriateness of the allowance for credit losses 
is performed quarterly by various committees with participation by the Company's executive management.

123

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
(In thousands)
Allowance for loan losses
Allowance for unfunded lending-related commitments losses
Allowance for loan losses and unfunded lending-related commitments losses
Allowance for held-to-maturity securities losses

Allowance for credit losses

December 31,
2021

December 31,
2020

$ 

$ 

247,835  $ 
51,818 
299,653 
78 
299,731  $ 

319,374 
60,536 
379,910 
59 
379,969 

The allowance for credit losses is measured on a collective or pooled basis when similar risk characteristics exist, based upon 
the  segmentation  discussed  above.  The  Company  utilizes  modeling  methodologies  that  estimate  lifetime  credit  loss  rates  on 
each pool, including methodologies estimating the probability of default and loss given default on specific segments. Historical 
credit  loss  history  is  adjusted  for  reasonable  and  supportable  forecasts  developed  by  the  Company  on  a  quantitative  or 
qualitative  basis  and  incorporates  third  party  economic  forecasts.  Reasonable  and  supportable  forecasts  consider  the 
macroeconomic  factors  that  are  most  relevant  to  evaluating  and  predicting  expected  credit  losses  in  the  Company's  financial 
assets. Currently, the Company utilizes an eight quarter forecast period using a single macroeconomic scenario provided by a 
third-party and reviewed within the Company's governance structure. For periods beyond the ability to develop reasonable and 
supportable forecasts, the Company reverts to historical loss rates at an input level, straight-line over a four quarter reversion 
period.  Expected  credit  losses  are  measured  over  the  contractual  term  of  the  financial  asset  with  consideration  of  expected 
prepayments.  Expected  extensions,  renewals  or  modifications  of  the  financial  asset  are  only  considered  when  either  1)  the 
expected extension, renewal or modification is contained within the existing agreement and is not unconditionally cancelable, 
or 2) the expected extension, renewal or modification is reasonably expected to result in a TDR. The methodologies discussed 
above are applied to both current asset balances on the Company's Consolidated Statements of Condition and off-balance sheet 
commitments (i.e. unfunded lending-related commitments).

Assets that do not share similar risk characteristics with a pool are assessed for the allowance for credit losses on an individual 
basis.  These  typically  include  assets  experiencing  financial  difficulties,  including  asset  rated  as  substandard  nonaccrual  and 
doubtful  as  well  as  assets  currently  classified  or  expected  to  be  classified  as  TDRs.  If  foreclosure  is  probable  or  the  asset  is 
considered  collateral-dependent,  expected  credit  losses  are  measured  based  upon  the  fair  value  of  the  underlying  collateral 
adjusted for selling costs, if appropriate. Underlying collateral across the Company's segments consist primarily of real estate, 
land  and  construction  assets  as  well  as  general  business  assets  of  the  borrower.  As  of  December  31,  2021,  excluding  loans 
carried  at  fair  value,  substandard  nonaccrual  and  doubtful  loans  totaling  $37.0  million  in  carrying  balance  had  no  related 
allowance for credit losses. For certain accruing current and expected TDRs, expected credit losses are measured based upon 
the present value of future cash flows of the modified asset terms compared to the amortized cost of the asset. Loans identified 
as being reasonably expected to be modified into TDRs in the future totaled $148,000 as of December 31, 2021.

The Company does not measure an allowance for credit losses on accrued interest receivable balances because these balances 
are written off in a timely manner as a reduction to interest income when assets are placed on nonaccrual status.

124

 
 
 
 
 
 
Loan portfolios

A summary of the activity in the allowance for credit losses by loan portfolio (i.e. allowance for loan losses and allowance for 
unfunded commitment losses) for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020 is as follows:

Year Ended 
December 31, 2021
(In thousands)
Allowance for credit losses at beginning of 
period

Initial allowance for credit losses recognized 
on PCD assets acquired during the period (1) 
Other adjustments

Charge-offs

Recoveries

Provision for credit losses

Commercial

Commercial
Real Estate

Home
Equity

Residential
Real Estate

Premium
Finance
Receivable

Consumer
and Other

Total
Loans

$ 

94,212  $ 

243,603  $ 

11,437  $ 

12,459  $ 

17,777  $ 

422 

379,910 

470 

— 

(20,801) 

2,559 

42,867 

— 

— 

(3,293) 

1,304 

(97,031) 

— 

— 

(336) 

1,203 

(1,605) 

— 

— 

(1,082) 

330 

(2,925) 

— 

3 

(9,020) 

7,989 

(890) 

— 

— 

470 

3 

(487) 

(35,019) 

184 

304 

13,569 

(59,280) 

Allowance for credit losses at period end

$ 

119,307  $ 

144,583  $ 

10,699  $ 

8,782  $ 

15,859  $ 

423  $  299,653 

By measurement method:

Individually evaluated for impairment

Collectively evaluated for impairment

Loans at period end:

Individually evaluated for impairment

Collectively evaluated for impairment

Loans held at fair value

5,196 

2,237 

114,111 

142,346 

192 

10,507 

899 

7,883 

— 

15,859 

28 

395 

8,552 

291,101 

$ 

24,530  $ 

30,167  $ 

14,656  $ 

23,306  $ 

—  $ 

611  $ 

93,270 

  11,879,538 

8,960,119 

320,499 

  1,575,195 

  11,898,297 

23,588 

  34,657,236 

— 

— 

— 

38,598 

— 

— 

38,598 

(1) The initial allowance for credit losses on PCD loans acquired during 2021 measured approximately $2.8 million, of which $2.3 million 
was charged off related to PCD loans that met the Company’s charge-off policy at the time of acquisition. After considering these loans 
that  were  immediately  charged  off,  the  net  impact  of  PCD  allowance  for  credit  losses  at  the  acquisition  date  was  approximately 
$470,000.

Year Ended 
December 31, 2020
(In thousands)
Allowance for credit losses at beginning of 
period

Cumulative effect adjustment from the adoption 
of ASU 2016-13

Other adjustments 
Charge-offs

Recoveries

Provision for credit losses

Commercial

Commercial
Real Estate

Home
Equity

Residential
Real Estate

Premium
Finance
Receivable

Consumer
and Other

Total
Loans

$ 

64,920 

$ 

68,511  $ 

3,878  $ 

9,800  $ 

9,647  $ 

1,705 

$  158,461 

9,039 
— 
(18,293) 

5,092 

33,454 

32,064 

— 

9,061 

— 

3,002 

— 

(4,959) 

179 

(15,960) 

(2,061) 

(891) 

(15,472) 

1,835 

157,153 

528 

31 

184 

364 

5,108 

23,274 

(863) 
— 
(528) 

149 

(41) 

47,344 

179 

(53,205) 

12,896 

214,235 

Allowance for credit losses at period end

$ 

94,212 

$ 

243,603  $ 

11,437  $ 

12,459  $ 

17,777  $ 

422 

$  379,910 

By measurement method:

Individually evaluated for impairment

Collectively evaluated for impairment

Loans at period end:

Individually evaluated for impairment

Collectively evaluated for impairment

Loan held at fair value

4,820 

89,392 

2,237 

241,366 

197 

11,240 

684 

11,775 

— 

17,777 

88 

334 

8,026 

371,884 

$ 

29,442 

$ 

56,656  $ 

23,173  $ 

29,886  $ 

—  $ 

505 

$  139,662 

  11,926,525 

8,437,476 

402,090 

  1,174,578 

  9,911,925 

31,683 

  31,884,277 

— 

— 

— 

55,134 

— 

— 

55,134 

At January 1, 2020, the Company adopted ASU 2016-13, which replaced the previous incurred loss methodology for measuring 
the allowance for credit losses with a lifetime expected loss methodology. At adoption, the allowance for credit losses related to 
loans  and  lending  agreements  increased  approximately  $47.3  million,  including  an  increase  of  approximately  $33.2  million 
recorded  to  the  allowance  for  unfunded  commitment  losses  within  accrued  interest  and  other  liabilities  on  the  Company's 
Consolidated  Statements  of  Condition,  with  an  offsetting  amount  recorded  directly  to  retained  earnings,  net  of  taxes.  The 
remaining $14.2 million cumulative effect adjustment was recorded to the allowance for loan losses, presented separately on the 
Company's  Consolidated  Statements  of  Condition.  Of  the  amount  recorded  to  the  allowance  for  loan  losses,  $11.0  million 
related  to  PCD  loans  with  such  offsetting  amount  added  directly  to  the  carrying  balance  of  the  loans  and  the  remaining 

125

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
$3.2  million  not  related  to  PCD  loans  recorded  directly  to  retained  earnings,  net  of  taxes,  on  the  Company's  Consolidated 
Statements of Condition.

For the year ending December 31, 2021, the Company recognized an approximately $59.3 million negative provision for credit 
losses related to loans and lending agreements, including an approximately $97.0 million negative provision for credit losses 
related  to  the  commercial  real  estate  portfolio.  The  negative  provision  was  primarily  the  result  of  improvements  in  the 
macroeconomic forecast, specifically the Company’s macroeconomic forecasts of key model inputs (most notably, Commercial 
Real Estate Price Index primarily impacting the commercial real estate portfolio, and Baa corporate credit spreads) as well as 
improvements in characteristics of the Company's loan portfolios. These were partially offset by additional provision for credit 
losses  measured  on  loan  growth  experienced  by  the  Company  in  2021  in  various  loan  portfolios,  excluding  PPP.  While 
uncertainties  remain  regarding  expected  economic  performance,  macroeconomic  forecasts  as  of  December  31,  2021  assume 
that  the  impact  of  those  uncertainties  is  less  severe  compared  to  that  assumed  at  December  31,  2020.  Other  key  drivers  of 
provision for credit losses in these portfolios include, but are not limited to, decreases to COVID-19 related loan modifications 
and positive loan risk rating migration. Net charge-offs in 2021 totaled $21.5 million.

Held-to-maturity debt securities

At  January  1,  2020,  the  Company  established  an  allowance  for  credit  losses  on  its  held-to-maturity  debt  securities  totaling 
approximately  $74,000,  which  is  presented  as  a  reduction  to  the  amortized  cost  basis  of  held-to-maturity  securities  on  the 
Company's Consolidated Statements of Condition. Such adjustment was recorded directly to the Company's retained earnings, 
net of taxes. During the year ended December 31, 2021, the Company recognized approximately $17,000 of provision for credit 
losses related to held-to-maturity securities.

TDRs

At December 31, 2021, the Company had $49.3 million in loans modified in TDRs. The $49.3 million in TDRs represents 247 
credits  in  which  economic  concessions  were  granted  to  certain  borrowers  to  better  align  the  terms  of  their  loans  with  their 
current ability to pay.

The  Company’s  approach  to  restructuring  loans  is  built  on  its  credit  risk  rating  system,  which  requires  credit  management 
personnel to assign a credit risk rating to each loan. In each case, the loan officer is responsible for recommending a credit risk 
rating for each loan and ensuring the credit risk ratings are appropriate. These credit risk ratings are then reviewed and approved 
by the bank’s chief credit officer and/or concurrence credit officer. Credit risk ratings are determined by evaluating a number of 
factors  including  a  borrower’s  financial  strength,  cash  flow  coverage,  collateral  protection  and  guarantees.  The  Company’s 
credit  risk  rating  scale  is  one  through  ten  with  higher  scores  indicating  higher  risk.  In  the  case  of  loans  rated  six  or  worse 
following modification, the Company’s Managed Assets Division evaluates the loan and the credit risk rating and determines 
that the loan has been restructured to be reasonably assured of repayment and of performance according to the modified terms 
and  is  supported  by  a  current,  well-documented  credit  assessment  of  the  borrower’s  financial  condition  and  prospects  for 
repayment under the revised terms.

A modification of a loan with an existing credit risk rating of 6 or worse or a modification of any other credit, which will result 
in a restructured credit risk rating of 6 or worse must be reviewed for possible TDR classification. In that event, the Company’s 
Managed Assets Division conducts an overall credit and collateral review. A modification of a loan is considered to be a TDR if 
both (1) the borrower is experiencing financial difficulty and (2) for economic or legal reasons, the bank grants a concession to 
a borrower that it would not otherwise consider. The modification of a loan where the credit risk rating is 5 or better after such 
modification  is  not  considered  to  be  a  TDR.  Based  on  the  Company’s  credit  risk  rating  system,  it  considers  that  borrowers 
whose credit risk rating is 5 or better are not experiencing financial difficulties and therefore, are not considered TDRs.

All credits determined to be a TDR will continue to be classified as a TDR in all subsequent periods, unless the borrower has 
been  in  compliance  with  the  loan’s  modified  terms  for  a  period  of  six  months  (including  over  a  calendar  year-end)  and  the 
current interest rate represents a market rate at the time of restructuring. The Managed Assets Division, in consultation with the 
respective  loan  officer,  determines  whether  the  modified  interest  rate  represented  a  current  market  rate  at  the  time  of 
restructuring. Using knowledge of current market conditions and rates, competitive pricing on recent loan originations, and an 
assessment of various characteristics of the modified loan (including collateral position and payment history), an appropriate 
market rate for a new borrower with similar risk is determined. If the modified interest rate meets or exceeds this market rate for 
a new borrower with similar risk, the modified interest rate represents a market rate at the time of restructuring. Additionally, 
before removing a loan from TDR classification, a review of the current or previously measured impairment on the loan and 
any  concerns  related  to  future  performance  by  the  borrower  is  conducted.  If  concerns  exist  about  the  future  ability  of  the 

126

borrower  to  meet  its  obligations  under  the  loans  based  on  a  credit  review  by  the  Managed  Assets  Division,  the  TDR 
classification is not removed from the loan. 

TDRs are individually assessed at the time of modification and on a quarterly basis to measure an allowance for credit loss.  
The carrying amount of the loan is compared to the expected payments to be received, discounted at the loan’s original rate, or 
for  collateral  dependent  loans,  to  the  fair  value  of  the  collateral.    Any  shortfall  is  recorded  as  a  reserve.  Each  TDR  was 
individually  assessed  at  December  31,  2021  and  approximately  $3.3  million  of  allowance  for  credit  losses  was  measured 
through the Company’s normal reserving methodology.  

TDRs  may  arise  in  which,  due  to  financial  difficulties  experienced  by  the  borrower,  the  Company  obtains  through  physical 
possession  one  or  more  collateral  assets  in  satisfaction  of  all  or  part  of  an  existing  credit.  Once  possession  is  obtained,  the 
Company  reclassifies  the  appropriate  portion  of  the  remaining  balance  of  the  credit  from  loans  to  OREO,  which  is  included 
within  other  assets  in  the  Consolidated  Statements  of  Condition.  For  any  residential  real  estate  property  collateralizing  a 
consumer  mortgage  loan,  the  Company  is  considered  to  possess  the  related  collateral  only  if  legal  title  is  obtained  upon 
completion of foreclosure, or the borrower conveys all interest in the residential real estate property to the Company through 
completion of a deed in lieu of foreclosure or similar legal agreement. At December 31, 2021, the Company had $1.3 million of 
foreclosed  residential  real  estate  properties  included  within  OREO.  Further,  the  recorded  investment  in  residential  mortgage 
loans  secured  by  residential  real  estate  properties  for  which  foreclosure  proceedings  are  in  process  totaled  $9.6  million  and 
$18.9 million at December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively.

127

The tables below present a summary of the post-modification balance of loans restructured during the years ended 
December 31, 2021, 2020, and 2019, which represent TDRs:

Year ended 
December 31, 2021

(In thousands)
Commercial

Commercial, 
industrial and other

Commercial real estate

Non-construction

Residential real estate 
and other

Total loans

Year ended
December 31, 2020

(In thousands)
Commercial

Commercial, 
industrial and other

Commercial real estate
Non-construction
Residential real estate 
and other

Total loans

Year ended
December 31, 2019

(In thousands)
Commercial

Commercial, 
industrial and other

Commercial real estate
Non-construction
Residential real estate 
and other

Total loans

Total (1)(2)

Extension at
Below Market
Terms (2)

Reduction of
Interest Rate (2)

Modification to
Interest-only
Payments (2)

Forgiveness of Debt (2)

Count

Balance

Count

Balance

Count

Balance

Count

Balance

Count

Balance

16  $ 

5,074 

7  $ 

847 

1  $ 

300 

—  $ 

— 

—  $ 

— 

5 

43 

2,944 

5,851 

4 

40 

2,401 

5,683 

2 

17 

656 

4,123 

1 

9 

113 

4,227 

— 

— 

64  $  13,869 

51  $ 

8,931 

20  $ 

5,079 

10  $ 

4,340 

—  $ 

— 

— 

— 

Total (1)(2)

Extension at
Below Market
Terms (2)

Reduction of
Interest Rate (2)

Modification to
Interest-only
Payments (2)

Forgiveness of Debt (2)

Count

Balance

Count

Balance

Count

Balance

Count

Balance

Count

Balance

21  $  12,362 

17  $ 

8,089 

1  $ 

991 

6  $ 

4,436 

1  $ 

432 

18 

85 

19,281 

14,229 

15 

70 

14,657 

13,721 

3 

38 

921 

5,809 

8 

1 

5,853 

190 

— 

— 

124  $  45,872 

102  $  36,467 

42  $ 

7,721 

15  $  10,479 

1  $ 

— 

— 

432 

Total (1)(2)

Extension at
Below Market
Terms (2)

Reduction of
Interest Rate (2)

Modification to
Interest-only
Payments (2)

Forgiveness of Debt (2)

Count

Balance

Count

Balance

Count

Balance

Count

Balance

Count

Balance

24  $  26,341 

12  $ 

6,993 

2  $ 

605 

13  $  20,872 

—  $ 

7 

7,018 

5  $ 

6,465 

145 

20,206 

117  $  17,258 

— 

28 

— 

5,415 

3 

1 

5,493 

311 

— 

— 

176  $  53,565 

134  $  30,716 

30  $ 

6,020 

17  $  26,676 

—  $ 

— 

— 

— 

— 

(1) TDRs  may  have  more  than  one  modification  representing  a  concession.  As  such,  TDRs  during  the  period  may  be 

represented in more than one of the categories noted above.

(2) Balances represent the recorded investment in the loan at the time of the restructuring.

During the year ended December 31, 2021, $13.9 million, or 64 loans, were determined to be TDRs, compared to $45.9 million, 
or 124 loans, and $53.6 million, or 176 loans, in the years ended 2020 and 2019, respectively. Of these loans extended at below 
market terms, the weighted average extension had a term of approximately 83 months in 2021 compared to 14 months in 2020 
and 18 months in 2019. Further, the weighted average decrease in the stated interest rate for loans with a reduction of interest 
rate during the period was approximately 137 basis points, compared to 129 basis points and 218 basis points during the years 
ended December 31, 2021, 2020, and 2019, respectively. Interest-only payment terms were approximately three months during 
the year ended 2021 compared to 12 months and five months for the years ended 2020 and 2019, respectively. Additionally, no 
principal  balances  were  forgiven  on  the  loans  noted  above  in  2021  compared  to  $453,000  principal  balance  forgiven  during 
2020 and no principal balance forgiven during 2019.

128

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The tables below present a summary of all loans restructured in TDRs during the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020, and 
2019, and such loans which were in payment default under the restructured terms during the respective periods: 

(In thousands)
Commercial

Commercial, industrial 
and other

Commercial real-estate

Non-construction

Residential real estate and 
other

Total loans

Year Ended December 31, 2021

Year Ended December 31, 2020

Year Ended December 31, 2019

Total (1)(3)

Payments in
Default  (2)(3)

Total (1)(3)

Payments in
Default  (2)(3)

Total (1)(3)

Payments in
Default  (2)(3)

Count

Balance

Count

Balance

Count

Balance

Count

Balance

Count

Balance

Count

Balance

16  $  5,074 

1  $ 

199 

21  $  12,362 

7  $  4,041 

24  $  26,341 

12  $  22,575 

5 

43 

2,944 

5,851 

3 

2 

2,276 

18 

  19,281 

12 

  14,343 

7 

7,018 

3 

865

116 

85 

  14,229 

8 

834 

  145 

  20,206 

12 

5,126 

64  $  13,869 

6  $  2,591 

  124  $  45,872 

27  $  19,218 

  176  $  53,565 

27  $  28,566 

(1) Total TDRs represent all loans restructured in TDRs during the year indicated.
(2) TDRs considered to be in payment default are over 30 days past-due subsequent to the restructuring.
(3) Balances represent the recorded investment in the loan at the time of the restructuring.

(6) Mortgage Servicing Rights (“MSRs”)

Following  is  a  summary  of  the  changes  in  the  carrying  value  of  MSRs,  accounted  for  at  fair  value,  for  the  years  ended 
December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019:

(Dollars in thousands)
Balance at beginning of year
Additions from loans sold with servicing retained
Additions from acquisitions
Estimate of changes in fair value due to:

Early buyout options ("EBO") exercised
Payoffs and paydowns
Changes in valuation inputs or assumptions

Fair value at end of year
Unpaid principal balance of mortgage loans serviced for others

December 31,

December 31,

December 31,

2021

2020

2019

92,081  $ 
72,754 
— 

85,638  $ 
71,077 
— 

75,183 
44,943 
408 

(749)   
(34,788)   
18,273 
147,571  $ 
13,126,254  $ 

(1,291)   
(32,579)   
(30,764)   
92,081  $ 
10,833,135  $ 

— 
(20,118) 
(14,778) 
85,638 
8,243,251 

$ 

$ 
$ 

The Company recognizes MSR assets upon the sale of residential real estate loans to external third parties when it retains the 
obligation to service the loans and the servicing fee is more than adequate compensation. The initial recognition of MSR assets 
from loans sold with servicing retained and subsequent changes in fair value of all MSRs are recognized in mortgage banking 
revenue. MSRs are subject to changes in value from actual and expected prepayment of the underlying loans. 

The estimation of fair value related to MSRs is partly impacted by the Company exercising its EBO on eligible loans previously 
sold  to  the  Government  National  Mortgage  Association  ("GNMA").  Under  such  optional  repurchase  program,  financial 
institutions  acting  as  servicers  are  allowed  to  buy  back  from  the  securitized  loan  pool  individual  delinquent  mortgage  loans 
meeting  certain  criteria  for  which  the  institution  was  the  original  transferor  of  such  loans.  At  the  option  of  the  servicer  and 
without  prior  authorization  from  GNMA,  the  servicer  may  repurchase  such  delinquent  loans  for  an  amount  equal  to  the 
remaining principal balance of the loan. At the time of such repurchase, any MSR value related to such loans is derecognized.

Starting in 2019, the Company periodically purchased options for the right to purchase securities not currently held within the 
banks' investment portfolios and entered into interest rate swaps in which the Company elected to not designate such derivatives 
as hedging instruments. These option and swap transactions were designed primarily to economically hedge a portion of the fair 
value  adjustments  related  to  MSRs.  During  2020,  the  Company  terminated  these  interest  rate  swaps.  There  were  no  such 
options or interest rate swaps outstanding as of December 31, 2021 and 2020. For more information regarding these hedges, see 
Note 21 - Derivative Financial Instruments in Item 8 of this report. 

The MSR asset fair value is determined by using a discounted cash flow model that incorporates the objective characteristics of 
the portfolio as well as subjective valuation parameters that purchasers of servicing would apply to such portfolios sold into the 

129

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
secondary market. The subjective factors include loan prepayment speeds, discount rates, servicing costs and other economic 
factors. The Company uses a third party to assist in the valuation of MSRs.  

(7) Business Combinations 

On November 15, 2021, the Company completed its acquisition of certain assets from The Allstate Corporation (“Allstate”). 
Through this business combination, the Company acquired approximately $581.6 million of loans, net of allowance for credit 
losses  measured  on  the  acquisition  date.  The  loan  portfolio  was  comprised  of  approximately  1,800  loans  to  Allstate  agents 
nationally. In addition to acquiring the loans, the Company became the national preferred provider of loans to Allstate agents. 
In  connection  with  the  loan  acquisition,  a  team  of  Allstate  agency  lending  specialists  joined  the  Company  to  augment  and 
expand Wintrust’s existing insurance agency finance business. As the transaction was determined to be a business combination, 
the Company recorded goodwill of approximately $9.3 million on the purchase.

On November 1, 2019, the Company completed its acquisition of SBC, Incorporated (“SBC”). SBC was the parent company of 
Countryside Bank. Through this business combination, the Company acquired Countryside Bank’s six banking offices located 
in  Countryside,  Burbank,  Darien,  Homer  Glen,  Oak  Brook  and  Chicago,  Illinois.  As  of  the  acquisition  date,  the  Company 
acquired approximately $619.8 million in assets, including approximately $423.0 million in loans, and approximately $507.8 
million in deposits. The Company recorded goodwill of approximately $40.3 million related to the acquisition.

On October 7, 2019, the Company completed its acquisition of STC Bancshares Corp. (“STC”). STC was the parent company 
of  STC  Capital  Bank.  Through  this  business  combination,  the  Company  acquired  STC  Capital  Bank’s  five  banking  offices 
located in the communities of St. Charles, Geneva and South Elgin, Illinois. As of the acquisition date, the Company acquired 
approximately $250.1 million in assets, including approximately $174.3 million in loans, and approximately $201.2 million in 
deposits. The Company recorded goodwill of approximately $19.1 million related to the acquisition.

On May 24, 2019, the Company completed its acquisition of Rush-Oak Corporation (“ROC”). ROC was the parent company of 
Oak Bank. Through this business combination, the Company acquired Oak Bank’s one banking location in Chicago, Illinois. As 
of the acquisition date, the Company acquired approximately $223.4 million in assets, including approximately $124.7 million 
in loans, and approximately $161.2 million in deposits. The Company recorded goodwill of approximately $11.7 million related 
to the acquisition.

(8) Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets

A summary of the Company’s goodwill assets by business segment is presented in the following table:

(Dollars in thousands)
Community banking
Specialty finance
Wealth management
Total

January 1,
2021

Goodwill
Acquired

Impairment
Loss

Goodwill 
Adjustments

December 31, 
2021

$ 

$ 

536,396  $ 
39,938 
69,373 
645,707  $ 

9,275  $ 
— 
— 
9,275  $ 

—  $ 
— 
— 
—  $ 

—  $ 
167 
— 
167  $ 

545,671 
40,105 
69,373 
655,149 

The community banking segment’s goodwill increased $9.3 million in 2021 as a result of the Allstate business combination. 
The  specialty  finance  segment’s  goodwill  increased  $167,000  in  2021  as  a  result  of  foreign  currency  translation  adjustments 
related to prior Canadian acquisitions.

The  Company  assesses  each  reporting  unit’s  goodwill  for  impairment  on  at  least  an  annual  basis  and  considers  potential 
indicators of impairment at each reporting date between annual goodwill impairment tests. At October 1, 2021, the Company 
utilized  a  quantitative  approach  for  its  annual  goodwill  impairment  tests  of  the  banking,  specialty  finance  and  wealth 
management reporting units and determined that no impairment existed at that time. 

Given the continued economic uncertainty surrounding COVID-19, the Company assessed whether events and circumstances as 
of each reporting date in 2021 resulted in it being more likely than not that the fair value of any reporting unit was less than its 
carrying  value.  Potential  impairment  indicators  considered  include  the  condition  of  the  economy  and  banking  industry; 
government intervention and regulatory updates; the impact of recent events to financial performance and cost factors of the 
reporting  units;  performance  of  the  Company’s  stock  and  other  relevant  events.  As  of  December  31,  2021,  the  Company 
identified no indicators of goodwill impairment in addition to considerations within its analysis as of October 1, 2021 within the 

130

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
community banking, specialty finance or wealth management reporting units and the Company determined it was more likely 
than not that the fair value of all reporting units exceeded the respective carrying value of such reporting unit. 

A  summary  of  intangible  assets  as  of  the  dates  shown  and  the  expected  amortization  of  finite-lived  intangible  assets  as  of 
December 31, 2021 is as follows:

(Dollars in thousands)
Community banking segment:

Core deposit intangibles with finite lives:

Gross carrying amount
Accumulated amortization

Net carrying amount

Trademark with indefinite lives:

Carrying amount

Total net carrying amount

Specialty finance segment:

Customer list intangibles with finite lives:

Gross carrying amount
Accumulated amortization

Net carrying amount
Wealth management segment:

Customer list and other intangibles with finite lives:

Gross carrying amount
Accumulated amortization

Net carrying amount

Total intangible assets:
Gross carrying amount
Accumulated amortization
Total intangible assets, net

Estimated amortization for the year-ended:
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026

December 31,

2021

2020

$ 

$ 

$ 

$ 

$ 

$ 

$ 

$ 

$ 

55,206  $ 
(38,067)   
17,139  $ 

5,800 
22,939  $ 

1,967  $ 
(1,721)   
246  $ 

20,430  $ 
(15,308)   
5,122  $ 

83,403  $ 
(55,096)   
28,307  $ 

$ 

55,206 
(32,680) 
22,526 

5,800 
28,326 

1,966 
(1,644) 
322 

20,430 
(13,038) 
7,392 

83,402 
(47,362) 
36,040 

6,115 
4,658 
3,259 
2,552 
1,954 

The core deposit intangibles recognized in connection with prior bank acquisitions are amortized over a ten-year period on an 
accelerated basis. The customer list intangibles recognized in connection with the purchase of life insurance premium finance 
assets in 2009 are being amortized over an 18-year period on an accelerated basis while the customer list intangibles recognized
in connection with prior acquisitions within the wealth management segment are being amortized over a period of up to ten-
years  on  a  straight-line  basis.  Indefinite-lived  intangible  assets  consist  of  certain  trade  and  domain  names  recognized  in 
connection with the Veterans First acquisition. As indefinite-lived intangible assets are not amortized, the Company assesses 
impairment on at least an annual basis.

Total amortization expense associated with finite-lived intangibles in 2021, 2020 and 2019 was $7.7 million, $11.0 million and 
$11.8 million, respectively.

131

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
(9) Premises, Software and Equipment, Net

A summary of premises and equipment at December 31, 2021 and 2020 is as follows:

(Dollars in thousands)
Land
Buildings and leasehold improvements
Furniture, equipment, and computer software
Construction in progress

Less: Accumulated depreciation and amortization
Total premises and equipment, net

December 31,

2021

2020

$ 

$ 

$ 

168,057  $ 
667,680 
329,314 
17,742 
1,182,793  $ 
416,388 
766,405  $ 

169,245 
657,529 
280,600 
32,312 
1,139,686 
370,878 
768,808 

Depreciation and amortization expense related to premises and equipment totaled $54.0 million in 2021, $46.4 million in 2020 
and $38.0 million in 2019.

(10) Deposits

The following is a summary of deposits at December 31, 2021 and 2020:

(Dollars in thousands)
Balance:
Non-interest bearing
NOW and interest-bearing demand deposits
Wealth management deposits
Money market
Savings
Time certificates of deposit

Total deposits

Mix:

Non-interest bearing
NOW and interest-bearing demand deposits
Wealth management deposits
Money market
Savings
Time certificates of deposit

Total deposits

2021

2020

$ 

$ 

14,179,980 
4,158,871 
4,491,795 
11,449,469 
3,846,681 
3,968,789 
42,095,585 

$ 

$ 

11,748,455 
3,349,021 
4,138,712 
9,348,806 
3,531,029 
4,976,628 
37,092,651 

 34 %
 10 
 11 
 27 
 9 
 9 
 100 %

 32 %
 9 
 11 
 25 
 10 
 13 
 100 %

Wealth  management  deposits  represent  deposit  balances  of  the  Company’s  subsidiary  banks  from  brokerage  customers  of 
Wintrust  Investments,  CDEC,  trust  and  asset  management  customers  of  the  Company  and  brokerage  customers  from 
unaffiliated companies which have been placed into deposit accounts.

The scheduled maturities of time certificates of deposit at December 31, 2021 and 2020 are as follows:

(Dollars in thousands)
Due within one year
Due in one to two years
Due in two to three years
Due in three to four years
Due in four to five years
Due after five years

Total time certificate of deposits

2021

2020

2,810,669  $ 
899,765 
225,733 
18,081 
14,286 
255 
3,968,789  $ 

3,907,724 
853,915 
170,052 
28,896 
15,233 
808 
4,976,628 

$ 

$ 

132

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The following table sets forth the scheduled maturities of time deposits in denominations of $100,000 or more at December 31, 
2021 and 2020:

(Dollars in thousands)
Maturing within three months
After three but within six months
After six but within 12 months
After 12 months

Total

2021

2020

576,918  $ 
450,418 
838,040 
754,062 
2,619,438  $ 

584,956 
913,216 
1,156,401 
701,993 
3,356,566 

$ 

$ 

Time  deposits  in  denominations  of  $250,000  or  more  were  $1.2  billion  and  $1.6  billion  at  December  31,  2021  and  2020, 
respectively.

(11) Federal Home Loan Bank Advances

A summary of the outstanding FHLB advances at December 31, 2021 and 2020, is as follows:

(Dollars in thousands)
1.88% advance due June 2021
0.00% advance due May 2021
0.00% advance due May 2022
0.00% advance due April 2024
2.98% advance due August 2024
0.00% advance due April 2026
2.05% variable-rate advance due January 2028
2.18% advance due February 2029
1.36% advance due December 2029
1.11% advance due February 2030
Total FHLB advances

2021

2020

$ 

$ 

—  $ 
— 
75,000 
442 
25,000 
629 
100,000 
440,000 
100,000 
500,000 
1,241,071  $ 

2,987 
60,000 
— 
442 
25,000 
— 
100,000 
440,000 
100,000 
500,000 
1,228,429 

FHLB advances consist of obligations of the banks and are collateralized by qualifying commercial and residential real estate 
and  home  equity  loans  and  certain  securities.  The  banks  have  arrangements  with  the  FHLB  whereby,  based  on  available 
collateral, they could have borrowed an additional $3.5 billion at December 31, 2021.

FHLB  advances  are  stated  at  par  value  of  the  debt  adjusted  for  unamortized  prepayment  fees  paid  at  the  time  of  prior 
restructurings  of  FHLB  advances  and  unamortized  fair  value  adjustments  recorded  in  connection  with  advances  acquired 
through acquisitions and debt issuance costs. Unamortized prepayment fees are amortized as an adjustment to interest expense 
using the effective interest method. 

Approximately $1.1 billion of the FHLB advances outstanding at December 31, 2021 currently have varying put or call dates 
over  the  next  12  months  ranging  from  January  2022  to  December  2022.  At  December  31,  2021,  the  weighted  average 
contractual interest rate on FHLB advances was 1.55%. 

(12) Subordinated Notes

At December 31, 2021, the Company had outstanding subordinated notes totaling $436.9 million compared to $436.5 million at 
December 31, 2020. In 2019, the Company issued $300.0 million of subordinated notes receiving $296.7 million in proceeds, 
net of underwriting discount. The notes have a stated interest rate of 4.85% and mature in June 2029. In 2014, the Company 
issued $140.0 million of subordinated notes receiving $139.1 million in proceeds, net of underwriting discount. The notes have 
a stated interest rate of 5.00% and mature in June 2024. 

In connection with the issuance of subordinated notes in 2019 and 2014, the Company incurred costs totaling $3.3 million and 
$1.3  million,  respectively.  These  costs  are  a  direct  deduction  from  the  carrying  amount  of  the  subordinated  notes  and  are 
amortized to interest expense using the effective interest method. At December 31, 2021, the unamortized balances of costs for 
both issuances were approximately $3.1 million. These subordinated notes qualify as Tier II capital under the regulatory capital 
requirements, subject to restrictions.

133

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
(13) Other Borrowings 

The following is a summary of other borrowings at December 31, 2021 and 2020:

(Dollars in thousands)
Notes payable
Short-term borrowings
Other
Secured borrowings
Total other borrowings

Notes Payable

2021

2020

80,319  $ 
9,198 
63,292 
341,327 
494,136  $ 

101,710 
11,366 
65,108 
340,744 
518,928 

$ 

$ 

On  September  18,  2018,  the  Company  established  a  $150.0  million  term  facility  (“Term  Facility”),  which  is  part  of  a  loan 
agreement (“Credit Agreement”) with unaffiliated banks. The Credit Agreement consists of the Term Facility with an original 
outstanding  balance  of  $150.0  million  and  a  $100.0  million  revolving  credit  facility  (“Revolving  Credit  Facility”).  At 
December 31, 2021, the Company had a notes payable balance of $80.3 million under the Term Facility. The Term Facility is 
stated at par of the current outstanding balance of the debt adjusted for unamortized costs paid by the Company in relation to 
the debt issuance. The Company was contractually required to borrow the entire amount of the Term Facility on September 18, 
2018 and all such borrowings must be repaid by September 18, 2023. The Company is required to make quarterly payments of 
principal  plus  interest  on  the  Term  Facility.  At  December  31,  2021,  the  Company  had  no  outstanding  balance  under  the 
Revolving Credit Facility. Unamortized costs paid by the Company in relation to the issuance of the Revolving Credit Facility 
are classified in other assets on the Consolidated Statements of Condition. 

An amendment to the Credit Agreement was executed on and effective as of September 15, 2020. The amendment provided for, 
among  other  things,  extension  of  the  maturity  date  under  the  Revolving  Credit  Facility  to  September  14,  2021,  revision  of 
certain  financial  covenants;  and  the  addition  of  a  mechanism  to  replace  LIBOR  with  an  alternate  benchmark  rate.  Another 
amendment to the Credit Agreement was executed on and effective as of September 14, 2021, which provided for, among other 
things, extension of the maturity date under the Revolving Credit Facility to September 13, 2022. A further amendment to the 
Credit Agreement was executed on and effective as of December 23, 2021, which provided for, among other things, a $50.0 
million  increase  to  the  commitment  balance  of  the  Revolving  Credit  Facility  to  $100.0  million  and  the  addition  of  SOFR 
language for the Revolving Credit Facility.

Borrowings under the Credit Agreement that are considered “Base Rate Loans” bear interest at a rate equal to the sum of (1) 60 
basis points (in the case of a borrowing under the Revolving Credit Facility) or 75 basis points (in the case of a borrowing under 
the Term Facility) plus (2) the highest of (a) the lenders prime rate, (b) the federal funds rate plus 50 basis points, and (c) Term 
SOFR for a one-month tenor in effect on such day plus 110 basis points (in the case of a borrowing under the Revolving Credit 
Facility) or the Eurodollar Rate (as defined below) that would be applicable for an interest period of one month plus 100 basis 
points (in the case of a borrowing under the Term Facility). Borrowings under the agreement that are considered “Term SOFR 
Loans” bear interest at a rate equal to the sum of (1) 145 basis points (in the case of a borrowing under the Revolving Credit 
Facility) or 125 basis points if considered “Eurodollar Rate Loans” (in the case of a borrowing under the Term Facility) plus (2) 
the  LIBOR  rate  for  the  applicable  period,  as  adjusted  for  statutory  reserve  requirements  for  eurocurrency  liabilities  (the 
“Eurodollar Rate”). A commitment fee is payable quarterly equal to 0.30% of the actual daily amount by which the lenders’ 
commitment under the Revolving Credit Facility exceeded the amount outstanding under such facility.

Borrowings under the amended Credit Agreement are secured by pledges of and first priority perfected security interests in the 
Company’s  equity  interest  in  its  bank  subsidiaries  and  contain  several  restrictive  covenants,  including  the  maintenance  of 
various  capital  adequacy  levels,  asset  quality  and  profitability  ratios,  and  certain  restrictions  on  dividends  and  other 
indebtedness. At December 31, 2021, the Company was in compliance with all such covenants. The Revolving Credit Facility 
and  the  Term  Facility  are  available  to  be  utilized,  as  needed,  to  provide  capital  to  fund  continued  growth  at  the  Company’s 
banks  and  to  serve  as  an  interim  source  of  funds  for  acquisitions,  common  stock  repurchases  or  other  general  corporate 
purposes.

134

 
 
 
 
 
 
Short-term Borrowings

Short-term  borrowings  include  securities  sold  under  repurchase  agreements  and  federal  funds  purchased.  These  borrowings 
totaled  $9.2  million  and  $11.4  million  at  December  31,  2021  and  2020,  respectively.  At  December  31,  2021  and  2020, 
securities sold under repurchase agreements represent $9.2 million and $11.4 million, respectively, of customer sweep accounts 
in  connection  with  master  repurchase  agreements  at  the  banks.  The  Company  records  securities  sold  under  repurchase 
agreements at their gross value and does not offset positions on the Consolidated Statements of Condition. As of December 31, 
2021,  the  Company  had  pledged  securities  related  to  its  customer  balances  in  sweep  accounts  of  $19.2  million.  Securities 
pledged for customer balances in sweep accounts and short-term borrowings from brokers are maintained under the Company’s 
control and consist of U.S. Government agencies and mortgage-backed securities. These securities are included in the available-
for-sale portfolio as reflected on the Company’s Consolidated Statements of Condition. 

The  following  is  a  summary  of  these  securities  pledged  as  of  December  31,  2021  disaggregated  by  investment  category  and 
maturity, and reconciled to the outstanding balance of securities sold under repurchase agreements:

(Dollars in thousands)
Available-for-sale securities pledged
U.S. Government agencies
Mortgage-backed securities
Total collateral pledged

Excess collateral

Securities sold under repurchase agreements

Other Borrowings

Overnight 
Sweep 
Collateral

$  10,585 
8,613 
$  19,198 
  10,000 
$  9,198 

Other borrowings at December 31, 2021 and 2020 represent a fixed-rate promissory note issued by the Company in June 2017 
and  amended  in  March  2020  (“Fixed-Rate  Promissory  Note”)  related  to  and  secured  by  three  office  buildings  owned  by  the 
Company.  At  December  31,  2021,  the  Fixed-Rate  Promissory  Note  had  a  balance  of  $63.3  million.  Under  the  Fixed-Rate 
Promissory Note, during the three months ended March 31, 2020 and twelve months ended December 31, 2019, the Company 
made monthly principal payments and paid interest at a fixed rate of 3.36%. An amendment to the Fixed-Rate Promissory Note 
was executed on and became effective as of March 31, 2020. The amendment increased the principal amount to $66.4 million, 
reduced the interest rate to 3.00% and extended the maturity date to March 31, 2025. The Fixed-Rate Promissory Note contains 
several restrictive covenants, including the maintenance of various capital adequacy levels, asset quality and profitability ratios, 
and certain restrictions on dividends and other indebtedness. At December 31, 2021, the Company was in compliance with all 
such covenants. 

Secured Borrowings

Secured  borrowings  at  December  31,  2021  primarily  represent  transactions  to  sell  an  undivided  co-ownership  interest  in  all 
receivables  owed  to  the  Company’s  subsidiary,  FIFC  Canada.  In  December  2014,  FIFC  Canada  sold  such  interest  to  an 
unrelated  third  party  in  exchange  for  a  cash  payment  of  approximately  C$150  million  pursuant  to  a  receivables  purchase 
agreement  (“Receivables  Purchase  Agreement”).  The  Receivables  Purchase  Agreement  was  amended  in  December  2015, 
extending the maturity date from December 15, 2015 to December 15, 2017. Additionally, at that time, the unrelated third party 
paid an additional C$10 million, which increased the total payments to C$160 million. The Receivables Purchase Agreement 
was  again  amended  in  December  2017,  extending  the  maturity  date  from  December  15,  2017  to  December  16,  2019. 
Additionally,  at  that  time,  the  unrelated  third  party  paid  an  additional  C$10  million,  which  increased  the  total  payments  to 
C$170 million. In June 2018, the unrelated third party paid an additional C$20 million, which increased the total payments to 
C$190 million. The Receivables Purchase Agreement was again amended in February 2019, effectively extending the maturity 
date  from  December  16,  2019  to  December  15,  2020.  Additionally,  in  February  2019,  the  unrelated  third  party  paid  an 
additional C$20 million, which increased the total payments to C$210 million. In May 2019, the unrelated third party paid an 
additional C$70 million, which increased the total payments to C$280 million. In January 2020, the unrelated third party paid 
an additional C$40 million, which increased the total payments to C$320 million, and the Receivables Purchase Agreement was 
amended to effectively extend the maturity date from December 15, 2020 to December 15, 2021. In May 2020, the unrelated 
third  party  paid  an  additional  C$100  million,  which  increased  the  total  payments  to  C$420  million.  In  January  2021,  the 
Receivables Purchase Agreement was amended to effectively extend the maturity date from December 15, 2021 to December 
15, 2022.  These transactions were not considered sales of receivables and, as such, related proceeds received are reflected on 

135

 
the  Company’s  Consolidated  Statements  of  Condition  as  a  secured  borrowing  owed  to  the  unrelated  third  party,  net  of 
unamortized debt issuance costs, and translated to the Company’s reporting currency as of the respective date. At December 31, 
2021, the translated balance of the secured borrowing totaled $332.2 million compared to $329.9 million at December 31, 2020. 
Additionally, the interest rate under the Receivables Purchase Agreement at December 31, 2021 was 1.1721%. 

The remaining $9.1 million within secured borrowings at December 31, 2021 represents other sold interests in certain loans by 
the  Company  that  were  not  considered  sales  and,  as  such,  related  proceeds  received  are  reflected  on  the  Company’s 
Consolidated Statements of Condition as a secured borrowing owed to the various unrelated third parties.  

(14) Junior Subordinated Debentures

As  of  December  31,  2021,  the  Company  owned  100%  of  the  common  securities  of  eleven  trusts,  Wintrust  Capital  Trust  III, 
Wintrust  Statutory  Trust  IV,  Wintrust  Statutory  Trust  V,  Wintrust  Capital  Trust  VII,  Wintrust  Capital  Trust  VIII,  Wintrust 
Capital  Trust  IX,  Northview  Capital  Trust  I,  Town  Bankshares  Capital  Trust  I,  First  Northwest  Capital  Trust  I,  Suburban 
Illinois  Capital  Trust  II,  and  Community  Financial  Shares  Statutory  Trust  II  (the  “Trusts”)  set  up  to  provide  long-term 
financing. The Northview, Town, First Northwest, Suburban and Community Financial Shares capital trusts were acquired as 
part of the acquisitions of Northview Financial Corporation, Town Bankshares, Ltd., First Northwest Bancorp, Inc., Suburban 
Illinois Bancorp, Inc. and Community Financial Shares, Inc., respectively. The Trusts were formed for purposes of issuing trust 
preferred  securities  to  third-party  investors  and  investing  the  proceeds  from  the  issuance  of  the  trust  preferred  securities  and 
common securities solely in junior subordinated debentures issued by the Company (or assumed by the Company in connection 
with  an  acquisition),  with  the  same  maturities  and  interest  rates  as  the  trust  preferred  securities.  The  junior  subordinated 
debentures  are  the  sole  assets  of  the  Trusts.  In  each  Trust,  the  common  securities  represent  approximately  3%  of  the  junior 
subordinated debentures and the trust preferred securities represent approximately 97% of the junior subordinated debentures.

The Trusts are reported in the Company’s consolidated financial statements as unconsolidated subsidiaries. Accordingly, in the 
Consolidated Statements of Condition, the junior subordinated debentures issued by the Company to the Trusts are reported as 
liabilities  and  the  common  securities  of  the  Trusts,  all  of  which  are  owned  by  the  Company,  are  included  in  investment 
securities.

The following table provides a summary of the Company’s junior subordinated debentures as of December 31, 2021 and 2020. 
The junior subordinated debentures represent the par value of the obligations owed to the Trusts.

(Dollars in thousands)
Wintrust Capital Trust III

Wintrust Statutory Trust IV

Wintrust Statutory Trust V

Wintrust Capital Trust VII

Wintrust Capital Trust VIII

Wintrust Capital Trust IX

Northview Capital Trust I

Town Bankshares Capital Trust I

First Northwest Capital Trust I

Suburban Illinois Capital Trust II

Community Financial Shares 
Statutory Trust II

Total

Common 
Securities

Trust 
Preferred 
Securities

Junior
Subordinated
Debentures

2021

2020

$ 

774  $  25,000  $ 

25,774  $ 

25,774 

20,000 

40,000 

50,000 

25,000 

50,000 

6,000 

6,000 

5,000 

20,619 

41,238 

51,550 

26,238 

51,547 

6,186 

6,186 

5,155 

20,619 

41,238 

51,550 

26,238 

51,547 

6,186 

6,186 

5,155 

15,000 

15,464 

15,464 

619 

1,238 

1,550 

1,238 

1,547 

186 

186 

155 

464 

109 

Rate 
Structure

Contractual 
rate at 
12/31/2021

Issue Date

Maturity 
Date

Earliest 
Redemption 
Date

L+3.25

L+2.80

L+2.60

L+1.95

L+1.45

L+1.63

L+3.00

L+3.00

L+3.00

L+1.75

 3.37 % 04/2003

04/2033

 3.02 

 2.82 

 2.15 

 1.67 

 1.83 

 3.13 

 3.13 

 3.22 

 1.95 

12/2003

12/2033

05/2004

05/2034

12/2004

03/2035

08/2005

09/2035

09/2006

09/2036

08/2003

11/2033

08/2003

11/2033

05/2004

05/2034

12/2006

12/2036

04/2008

12/2008

06/2009

03/2010

09/2010

09/2011

08/2008

08/2008

05/2009

12/2011

3,500 

3,609 

3,609 

L+1.62

 1.82 

06/2007

09/2037

06/2012

$  253,566  $  253,566 

 2.39 %  

The junior subordinated debentures totaled $253.6 million at December 31, 2021 and 2020.

The interest rates on the variable rate junior subordinated debentures are based on the three-month LIBOR rate and reset on a 
quarterly basis. At December 31, 2021, the weighted average contractual interest rate on the junior subordinated debentures was 
2.39%. Prior to 2021, the Company entered into interest rate swaps with an aggregate notional value of $210.0 million to hedge 
the  variable  cash  flows  on  certain  junior  subordinated  debentures.  Such  interest  rate  swaps  matured  in  2021  and  no  separate 
hedging  derivatives  were  outstanding  at  December  31,  2021  related  to  the  variable  cash  flows  on  any  balance  of  the  junior 
subordinated debentures. Distributions on the common and preferred securities issued by the Trusts are payable quarterly at a 

136

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
rate per annum equal to the interest rates being earned by the Trusts on the junior subordinated debentures. Interest expense on 
the junior subordinated debentures is deductible for income tax purposes.

The Company has guaranteed the payment of distributions and payments upon liquidation or redemption of the trust preferred 
securities, in each case to the extent of funds held by the Trusts. The Company and the Trusts believe that, taken together, the 
obligations of the Company under the guarantees, the junior subordinated debentures, and other related agreements provide, in 
the aggregate, a full, irrevocable and unconditional guarantee, on a subordinated basis, of all of the obligations of the Trusts 
under the trust preferred securities. Subject to certain limitations, the Company has the right to defer the payment of interest on 
the junior subordinated debentures at any time, or from time to time, for a period not to exceed 20 consecutive quarters. The 
trust preferred securities are subject to mandatory redemption, in whole or in part, upon repayment of the junior subordinated 
debentures at maturity or their earlier redemption. The junior subordinated debentures are redeemable in whole or in part prior 
to maturity at any time after the earliest redemption dates shown in the table, and earlier at the discretion of the Company if 
certain conditions are met, and, in any event, only after the Company has obtained Federal Reserve Bank (“FRB”) approval, if 
then required under applicable guidelines or regulations.

At December 31, 2021, the Company included $245.5 million of the junior subordinated debentures, net of common securities, 
in Tier 2 regulatory capital.

(15) Revenue from Contracts with Customers

Disaggregation of Revenue

The following table presents revenue from contracts with customers, disaggregated by the revenue source:  

(Dollars in thousands)

Revenue from contracts with customers
Brokerage and insurance product 
commissions
Trust

Asset management

Total wealth management

Location in income statement

Wealth management

Wealth management

Wealth management

Mortgage broker fees

Mortgage banking

Service charges on deposit accounts

Service charges on deposit accounts

Administrative services

Card related fees

Other deposit related fees

Other non-interest income

Other non-interest income

Other non-interest income

Total revenue from contracts 
with customers

Wealth Management Revenue

December 31,
2021

Years Ended

December 31,
2020

December 31,
2019

$ 

20,710  $ 

18,731  $ 

21,930 

81,379 

124,019 

787 

54,168 

5,689 

9,210 

13,299 

18,392 

63,213 

100,336 

368 

45,023 

4,385 

7,579 

12,439 

18,825 

18,767 

59,522 

97,114 

768 

39,070 

4,197 

7,816 

12,500 

$ 

207,172  $ 

170,130  $ 

161,465 

Wealth management revenue is comprised of brokerage and insurance product commissions, managed money fees and trust and 
asset  management  revenue  of  the  Company's  four  wealth  management  subsidiaries:  Wintrust  Investments,  Great  Lakes 
Advisors, CTC and CDEC. All wealth management revenue is recognized in the wealth management segment. 

Brokerage  and  insurance  product  commissions  consists  primarily  of  commissions  earned  from  trade  execution  services  on 
behalf of customers and from selling mutual funds, insurance and other investment products to customers. For trade execution 
services, the Company recognizes commissions and receives payment from the brokerage customers at the point of transaction 
execution. Commissions received from the investment or insurance product providers are recognized at the point of sale of the 
product. The Company also receives trail and other commissions from providers for certain plans. These are generally based on 
qualifying  account  values  and  are  recognized  once  the  performance  obligation,  specific  to  each  provider,  is  satisfied  on  a 
monthly, quarterly or annual basis. 

Trust revenue is earned primarily from trust and custody services that are generally performed over time as well as fees earned 
on funds held during the facilitation of tax-deferred like-kind exchange transactions. Revenue is determined periodically based 
on a schedule of fees applied to the value of each customer account using a time-elapsed method to measure progress toward 

137

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
complete satisfaction of the performance obligation. Fees are typically billed on a calendar month or quarter basis in advance or 
in  arrears  depending  upon  the  contract.  Upfront  fees  received  related  to  the  facilitation  of  tax-deferred  like-kind  exchange 
transactions are deferred until the transaction is completed. Additional fees earned for certain extraordinary services performed 
on behalf of the customers are recognized when the service has been performed.

Asset management revenue is earned from money management and advisory services that are performed over time. Revenue is 
based  primarily  on  the  market  value  of  assets  under  management  or  administration  using  a  time-elapsed  method  to  measure 
progress toward complete satisfaction of the performance obligation. Fees are typically billed on a calendar month or quarter 
basis in advance or in arrears depending upon the contract. Certain programs provide the customer with an option of paying 
fees as a percentage of the account value or incurring commission charges for each trade similar to brokerage and insurance 
product commissions. Trade commissions and any other fees received for additional services are recognized at a point in time 
once the performance obligation is satisfied. 

Mortgage Broker Fees

For customers desiring a mortgage product not currently offered by the Company, the Company may refer such customers and, 
with permission, direct such customers' applications to certain third party mortgage brokers. Mortgage broker fees are received 
from these brokers for such customer referrals upon settlement of the underlying mortgage. The Company's entitlement to the 
consideration is contingent on the settlement of the mortgage which is highly susceptible to factors outside of the Company's 
influence, such as the third party broker's underwriting requirements. Also, the uncertainty surrounding the consideration could 
be resolved in varying lengths of time, dependent upon the third party brokers. Therefore, mortgage broker fees are recognized 
at the settlement of the underlying mortgage when the consideration is received. Broker fees are recognized in the community 
banking segment. 

Service Charges on Deposit Accounts

Service charges on deposit accounts include fees charged to deposit customers for various services, including account analysis 
services, and are based on factors such as the size and type of customer, type of product and number of transactions. The fees 
are based on a standard schedule of fees and, depending on the nature of the service performed, the service is performed at a 
point  in  time  or  over  a  period  of  a  month.  When  the  service  is  performed  at  a  point  in  time,  the  Company  recognizes  and 
receives revenue when the service has been performed. When the service is performed over a period of a month, the Company 
recognizes  and  receives  revenue  in  the  month  the  service  has  been  performed.  Service  charges  on  deposit  accounts  are 
recognized in the community banking segment. 

Administrative Services

Administrative  services  revenue  is  earned  from  providing  outsourced  administrative  services,  such  as  data  processing  of 
payrolls, billing and cash management services, to temporary staffing service clients located throughout the United States. Fees 
are charged periodically (typically a payroll cycle) and computed in accordance with the contractually determined rate applied 
to the total gross billings administered for the period.  The revenue is recognized over the period using a time-elapsed method to 
measure progress toward complete satisfaction of the performance obligation. Other fees are charged on a per occurrence basis 
as  the  service  is  provided  in  the  billing  cycle.  The  Company  has  certain  contracts  with  customers  to  perform  outsourced 
administrative services and short-term accounts receivable financing. For these contracts, the total fee is allocated between the 
administrative  services  revenue  and  interest  income  during  the  client  onboarding  process  based  on  the  specific  client  and 
services provided. Administrative services revenue is recognized in the specialty finance segment. 

Card and Deposit Related Fees

Card related fees include interchange and merchant revenue, and fees related to debit and credit cards. Interchange revenue is 
related to the Company issued debit cards. Other deposit related fees primarily include pay by phone processing fees, ATM and 
safe deposit box fees, check order charges and foreign currency related fees. Card and deposit related fees are generally based 
on volume of transactions and are recognized at the point in time when the service has been performed. For any consideration 
that is constrained, the revenue is recognized once the uncertainty is known. Upfront fees received from certain contracts are 
recognized on a straight line basis over the term of the contract. Card and deposit related fees are recognized in the community 
banking segment. 

138

 
Contract Balances

The  following  table  provides  information  about  contract  assets,  contract  liabilities  and  receivables  from  contracts  with 
customers: 

(Dollars in thousands)
Contract assets

Contract liabilities 

Mortgage broker fees receivable

Administrative services receivable

Wealth management receivable

Card related fees receivable

Total receivables from contracts with customer

December 31,
2021

December 31,
2020

$ 

$ 

$ 

—  $ 

— 

1,588  $ 

1,548 

73  $ 

68 

11,748 

921 

20 

64 

10,144 

783 

$ 

12,810  $ 

11,011 

Contract liabilities represent upfront fees that the Company received at inception of certain contracts. The revenue recognized 
that  was  included  in  the  contract  liability  balance  at  beginning  of  the  period  totaled  $898,000  and  $1.4  million  for  the  years 
ended  December  31,  2021  and  2020  respectively.  Receivables  are  recognized  in  the  period  the  Company  provides  services 
when the Company's right to consideration is unconditional. Card related fee receivable is the result of volume based fee that 
the Company receives from a customer on an annual basis in the second quarter of each year. Payment terms on other invoiced 
amounts are typically 30 days or less. Contract liabilities and receivables from contracts with customers  are included within the 
accrued  interest  payable  and  other  liabilities  and  accrued  interest  receivable  and  other  assets  line  items,  respectively,  in  the 
Consolidated Statements of Condition. 

Transaction price allocated to the remaining performance obligations

For contracts with an original expected length of more than one year, the following table presents the estimated future timing of 
recognition of upfront fees related to card and deposit related fees. These upfront fees represent performance obligations that 
are unsatisfied or partially unsatisfied at the end of the reporting period. 

(Dollars in thousands)
Estimated—2022

Estimated—2023

Estimated—2024

Estimated—2025

Total

Practical Expedients and Exemptions

$ 

$ 

838 

400 

250 
100 
1,588 

The Company does not adjust the promised amount of consideration for the effects of a significant financing component if the 
Company expects, at contract inception, that the period between when the Company transfers a promised service to a customer 
and when the customer pays for that services is one year or less. 

The Company recognizes the incremental costs of obtaining a contract as an expense when incurred if the amortization period 
of the asset that the entity otherwise would have recognized is one year or less.

139

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
(16) Lease Commitments 

The following tables provide a summary of lease costs and future required fixed payments related to the Company’s leasing 
arrangements in which it is the lessee:

(Dollars in thousands)

Operating lease cost

Finance lease cost:

Amortization of right-of-use asset

Interest on lease liability

Short-term lease cost

Variable lease cost

Sublease income

Total lease cost

Cash paid for amounts included in the measurement of operating lease liabilities

Cash paid for amounts included in the measurement of finance lease liabilities

Right-of-use asset obtained in exchange for new operating lease liabilities

Right-of-use asset obtained in exchange for new finance lease liabilities

Weighted average remaining lease term - operating leases

Weighted average remaining lease term - finance leases

Weighted average discount rate - operating leases

Weighted average discount rate - finance leases

(In thousands)
2022

2023

2024

2025

2026

2027 and thereafter

Total minimum future amounts

Impact of measuring the lease liability on a discounted basis

Total lease liability

Year Ended
December 31,
2021

$ 

22,938 

164 

234 

321 

3,806 

(72) 

27,391 

23,650 

164 

8,262 

5,343 

12.1 years

39.0 years

 4.03 %

 3.43 %

Payments

24,582 

21,625 

20,461 

19,203 

17,820 

132,417 
236,108 
(58,069) 

178,039 

$ 

$ 

$ 

$ 

$ 

140

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
In addition to the lessee arrangements discussed above, the Company also leases certain owned premises and receives rental 
income from such lessor agreements. Gross rental income related to the Company’s buildings totaled $7.8 million, $8.7 million 
and  $9.4  million,  in  2021,  2020  and  2019,  respectively.  The  approximate  annual  gross  rental  receipts  under  noncancelable 
agreements with remaining terms in excess of one year as of December 31, 2021, are as follows (in thousands):

2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
2027 and thereafter
Total minimum future amounts

(17) Income Taxes

$ 

$ 

Receipts

5,452 
3,178 
1,957 
1,390 
986 
511 
13,474 

Income tax expense (benefit) for the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019 is summarized as follows:

(Dollars in thousands)
Current income taxes:

Federal
State
Foreign
Total current income taxes

Deferred income taxes:

Federal
State
Foreign
Total deferred income taxes

Total income tax expense

2021

Years Ended December 31,
2020

2019

$ 

$ 

$ 

$ 
$ 

118,723  $ 
48,847 
6,936 
174,506  $ 

794  $ 
(3,597)   
(58)   
(2,861)  $ 
171,645  $ 

75,154  $ 
19,194 
6,501 
100,849  $ 

284  $ 
(2,834)   
(1,508)   
(4,058)  $ 
96,791  $ 

55,664 
18,270 
5,913 
79,847 

33,345 
13,099 
(1,887) 
44,557 
124,404 

The Company’s income before income taxes in 2021, 2020 and 2019 includes $23.1 million, $15.4 million and $12.2 million, 
respectively, of foreign income attributable to its Canadian subsidiary.

The  tax  effects  of  certain  transactions  are  recorded  directly  to  shareholders’  equity  rather  than  income  tax  expense.  The  tax 
effect  of  fair  value  adjustments  on  securities  available-for-sale  and  derivative  instruments  in  cash  flow  hedges  are  recorded 
directly to shareholders’ equity as part of other comprehensive income (loss) and are reflected on the Consolidated Statements 
of  Comprehensive  Income.  The  tax  effect  of  unrealized  gains  and  losses  on  certain  foreign  currency  transactions  is  also 
recorded in shareholders’ equity as part of other comprehensive income (loss).

141

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
A reconciliation of the differences between taxes computed using the statutory Federal income tax rate and actual income tax 
expense is as follows:

(Dollars in thousands)
Income tax expense using the statutory Federal income tax rate of 
21% on income before taxes
Increase (decrease) in tax resulting from:

Tax-exempt interest, net of interest expense disallowance
State taxes, net of federal tax benefit
Income earned on bank owned life insurance
(Excess) deficient tax benefits on share based compensation
Meals, entertainment and related expenses
FDIC insurance expense
Non-deductible compensation expense
Foreign subsidiary, net
Tax benefits related to tax credits, net

Release of state uncertain tax positions
Other, net

Income tax expense

2021

Years Ended December 31,
2020

2019

$ 

133,937  $ 

81,854  $ 

100,821 

(2,605)   
35,747 
(1,169)   
(1,906)   
1,208 
5,676 
1,799 
2,011 
(1,145)   
— 
(1,908)   
171,645  $ 

(2,970)   
20,098 

(956)   
466 
992 
4,605 
398 
2,080 
(1,902)   
(7,173)   
(701)   
96,791  $ 

(3,958) 
24,600 
(959) 
(1,447) 
2,148 
1,274 
1,019 
1,979 
(513) 
— 
(560) 
124,404 

$ 

The  tax  effects  of  temporary  differences  that  give  rise  to  significant  portions  of  the  deferred  tax  assets  and  liabilities  at 
December 31, 2021 and 2020 are as follows:

(Dollars in thousands)
Deferred tax assets:

Allowance for credit losses
Right-of-use liability
Deferred compensation
   Stock-based compensation

Federal net operating loss carryforward
Loans
Nonaccrued interest
Net unrealized losses on derivatives included in other comprehensive income
Deferred loan fees and costs
Other

Total gross deferred tax assets
Deferred tax liabilities:
Equipment leasing
Premises and equipment
Right-of-use asset
Capitalized servicing rights
Goodwill and intangible assets
Net unrealized gains on derivatives included in other comprehensive income
Net unrealized gains on securities included in other comprehensive income
Deferred loan fees and costs
Fair value adjustments on loans
Other

Total gross deferred tax liabilities
Net deferred tax liabilities

2021

2020

$ 

$ 

79,879  $ 
47,312 
26,301 
5,762 
1,870 
1,344 
1,098 
— 
— 
4,652 
168,218 

122,711 
56,377 
38,973 
37,528 
10,577 
9,836 
3,169 
967 
— 
3,835 
283,973 
(115,755)  $ 

101,021 
47,895 
23,975 
3,363 
2,722 
1,196 
1,949 
8,404 
3,821 
7,013 
201,359 

146,393 
62,278 
39,568 
22,367 
8,227 
— 
25,700 
— 
12,042 
7,599 
324,174 
(122,815) 

142

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Management has determined that a valuation allowance is not required for the deferred tax assets at December 31, 2021 because 
it is more likely than not that these assets could be realized through future reversals of existing taxable temporary differences, 
tax planning strategies and future taxable income. This conclusion is based on the Company’s historical earnings, its current 
level of earnings and prospects for continued growth and profitability.

The Company has Federal net operating loss (“NOL”) carryforwards of $8.9 million that begin to expire in 2029 through 2037 
and are subject to IRC Section 382 annual limitation.  The NOL carryforwards were a result of acquisitions.

The  Company  accounts  for  uncertainties  in  income  taxes  in  accordance  with  ASC  740,  Income  Taxes.  The  following  table 
provides a reconciliation of the beginning and ending amounts of gross unrecognized tax benefits:

(Dollars in thousands)
Unrecognized tax benefits at beginning of year

Gross increases for tax positions taken in current period
Gross decreases for positions taken in prior periods
Settlements with taxing authorities
Unrecognized tax benefits at end of year

2021

Years Ended December 31,
2020

2019

$ 

$ 

—  $ 
— 
— 
— 
—  $ 

10,840  $ 
— 

(10,571)   
(269)   
—  $ 

11,538 
— 
(698) 
— 
10,840 

At  December  31,  2021  and  December  31,  2020,  the  Company  had  no  unrecognized  tax  benefits  related  to  uncertain  tax 
positions  that,  if  recognized,  would  impact  the  effective  tax  rate.  Interest  and  penalties  on  unrecognized  tax  positions  are 
recorded  in  income  tax  expense.  Interest  and  penalties  are  included  in  the  liability  for  uncertain  tax  positions,  but  are  not 
included  in  the  unrecognized  tax  benefits  rollforward  presented  above.  The  Company  does  not  expect  the  total  amount  of 
unrecognized tax benefits to significantly increase in the next 12 months.

The Company and its subsidiaries are subject to U.S. federal income tax as well as income tax in numerous state jurisdictions 
and  in  Canada.  In  the  ordinary  course  of  business,  we  are  routinely  subject  to  audit  by  the  taxing  authorities  of  these 
jurisdictions. Currently, the Company’s U.S. federal income tax returns are open and subject to audit for the 2018 tax return 
year forward, and in general, the Company’s state income tax returns are open and subject to audit from the 2018 tax return 
year forward, subject to individual state statutes of limitation. The Company has extended the statute of limitations on certain 
state  income  tax  returns  for  the  2015,  2016  and  2017  years  due  to  an  ongoing  audit.  The  Company’s  Canadian  subsidiary’s 
Canadian income tax returns are also subject to audit for the 2018 tax return year forward.

(18) Stock Compensation Plans and Other Employee Benefit Plans 

Stock Incentive Plan

In May 2015, the Company’s shareholders approved the 2015 Stock Incentive Plan (“the 2015 Plan”) which provides for the 
issuance of up to 5,485,000 shares of common stock. The 2015 Plan replaced the 2007 Stock Incentive Plan (“the 2007 Plan”), 
which  replaced  the  1997  Stock  Incentive  Plan  (“the  1997  Plan”).  The  2015  Plan,  the  2007  Plan  and  the  1997  Plan  are 
collectively  referred  to  as  “the  Plans.”  The  2015  Plan  has  substantially  similar  terms  to  the  2007  Plan  and  the  1997  Plan. 
Awards  granted  under  the  Plans  for  which  common  shares  are  not  issued  by  reason  of  cancellation,  forfeiture,  lapse  of  such 
award or settlement of such award in cash, are again available under the 2015 Plan. All grants made after the approval of the 
2015 Plan have been made pursuant to the 2015 Plan. As of December 31, 2021, approximately 963,000 shares were available 
for future grants assuming the maximum number of shares are issued for the performance awards outstanding. The Plans cover 
substantially  all  employees  of  Wintrust.  The  Compensation  Committee  of  the  Board  of  Directors  administers  all  stock-based 
compensation programs and authorizes all awards granted pursuant to the Plans. 

The  Plans  permit  the  grant  of  incentive  stock  options,  non-qualified  stock  options,  stock  appreciation  rights,  stock  awards, 
restricted share or unit awards, performance awards and other incentive awards valued in whole or in part by reference to the 
Company’s common stock, all on a stand-alone, combination or tandem basis. The Company historically awarded stock-based 
compensation in the form of time-vested non-qualified stock options and time-vested restricted share unit awards (“restricted 
shares”). The grants of options provide for the purchase of shares of the Company’s common stock at the fair market value of 
the stock on the date the options are granted. Stock options generally vest ratably over periods of three to five years and have a 
maximum term of seven years from the date of grant. Restricted shares entitle the holders to receive, at no cost, shares of the 
Company’s common stock. Restricted shares generally vest over periods of one to five years from the date of grant.

143

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Beginning  in  2011,  the  Company  has  awarded  annual  grants  under  the  Long-Term  Incentive  Program  (“LTIP”),  which  is 
administered under the Plans. The LTIP is designed in part to align the interests of management with interests of shareholders, 
foster  retention,  create  a  long-term  focus  based  on  sustainable  results  and  provide  participants  a  target  long-term  incentive 
opportunity. LTIP grants in 2021 consisted of a combination of performance-based stock awards with a performance condition 
metric, performance-based stock awards with a market condition metric and time-vested restricted shares, and in 2020 consisted 
of a combination of performance-based stock awards and performance-based cash awards (both with a performance condition 
metric)  and  time  vested  restricted  shares.  LTIP  grants  from  2017  through  2019  consisted  of  a  combination  of  performance-
based stock awards and performance-based cash awards, and prior to 2017, nonqualified stock options were in the mix of award 
types.  It  is  anticipated  that  LTIP  awards  will  continue  to  be  granted  annually.  Performance-based  stock  and  cash  awards  are 
contingent  upon  the  achievement  of  pre-established  long-term  performance  goals  set  in  advance  by  the  Compensation 
Committee  over  a  three-year  period  starting  at  the  beginning  of  each  calendar  year.  Performance-based  stock  awards  with  a 
market condition metric are contingent on the total shareholder return performance over a three-year period relative to the KBW 
Regional Bank Index. These performance awards are granted at a target level, and based on the Company’s achievement of the 
pre-established long-term goals, the actual payouts can range from 0% to 150% of the target award. The awards typically vest 
in the quarter after the end of the performance period upon certification of the payout by the Compensation Committee of the 
Board of Directors. Holders of performance-based stock awards are entitled to receive, at no cost, the shares earned based on 
the achievement of the pre-established long-term goals.

Holders  of  restricted  share  awards  and  performance-based  stock  awards  received  under  the  Plans  are  not  entitled  to  vote  or 
receive cash dividends (or cash payments equal to the cash dividends) on the underlying common shares until the awards are 
vested and shares are issued. Shares that are vested but are not issuable pursuant to deferred compensation arrangements accrue 
additional shares based on the value of dividends otherwise paid. Except in limited circumstances, these awards are canceled 
upon termination of employment without any payment of consideration by the Company.

Stock-based compensation is measured as the fair value of an award on the date of grant, and the measured cost is recognized 
over the period which the recipient is required to provide service in exchange for the award. The fair value of restricted share 
and performance-based stock awards with a performance metric is determined based on the average of the high and low trading 
prices on the grant date. The fair value of performance stock awards with a market condition metric is estimated using a Monte 
Carlo simulation model and the fair value of stock options is estimated using a Black-Scholes option-pricing model. The Monte 
Carlo simulation model and the Black-Scholes option-pricing model require the input of highly subjective assumptions and are 
sensitive to changes in the award’s expected life and the price volatility of the underlying stock, which can materially affect the 
fair value estimate of such awards on the grant date.  No options have been granted since 2016.

Stock-based compensation is recognized based on the number of awards that are ultimately expected to vest, taking into account 
expected forfeitures.  In addition, for performance-based awards with a performance metric, an estimate is made of the number 
of  shares  expected  to  vest  as  a  result  of  actual  performance  against  the  performance  criteria  in  the  award  to  determine  the 
amount  of  compensation  expense  to  recognize.  The  estimate  is  re-evaluated  quarterly  and  total  compensation  expense  is 
adjusted for any change in estimate in the current period. 

Stock-based compensation expense recognized in the Consolidated Statements of Income was $16.2 million, $(4.9) million and 
$11.3 million and the related tax benefits (expense) were $3.7 million, $(914,000) and $2.6 million in 2021, 2020 and 2019, 
respectively.

144

A summary of the Plans’ stock option activity for the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019 is as follows:

Stock Options
Outstanding at January 1, 2019
Granted
Options outstanding in acquired plans
Exercised
Forfeited or canceled
Outstanding at December 31, 2019
Exercisable at December 31, 2019
Outstanding at January 1, 2020

Granted
Exercised
Forfeited or canceled
Outstanding at December 31, 2020
Exercisable at December 31,2020
Outstanding at January 1, 2021
Granted
Exercised
Forfeited or canceled
Outstanding at December 31, 2021
Exercisable at December 31, 2021
Vested or expected to vest at December 31, 2021

Common
Shares

Weighted Average
Strike Price

Remaining
Contractual Term

(1)

Intrinsic Value
($000)

(2)

795,014  $ 
— 
106,748 
(146,430) 
— 
755,332  $ 
735,396  $ 

755,332  $ 
— 
(229,061) 
(5,608) 
520,663  $ 
512,762  $ 
520,663  $ 
— 
(326,626) 
(590) 
193,447  $ 
191,898  $ 
193,447  $ 

42.25 
— 
38.83 
38.84 
— 
42.43 
42.42 

42.43 
— 
42.29 
44.34 
42.47 
42.46 
42.47 
— 
42.97 
46.86 
41.62 
41.57 
41.62 

2.8
2.7

1.9
1.8

1.4
1.3
1.4

$ 
$ 

$ 
$ 

$ 
$ 
$ 

21,503 
20,947 

9,694 
9,555 

9,518 
9,451 
9,518 

(1) Represents the weighted average contractual remaining life in years.
(2) Aggregate intrinsic value represents the total pretax intrinsic value (i.e., the difference between the Company’s stock price at year end and the option 
exercise price, multiplied by the number of shares) that would have been received by the option holders if they had exercised their options on the last 
day of the year. Options with exercise prices above the year end stock price are excluded from the calculation of intrinsic value. The intrinsic value 
will change based on the fair market value of the Company’s stock.

The  aggregate  intrinsic  value  of  options  exercised  during  the  years  ended  December  31,  2021,  2020  and  2019,  was  $11.7 
million, $4.1 million and $4.7 million, respectively. The actual tax benefit realized for the tax deductions from option exercises 
totaled $3.1 million, $1.1 million and $1.3 million for 2021, 2020 and 2019, respectively. Cash received from option exercises 
under  the  Plans  for  the  years  ended  December  31,  2021,  2020  and  2019  was  $14.0  million,  $9.7  million  and  $5.7  million, 
respectively.

145

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
A summary of the Plans’ restricted share activity for the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019 is as follows:

Restricted Shares
Outstanding at January 1
Granted
Vested and issued
Forfeited or canceled
Outstanding at end of year
Vested, but not issuable at end of year

2021

2020

2019

Common
Shares

Weighted
Average
Grant-Date
Fair Value

234,794  $ 
276,311 
(19,673) 
(14,619) 
476,813  $ 
95,465  $ 

59.02 
63.96 
68.92 
63.66 
61.33 
52.52 

Common
Shares
144,328  $ 
117,571 
(20,441) 
(6,664) 
234,794  $ 
93,969  $ 

Weighted
Average
Grant-Date
Fair Value

60.37 
60.85 
74.42 
73.54 
59.02 
52.11 

Common
Shares
143,263  $ 
24,285 
(21,529) 
(1,691) 
144,328  $ 
92,183  $ 

Weighted
Average
Grant-Date
Fair Value

60.80 
68.58 
70.99 
79.50 
60.37 
52.24 

A summary of the Plans’ performance-based stock award activity, based on the target level of the awards, for the years ended 
December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019 is as follows:

Performance Shares
Outstanding at January 1
Granted
Added by performance factor at vesting
Vested and issued
Forfeited or canceled
Outstanding at end of year
Vested, but deferred at year end

2021

2020

2019

Common
Shares

Weighted
Average
Grant-Date
Fair Value

482,608  $ 
208,851 
— 
— 
(134,204) 
557,255  $ 
35,160  $ 

71.15 
58.99 
— 
— 
86.30 
62.94 
43.69 

Common
Shares
465,515  $ 
170,032 
48,831 
(180,789) 
(20,981) 
482,608  $ 
34,609  $ 

Weighted
Average
Grant-Date
Fair Value

74.37 
63.61 
72.59 
72.59 
72.46 
71.15 
43.14 

Common
Shares
396,855  $ 
175,823 
33,950 
(128,238) 
(12,875) 
465,515  $ 
33,828  $ 

Weighted
Average
Grant-Date
Fair Value

67.71 
71.56 
40.99 
41.00 
75.08 
74.37 
43.01 

At  December  31,  2021,  the  maximum  number  of  performance-based  shares  that  could  be  issued  on  outstanding  awards  if 
performance is attained at the maximum amount was approximately 818,000 shares.

The actual tax benefit realized upon the vesting and issuance of restricted shares and performance-based stock is based on the 
fair value of the shares on the issue date and the estimated tax benefit of the awards is based on fair value of the awards on the 
grant date. The actual tax benefit realized upon the vesting and issuance of restricted shares and performance-based stock in 
2021 was $40,000 more than the expected tax benefit for those shares; in 2020 the actual tax benefit was $848,000 less than the 
expected tax benefit for those shares and in 2019 the actual tax benefit was $870,000 more than the expected tax benefit for 
those shares. These differences in actual and expected tax benefits were recorded to income tax expense.

As of December 31, 2021, there was $26.1 million of total unrecognized compensation cost related to non-vested share based 
arrangements  under  the  Plans.  That  cost  is  expected  to  be  recognized  over  a  weighted  average  period  of  approximately  two 
years. The total fair value of shares vested during the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019 was $1.5 million, $14.7 
million and $9.8 million, respectively.

The Company issues new shares to satisfy its obligation to issue shares granted pursuant to the Plans.

Cash Incentive and Retention Plan

The Cash Incentive and Retention Plan (“CIRP”) allows the Company to provide cash compensation to the Company’s and its 
subsidiaries’ officers and employees. The CIRP is administered by the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors. The 
CIRP  generally  provides  for  the  grants  of  cash  awards,  which  may  be  earned  pursuant  to  the  achievement  of  performance 
criteria  established  by  the  Compensation  Committee  and/or  continued  employment.  The  performance  criteria,  if  any, 
established by the Compensation Committee must relate to one or more of the criteria specified in the CIRP, which includes: 
earnings,  earnings  growth,  revenues,  stock  price,  return  on  assets,  return  on  equity,  improvement  of  financial  ratings, 
achievement  of  balance  sheet  or  income  statement  objectives  and  expenses.  These  criteria  may  relate  to  the  Company,  a 
particular line of business or a specific subsidiary of the Company. The Company had no expense related to the CIRP in 2021, 
2020 and 2019, and no awards were paid in those years. There were no outstanding awards under this plan at December 31, 
2021. 

146

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Other Employee Benefits

Wintrust  and  its  subsidiaries  also  provide  401(k)  Retirement  Savings  Plans  (“401(k)  Plans”).  The  401(k)  Plans  cover  all 
employees  meeting  certain  eligibility  requirements.  Contributions  by  employees  are  made  through  salary  deferrals  at  their 
direction,  subject  to  certain  Plan  and  statutory  limitations.  Employer  contributions  to  the  401(k)  Plans  are  made  at  the 
employer’s  discretion.  Eligible  participants  that  have  contributed  to  the  401(k)  Plans  are  eligible  to  share  in  an  allocation  of 
employer contributions. The Company’s expense for the employer contributions to the 401(k) Plans was approximately $15.6 
million in 2021, $13.8 million in 2020, and $12.3 million in 2019.

The Wintrust Financial Corporation Employee Stock Purchase Plan (“ESPP”) is designed to encourage greater stock ownership 
among employees, thereby enhancing employee commitment to the Company. The ESPP gives eligible employees the right to 
accumulate funds over an offering period to purchase shares of common stock. All shares offered under the ESPP will be either 
newly issued shares of the Company or shares issued from treasury, if any. In accordance with the ESPP, beginning January 1, 
2015, the purchase price of the shares of common stock is equal to 95% of the closing price of the Company’s common stock 
on  the  last  day  of  the  offering  period.  During  2021,  2020  and  2019,  44,021,  75,763  and  43,386,  shares  of  common  stock, 
respectively, were purchased by participants and no compensation expense was recorded. The Company plans to continue to 
offer common stock through this ESPP on an ongoing basis and, in 2021, increased the shares authorized under the ESPP by 
200,000 shares. At December 31, 2021, the Company had an obligation to issue 9,757 shares of common stock to participants 
and had 252,893 shares available for future grants under the ESPP.

As a result of the Company’s acquisition of HPK Financial Corporation (“HPK”) in December 2012, the Company assumed the 
obligations of a noncontributory pension plan. The HPK Plan was frozen as of December 31, 2006, with no additional credit 
earned for service or compensation paid after that date. Similarly, in connection with the Company’s acquisition of Diamond 
Bancorp, Inc. (“Diamond”) in October 2013, the Company assumed the obligation of Diamond’s pension plan. The Diamond 
Plan was frozen as of December 31, 2004, and only service and compensation prior to this date is considered in determining 
benefits.  In  2019,  both  of  these  plans  were  terminated  and  participant  account  balances  were  distributed.  The  Company 
recorded no expense related to these plans in 2021 and 2020, and $487,000 of expense in 2019. 

The Company does not currently offer other postretirement benefits such as health care or other pension plans.

Directors Deferred Fee and Stock Plan

The Wintrust Financial Corporation Directors Deferred Fee and Stock Plan (“DDFS Plan”) allows directors of the Company 
and its subsidiaries to choose to receive payment of directors’ fees in either cash or common stock of the Company and to defer 
the  receipt  of  the  fees.  The  DDFS  Plan  is  designed  to  encourage  stock  ownership  by  directors.  All  shares  offered  under  the 
DDFS Plan will be either newly issued shares of the Company or shares issued from treasury. The number of shares issued is 
determined on a quarterly basis based on the fees earned during the quarter and the fair market value per share of the common 
stock on the last trading day of the preceding quarter. The shares are issued annually and the directors are entitled to dividends 
and voting rights upon the issuance of the shares. During 2020, an additional 200,000 shares were authorized under the DDFS 
Plan.  During  2021,  2020  and  2019,  a  total  of  23,909  shares,  19,928  shares  and  18,577  shares,  respectively,  were  issued  to 
directors. For those directors that elect to defer the receipt of the common stock, the Company maintains records of stock units 
representing an obligation to issue shares of common stock. The number of stock units equals the number of shares that would 
have  been  issued  had  the  director  not  elected  to  defer  receipt  of  the  shares.  Additional  stock  units  are  credited  at  the  time 
dividends are paid, however no voting rights are associated with the stock units. The shares of common stock represented by the 
stock  units  are  issued  in  the  year  specified  by  the  directors  in  their  participation  agreements.  At  December  31,  2021,  the 
Company has an obligation to issue 341,632 shares of common stock to directors and has 152,070 shares available for future 
grants under the DDFS Plan.

(19) Regulatory Matters

Banking laws place restrictions upon the amount of dividends that can be paid to Wintrust by the banks. Based on these laws, 
the banks could, subject to minimum capital requirements, declare dividends to Wintrust without obtaining regulatory approval 
in an amount not exceeding (a) undivided profits, and (b) the amount of net income reduced by dividends paid for the current 
and prior two years. During 2021, 2020 and 2019, cash dividends totaling $145.0 million, $253.0 million and $139.0 million, 
respectively, were paid to Wintrust by the banks and other subsidiaries. As of December 31, 2021, the banks had approximately 
$431.9 million available to be paid as dividends to Wintrust without prior regulatory approval and without reducing their capital 
below the well-capitalized level.

147

The banks are also required by the Federal Reserve Act to maintain reserves against deposits. Reserves are held either in the 
form  of  vault  cash  or  balances  maintained  with  the  FRB  and  are  based  on  the  average  daily  deposit  balances  and  statutory 
reserve ratios prescribed by the type of deposit account. In March 2020, the FRB adopted a rule to amend its reserve regulation 
which included lowering the reserve requirement to zero percent. As a result, at December 31, 2021 and 2020, there was no 
reserve balance required to be maintained at the FRB.

The Company and the banks are subject to various regulatory capital requirements established by the federal banking agencies 
that  take  into  account  risk  attributable  to  balance  sheet  and  off-balance  sheet  activities.  Failure  to  meet  minimum  capital 
requirements  can  initiate  certain  mandatory  —  and  possibly  discretionary  —  actions  by  regulators,  that  if  undertaken  could 
have  a  direct  material  effect  on  the  Company’s  financial  statements.  Under  capital  adequacy  guidelines  and  the  regulatory 
framework  for  prompt  corrective  action,  the  Company  and  the  banks  must  meet  specific  capital  guidelines  that  involve 
quantitative  measures  of  the  Company’s  assets,  liabilities,  and  certain  off-balance  sheet  items  as  calculated  under  regulatory 
accounting practices. 

Quantitative  measures  established  by  regulation  to  ensure  capital  adequacy  require  the  Company  and  the  banks  to  maintain 
minimum amounts and ratios of total and Tier 1 capital (as defined in the regulations) to risk-weighted assets (as defined) and 
Tier 1 leverage capital (as defined) to average quarterly assets (as defined). The  Federal Reserve’s capital guidelines require 
bank holding companies to maintain a minimum ratio of qualifying total capital to risk-weighted assets of 8.0%, of which at 
least 4.50% must be in the form of Common Equity Tier 1 capital and 6.0% must be in the form of Tier 1 capital. The Federal 
Reserve  also  requires  a  minimum  leverage  ratio  of  Tier  1  capital  to  average  total  assets  of  4.0%.  In  addition,  the  Federal 
Reserve continues to consider the Tier 1 leverage ratio in evaluating proposals for expansion or new activities. 

As reflected in the following table, the Company met all minimum capital requirements at December 31, 2021 and 2020:

Total capital to risk weighted assets
Tier 1 capital to risk weighted assets
Common Equity Tier 1 capital to risk weighted assets
Tier 1 Leverage Ratio

2021

2020

 11.6 %
 9.6 
 8.6 
 8.0 

 12.6 %
 10.0 
 8.8 
 8.1 

Wintrust is designated as a financial holding company. Bank holding companies approved as financial holding companies may 
engage  in  an  expanded  range  of  activities,  including  the  businesses  conducted  by  its  wealth  management  subsidiaries.  As  a 
financial holding company, Wintrust’s banks are required to maintain their capital positions at the “well-capitalized” level. As 
of December 31, 2021, the banks were categorized as well capitalized under the regulatory framework for prompt corrective 
action. The ratios required for the banks to be “well capitalized” by regulatory definition are 10.0%, 8.0%, 6.5% and 5.0% for 
total capital to risk-weighted assets, Tier 1 capital to risk-weighted assets, Common Equity Tier 1 capital to risk weighted assets 
and Tier 1 leverage ratio, respectively. 

148

The banks’ actual capital amounts and ratios as of December 31, 2021 and 2020 are presented in the following table:

December 31, 2021

December 31, 2020

Actual

Ratio

To Be Well
Capitalized by
Regulatory Definition
Amount

Ratio

Actual

Amount

Ratio

To Be Well
Capitalized by
Regulatory Definition
Amount

Ratio

Amount

$ 614,942 
  370,363 
  905,629 
  203,893 
  362,019 
  139,059 
  338,912 
  148,108 
  219,017 
  189,349 
  273,185 
  245,045 
  145,438 
  190,402 
  183,726 

 (Dollars in thousands)
Total Capital (to Risk Weighted Assets):
Lake Forest Bank
Hinsdale Bank
Wintrust Bank
Libertyville Bank
Barrington Bank
Crystal Lake Bank
Northbrook Bank
Schaumburg Bank
Village Bank
Beverly Bank
Town Bank
Wheaton Bank
State Bank of the Lakes
Old Plank Trail Bank
St. Charles Bank
Tier 1 Capital (to Risk Weighted Assets):
Lake Forest Bank
Hinsdale Bank
Wintrust Bank
Libertyville Bank
Barrington Bank
Crystal Lake Bank
Northbrook Bank
Schaumburg Bank
Village Bank
Beverly Bank
Town Bank
Wheaton Bank
State Bank of the Lakes
Old Plank Trail Bank
St. Charles Bank
Common Equity Tier 1 Capital (to Risk Weighted Assets):
Lake Forest Bank
Hinsdale Bank
Wintrust Bank
Libertyville Bank
Barrington Bank
Crystal Lake Bank
Northbrook Bank
Schaumburg Bank
Village Bank
Beverly Bank
Town Bank
Wheaton Bank
State Bank of the Lakes
Old Plank Trail Bank
St. Charles Bank

$ 586,701 
  352,916 
  844,613 
  191,716 
  353,629 
  131,730 
  320,243 
  141,228 
  206,828 
  179,487 
  262,859 
  234,218 
  138,266 
  177,956 
  174,516 

$ 586,701 
  352,916 
  844,613 
  191,716 
  353,629 
  131,730 
  320,243 
  141,228 
  206,828 
  179,487 
  262,859 
  234,218 
  138,266 
  177,956 
  174,516 

 11.1 % $ 552,325 
  327,716 
 11.3 
  810,711 
 11.2 
  179,719 
 11.4 
  313,373 
 11.6 
  121,722 
 11.4 
  303,915 
 11.2 
  134,208 
 11.0 
  198,923 
 11.0 
  166,645 
 11.4 
  241,598 
 11.3 
  215,507 
 11.4 
  129,304 
 11.3 
  165,493 
 11.5 
  161,563 
 11.4 

 10.6 % $ 441,860 
  262,173 
 10.8 
  648,569 
 10.4 
  143,775 
 10.7 
  250,698 
 11.3 
  97,378 
 10.8 
  243,132 
 10.5 
  107,367 
 10.5 
  159,138 
 10.4 
  133,316 
 10.8 
  193,278 
 10.9 
  172,405 
 10.9 
  103,443 
 10.7 
  132,394 
 10.8 
  129,250 
 10.8 

 10.6 % $ 359,011 
  213,015 
 10.8 
  526,962 
 10.4 
  116,817 
 10.7 
  203,692 
 11.3 
  79,119 
 10.8 
  197,545 
 10.5 
  87,235 
 10.5 
  129,300 
 10.4 
  108,319 
 10.8 
  157,039 
 10.9 
  140,079 
 10.9 
  84,048 
 10.7 
  107,571 
 10.8 
  105,016 
 10.8 

 10.0 % $ 525,202 
  347,559 
 10.0 
  808,451 
 10.0 
  184,387 
 10.0 
  372,944 
 10.0 
  127,621 
 10.0 
  300,427 
 10.0 
  128,475 
 10.0 
  192,387 
 10.0 
  184,270 
 10.0 
  252,271 
 10.0 
  213,784 
 10.0 
  131,068 
 10.0 
  177,047 
 10.0 
  165,876 
 10.0 

 8.0 % $ 494,957 
  323,207 
 8.0 
  728,787 
 8.0 
  169,328 
 8.0 
  362,326 
 8.0 
  118,085 
 8.0 
  280,852 
 8.0 
  119,335 
 8.0 
  176,868 
 8.0 
  173,168 
 8.0 
  236,926 
 8.0 
  199,134 
 8.0 
  122,183 
 8.0 
  155,975 
 8.0 
  153,704 
 8.0 

 6.5 % $ 494,957 
  323,207 
 6.5 
  728,787 
 6.5 
  169,328 
 6.5 
  362,326 
 6.5 
  118,085 
 6.5 
  280,852 
 6.5 
  119,335 
 6.5 
  176,868 
 6.5 
  173,168 
 6.5 
  236,926 
 6.5 
  199,134 
 6.5 
  122,183 
 6.5 
  155,975 
 6.5 
  153,704 
 6.5 

 12.0 % $ 436,884 
  274,208 
 12.7 
  697,039 
 11.6 
  161,448 
 11.4 
  316,946 
 11.8 
  111,594 
 11.4 
  257,849 
 11.7 
  113,610 
 11.3 
  161,866 
 11.9 
  152,521 
 12.1 
  213,661 
 11.8 
  186,919 
 11.4 
  113,363 
 11.6 
  147,607 
 12.0 
  138,774 
 12.0 

 11.3 % $ 349,507 
  219,366 
 11.8 
  557,631 
 10.5 
  129,158 
 10.5 
  253,556 
 11.4 
  89,275 
 10.6 
  206,279 
 10.9 
  90,888 
 10.5 
  129,493 
 10.9 
  122,017 
 11.4 
  170,929 
 11.1 
  149,535 
 10.7 
  90,690 
 10.8 
  118,085 
 10.9 
  111,019 
 11.1 

 11.3 % $ 283,975 
  178,235 
 11.8 
  453,075 
 10.5 
  104,941 
 10.5 
  206,015 
 11.4 
  72,536 
 10.6 
  167,602 
 10.9 
  73,846 
 10.5 
  105,213 
 10.9 
  99,139 
 11.4 
  138,880 
 11.1 
  121,497 
 10.7 
  73,686 
 10.8 
  95,944 
 10.9 
  90,203 
 11.1 

 10.0 %
 10.0 
 10.0 
 10.0 
 10.0 
 10.0 
 10.0 
 10.0 
 10.0 
 10.0 
 10.0 
 10.0 
 10.0 
 10.0 
 10.0 

 8.0 %
 8.0 
 8.0 
 8.0 
 8.0 
 8.0 
 8.0 
 8.0 
 8.0 
 8.0 
 8.0 
 8.0 
 8.0 
 8.0 
 8.0 

 6.5 %
 6.5 
 6.5 
 6.5 
 6.5 
 6.5 
 6.5 
 6.5 
 6.5 
 6.5 
 6.5 
 6.5 
 6.5 
 6.5 
 6.5 

149

 
 (Dollars in thousands)
Tier 1 Leverage Ratio:
Lake Forest Bank
Hinsdale Bank
Wintrust Bank
Libertyville Bank
Barrington Bank
Crystal Lake Bank
Northbrook Bank
Schaumburg Bank
Village Bank
Beverly Bank
Town Bank
Wheaton Bank
State Bank of the Lakes
Old Plank Trail Bank
St. Charles Bank

December 31, 2021

December 31, 2020

Actual

Amount

Ratio

To Be Well
Capitalized by
Regulatory Definition
Amount

Ratio

Actual

Amount

Ratio

To Be Well
Capitalized by
Regulatory Definition
Amount

Ratio

$ 586,701 
  352,916 
  844,613 
  191,716 
  353,629 
  131,730 
  320,243 
  141,228 
  206,828 
  179,487 
  262,859 
  234,218 
  138,266 
  177,956 
  174,516 

 8.3 % $ 353,846 
  200,228 
 8.8 
  461,082 
 9.2 
  112,448 
 8.5 
  162,392 
 10.9 
  67,711 
 9.7 
  188,424 
 8.5 
  78,938 
 9.0 
  111,885 
 9.2 
  90,265 
 9.9 
  166,487 
 7.9 
  144,949 
 8.1 
  81,475 
 8.5 
  108,332 
 8.2 
  95,638 
 9.1 

 5.0 % $ 494,957 
  323,207 
 5.0 
  728,787 
 5.0 
  169,328 
 5.0 
  362,326 
 5.0 
  118,085 
 5.0 
  280,852 
 5.0 
  119,335 
 5.0 
  176,868 
 5.0 
  173,168 
 5.0 
  236,926 
 5.0 
  199,134 
 5.0 
  122,183 
 5.0 
  155,975 
 5.0 
  153,704 
 5.0 

 8.8 % $ 281,365 
  190,608 
 8.5 
  412,878 
 8.8 
  99,846 
 8.5 
  158,153 
 11.5 
  65,329 
 9.0 
  164,599 
 8.5 
  70,740 
 8.4 
  106,021 
 8.3 
  86,022 
 10.1 
  145,977 
 8.1 
  128,592 
 7.7 
  74,986 
 8.2 
  98,610 
 8.2 
  87,849 
 8.8 

 5.0 %
 5.0 
 5.0 
 5.0 
 5.0 
 5.0 
 5.0 
 5.0 
 5.0 
 5.0 
 5.0 
 5.0 
 5.0 
 5.0 
 5.0 

Wintrust’s  mortgage  banking  division  and  broker/dealer  subsidiary  are  also  required  to  maintain  minimum  net  worth  capital 
requirements with various governmental agencies. The mortgage banking division’s net worth requirements are governed by the 
Department of Housing and Urban Development and the broker/dealer’s net worth requirements are governed by the SEC. As 
of December 31, 2021, these business units met their minimum net worth capital requirements.

(20) Commitments and Contingencies

The Company has outstanding, at any time, a number of commitments to extend credit. These commitments include revolving 
home equity line and other credit agreements, term loan commitments and standby and commercial letters of credit. Standby 
and  commercial  letters  of  credit  are  conditional  commitments  issued  to  guarantee  the  performance  of  a  customer  to  a  third 
party.  Standby  letters  of  credit  are  contingent  upon  the  failure  of  the  customer  to  perform  according  to  the  terms  of  the 
underlying contract with the third party, while commercial letters of credit are issued specifically to facilitate commerce and 
typically result in the commitment being drawn on when the underlying transaction is consummated between the customer and 
the third party.

These commitments involve, to varying degrees, elements of credit and interest rate risk in excess of the amounts recognized in 
the Consolidated Statements of Condition. Since many of the commitments are expected to expire without being drawn upon, 
the  total  commitment  amounts  do  not  necessarily  represent  future  cash  requirements.  The  Company  uses  the  same  credit 
policies in making commitments as it does for on-balance sheet instruments. Commitments to extend commercial, commercial 
real  estate  and  construction  loans  totaled  $7.8  billion  and  $6.4  billion  as  of  December  31,  2021  and  2020,  respectively,  and 
unused home equity lines totaled $749.4 million and $756.2 million as of December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively. Standby 
and commercial letters of credit totaled $351.1 million at December 31, 2021 and $348.2 million at December 31, 2020.

In addition, at December 31, 2021 and 2020, the Company had approximately $590.0 million and $1.7 billion, respectively, in 
commitments  to  fund  residential  mortgage  loans  to  be  sold  into  the  secondary  market.  These  lending  commitments  are  also 
considered  derivative  instruments.  The  Company  also  enters  into  forward  contracts  for  the  future  delivery  of  residential 
mortgage loans at specified interest rates to reduce the interest rate risk associated with commitments to fund loans as well as 
mortgage loans held-for-sale. These forward contracts are also considered derivative instruments and had contractual amounts 
of  approximately  $952.3  million  at  December  31,  2021  and  $2.3  billion  at  December  31,  2020.  See  Note  21,  “Derivative 
Financial Instruments,” for further discussion on derivative instruments.

The  Company  enters  into  residential  mortgage  loan  sale  agreements  with  investors  in  the  normal  course  of  business.  These 
agreements  usually  require  certain  representations  concerning  credit  information,  loan  documentation,  collateral  and 
insurability.  On  occasion,  investors  have  requested  the  Company  to  indemnify  them  against  losses  on  certain  loans  or  to 
repurchase loans which the investors believe do not comply with applicable representations. Management maintains a liability 
for estimated losses on loans expected to be repurchased or on which indemnification is expected to be provided and regularly 

150

 
evaluates  the  adequacy  of  this  recourse  liability  based  on  trends  in  repurchase  and  indemnification  requests,  actual  loss 
experience, known and inherent risks in the loans, and current economic conditions.

The Company sold approximately $7.4 billion of mortgage loans in 2021 and $7.6 billion in 2020. The liability for estimated 
losses on repurchase and indemnification claims for residential mortgage loans previously sold to investors was approximately 
$675,000 and $779,000 at December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively, and was included in other liabilities on the Consolidated 
Statements of Condition. Losses charged against the liability were $219,000 in 2021 as compared to $187,000 in 2020. These 
losses  relate  to  mortgages  which  experienced  early  payment  and  other  defaults  meeting  certain  representation  and  warranty 
recourse requirements.

The Company has unfunded commitments to investment partnerships that qualify for CRA purposes totaling $40.3 million as of 
December  31,  2021.  Of  these  commitments,  $7.1  million  related  to  legally-binding  unfunded  commitments  for  tax-credit 
investments and was included within other liabilities on the Consolidated Statements of Condition. 

The Company utilizes an out-sourced securities clearing platform and has agreed to indemnify the clearing broker of Wintrust 
Investments for losses that it may sustain from the customer accounts introduced by Wintrust Investments. As of December 31, 
2021,  the  total  amount  of  customer  balances  maintained  by  the  clearing  broker  and  subject  to  indemnification  was 
approximately  $22.5  million.  Wintrust  Investments  seeks  to  control  the  risks  associated  with  its  customers’  activities  by 
requiring customers to maintain margin collateral in compliance with various regulatory and internal guidelines.

Litigation Matters

In accordance with applicable accounting principles, the Company establishes an accrued liability for litigation and threatened 
litigation  actions  and  proceedings  when  those  actions  present  loss  contingencies,  which  are  both  probable  and  estimable.  In 
actions  for  which  a  loss  is  reasonably  possible  in  future  periods,  the  Company  determines  whether  it  can  estimate  a  loss  or 
range  of  possible  loss.  To  determine  whether  a  possible  loss  is  estimable,  the  Company  reviews  and  evaluates  its  material 
litigation  on  an  ongoing  basis,  in  conjunction  with  any  outside  counsel  handling  the  matter,  in  light  of  potentially  relevant 
factual  and  legal  developments.  This  review  may  include  information  learned  through  the  discovery  process,  rulings  on 
substantive or dispositive motions, and settlement discussions.

Wintrust Mortgage Matter

On  October  17,  2018,  a  former  Wintrust  Mortgage  employee  filed  a  lawsuit  in  the  Superior  Court  of  Los  Angeles  County, 
California against Wintrust Mortgage alleging violation of California wage payment statutes on behalf of herself and all other 
hourly,  non-exempt  employees  of  Wintrust  Mortgage  in  California.  Wintrust  Mortgage  received  service  of  the  complaint  on 
November  4,  2018.  Wintrust  Mortgage  filed  its  response  to  the  complaint  on  February  25,  2019.  On  November  1,  2019,  the 
plaintiff's  counsel  filed  a  letter  with  the  California  Department  of  Labor  advising  that  it  was  initiating  an  action  under 
California's Private Attorney General Act statute based on the same alleged violations. In November 2019, the parties reached a 
settlement  agreement.  The  parties  executed  a  settlement  agreement  and  on  February  26,  2020,  plaintiff  moved  the  court  for 
approval.  A  hearing  on  the  motion  to  approve  settlement  was  originally  set  for  June  16,  2020,  but  the  court  continued  the 
motion  to  September  8,  2020.  On  September  8,  2020,  the  court  requested  the  parties  make  certain  changes  to  the  settlement 
agreement that were immaterial to the parties’ settlement terms. The parties revised the settlement agreement consistent with 
the court's recommendations and submitted the revised settlement agreement to the court for its approval. On January 27, 2021, 
the court entered its preliminary approval of the settlement. After no class members opted out or objected to the settlement, the 
court  issued  its  final  approval  of  the  settlement  on  June  17,  2021  and  on  June  18,  2021,  Wintrust  Mortgage  tendered  the 
settlement amount to the class claims administrator and payments to class members have been completed. The Company had 
reserved an amount for this settlement that is immaterial to its results of operations or financial condition.

Northbrook Bank Matter

On October 17, 2018, two individual plaintiffs filed suit in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois against Northbrook Bank 
and  Tamer  Moumen  on  behalf  of  themselves  and  a  class  of  approximately  42  investors  in  a  hedge  fund  run  by  defendant 
Moumen. Plaintiffs allege that defendant Moumen ran a fraudulent Ponzi scheme and ran those funds through deposit accounts 
at Northbrook Bank. They allege the bank was negligent in failing to close the deposit accounts and that it intentionally aided 
and  abetted  defendant  Moumen  in  the  alleged  fraud.  They  contend  that  Northbrook  Bank  is  liable  for  losses  in  excess  of 
$6 million. Northbrook Bank filed its motion to dismiss the complaint on January 15, 2019, which the court granted on March 
5,  2019.  On  April  3,  2019,  the  plaintiffs  filed  an  amended  complaint  based  on  similar  allegations.  Northbrook  Bank  again 
moved  to  dismiss.  The  court  heard  this  motion  on  July  17,  2019  and  once  again  dismissed  the  complaint  without  prejudice. 
Plaintiffs filed a second amended complaint on August 12, 2019. Northbrook moved to dismiss the second amended complaint. 
On November 6, 2019, the court dismissed the complaint with prejudice. Plaintiffs filed an appeal on December 2, 2019. After 
this appeal was fully briefed, on September 4, 2020, the Appellate Court for the First District of Illinois remanded the case back 
to the trial court for lack of appellate jurisdiction. The Appellate Court determined it did not have jurisdiction to hear the appeal 
because the trial court did not dismiss the suit against defendant Moumen and plaintiffs did not obtain the trial court's consent 

151

for  immediate  appeal  of  the  dismissal  order  against  Northbrook  Bank.  On  October  29,  2020,  the  plaintiffs  cured  the 
jurisdictional issue identified by the Appellate Court by dismissing defendant Moumen. Plaintiffs filed their renewed appeal on 
November 4, 2020. This matter was fully briefed and on July 30, 2021, the Appellate Court issued an opinion affirming the trial 
court’s dismissal of the complaint with prejudice. On August 30, 2021, Plaintiffs filed a petition seeking permission to appeal to 
the Illinois Supreme Court. Northbrook Bank filed its response to plaintiffs’ petition on September 23, 2021. On November 24, 
2021, the Illinois Supreme Court denied plaintiffs’ petition, thereby ending the dispute.

Other Matters

In  addition,  the  Company  and  its  subsidiaries,  from  time  to  time,  are  subject  to  pending  and  threatened  legal  action  and 
proceedings arising in the ordinary course of business.

Based on information currently available and upon consultation with counsel, management believes that the eventual outcome 
of any pending or threatened legal actions and proceedings described above, including our ordinary course litigation, will not 
have a material adverse effect on the operations or financial condition of the Company. However, it is possible that the ultimate 
resolution of these matters, if unfavorable, may be material to the results of operations or financial condition for a particular 
period.

(21) Derivative Financial Instruments

The Company primarily enters into derivative financial instruments as part of its strategy to manage its exposure to changes in 
interest  rates.  Derivative  instruments  represent  contracts  between  parties  that  result  in  one  party  delivering  cash  to  the  other 
party  based  on  a  notional  amount  and  an  underlying  term  (such  as  a  rate,  security  price  or  price  index)  as  specified  in  the 
contract.  The  amount  of  cash  delivered  from  one  party  to  the  other  is  determined  based  on  the  interaction  of  the  notional 
amount of the contract with the underlying term. Derivatives are also implicit in certain contracts and commitments.

The  derivative  financial  instruments  currently  used  by  the  Company  to  manage  its  exposure  to  interest  rate  risk  include: 
(1)  interest  rate  swaps  and  collars  to  manage  the  interest  rate  risk  of  certain  fixed  and  variable  rate  assets  and  variable  rate 
liabilities; (2) interest rate lock commitments provided to customers to fund certain mortgage loans to be sold into the secondary 
market; (3) forward commitments for the future delivery of such mortgage loans to protect the Company from adverse changes 
in  interest  rates  and  corresponding  changes  in  the  value  of  mortgage  loans  held-for-sale;  (4)  covered  call  options  to 
economically  hedge  specific  investment  securities  and  receive  fee  income  effectively  enhancing  the  overall  yield  on  such 
securities to compensate for net interest margin compression; and (5) options and swaps to economically hedge a portion of the 
fair value adjustments related to the Company’s mortgage servicing rights portfolio. The Company also enters into derivatives 
(typically  interest  rate  swaps)  with  certain  qualified  borrowers  to  facilitate  the  borrowers’  risk  management  strategies  and 
concurrently enters into mirror-image derivatives with a third party counterparty, effectively making a market in the derivatives 
for  such  borrowers.  Additionally,  the  Company  enters  into  foreign  currency  contracts  to  manage  foreign  exchange  risk 
associated with certain foreign currency denominated assets.

The Company recognizes derivative financial instruments in the consolidated financial statements at fair value regardless of the 
purpose  or  intent  for  holding  the  instrument.  The  Company  records  derivative  assets  and  derivative  liabilities  on  the 
Consolidated Statements of Condition within accrued interest receivable and other assets and accrued interest payable and other 
liabilities,  respectively.  Changes  in  the  fair  value  of  derivative  financial  instruments  are  either  recognized  in  income  or  in 
shareholders’ equity as a component of accumulated other comprehensive income or loss depending on whether the derivative 
financial instrument qualifies for hedge accounting and, if so, whether it qualifies as a fair value hedge or cash flow hedge. 

Changes in fair values of derivatives accounted for as fair value hedges are recorded in income in the same period and in the 
same income statement line as changes in the fair values of the hedged items that relate to the hedged risk(s). Changes in fair 
values of derivative financial instruments accounted for as cash flow hedges are recorded as a component of accumulated other 
comprehensive income or loss, net of deferred taxes, and reclassified to earnings when the hedged transaction affects earnings. 
Changes  in  fair  values  of  derivative  financial  instruments  not  designated  in  a  hedging  relationship  pursuant  to  ASC  815  are 
reported in non-interest income during the period of the change. Derivative financial instruments are valued by a third party and 
are  corroborated  by  comparison  with  valuations  provided  by  the  respective  counterparties.  Fair  values  of  certain  mortgage 
banking derivatives (interest rate lock commitments and forward commitments to sell mortgage loans) are estimated based on 
changes  in  mortgage  interest  rates  from  the  date  of  the  loan  commitment.  The  fair  value  of  foreign  currency  derivatives  is 
computed based on changes in foreign currency rates stated in the contract compared to those prevailing at the measurement 
date.

152

The  table  below  presents  the  fair  value  of  the  Company’s  derivative  financial  instruments  as  of  December  31,  2021  and 
December 31, 2020:

(Dollars in thousands)
Derivatives designated as hedging instruments under ASC 815:

Interest rate derivatives designated as Cash Flow Hedges

Interest rate derivatives designated as Fair Value Hedges

Total derivatives designated as hedging instruments under ASC 815

Derivatives not designated as hedging instruments under ASC 815:

Interest rate derivatives

Interest rate lock commitments

Forward commitments to sell mortgage loans

Foreign exchange contracts

Total derivatives not designated as hedging instruments under ASC 815

Total Derivatives

Cash Flow Hedges of Interest Rate Risk

Derivative Assets

Derivative Liabilities

December 31, 
2021

December 31, 
2020

December 31, 
2021

December 31, 
2020

$ 

$ 

47,309  $ 

8,182 

$ 

10,401  $ 

1,474 

— 

5,841 

48,783  $ 

8,182 

$ 

16,242  $ 

39,715 

14,520 

54,235 

$ 

103,710  $ 

221,205 

$ 

103,665  $ 

221,608 

10,560 

1,625 

330 

48,925 

— 

111 

885 

1,878 

330 

$ 

$ 

116,225  $ 

165,008  $ 

270,241 

278,423 

$ 

$ 

106,758  $ 

123,000  $ 

— 

12,510 

112 

234,230 

288,465 

The  Company’s  objectives  in  using  interest  rate  derivatives  are  to  add  stability  to  net  interest  income  and  to  manage  its 
exposure to interest rate movements. To accomplish these objectives, the Company primarily uses interest rate swaps as part of 
its interest rate risk management strategy. Interest rate swaps designated as cash flow hedges involve the receipt of variable-rate 
amounts from a counterparty in exchange for the Company making fixed-rate payments over the life of the agreements without 
the  exchange  of  the  underlying  notional  amount.  Interest  rate  collars  designated  as  cash  flow  hedges  involve  the  receipt  of 
amounts in which the interest rate specified in the contract exceeds the agreed upon cap strike price or the payment of amounts 
in which the interest rate specified in the contract is below the agreed upon floor strike price at the end of each period.  

As of December 31, 2021, the Company had 22 interest rate swap derivatives designated as cash flow hedges of variable rate 
deposits and one interest rate collar derivative designated as a cash flow hedge of the Company’s variable rate Term Facility. 
When the relationship between the hedged item and hedging instrument is highly effective at achieving offsetting changes in 
cash flows attributable to the hedged risk, changes in the fair value of these cash flow hedges are recorded in accumulated other 
comprehensive  income  or  loss  and  are  subsequently  reclassified  to  interest  expense  as  interest  payments  are  made  on  such 
variable  rate  deposits.  The  changes  in  fair  value  (net  of  tax)  are  separately  disclosed  in  the  Consolidated  Statements  of 
Comprehensive Income.

153

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The table below provides details on these cash flow hedges, summarized by derivative type and maturity, as of December 31, 
2021: 

(Dollars in thousands)

Maturity Date
Interest Rate Swaps:

March 2022

May 2022

June 2022

July 2022

August 2022

March 2023
April 2024
July 2027 (1)

Interest Rate Collars:

September 2023

     Total Cash Flow Hedges

December 31, 2021

Notional
Amount

Fair Value
Asset (Liability)

$ 

500,000  $ 

370,000 

160,000 

230,000 

235,000 
250,000 
250,000 
1,000,000 

80,357 
3,075,357  $ 

$ 

21 

(2,400) 

(1,282) 

(1,944) 

(2,384) 
945 
3,187 
43,156 

(2,391) 
36,908 

(1) Interest rate swaps effective starting in July 2022.

In 2018, the Company terminated five interest rate swap derivatives designated as cash flow hedges of variable rate deposits 
with a total notional value of $650.0 million. As the hedged forecasted transactions (interest payments on variable rate deposits) 
still  occurred  over  the  remaining  term  of  the  terminated  derivatives,  any  prior  changes  in  the  fair  value  of  these  cash  flow 
hedges continued to be included within accumulated other comprehensive income or loss and reclassified to interest expense as 
interest  payments  continue  to  be  made.  The  remaining  term  of  these  terminated  derivatives  ended  in  2020.  Therefore,  no 
reclassification  of  these  terminated  derivatives  from  accumulated  other  comprehensive  income  or  loss  to  interest  expense 
occurred in 2021. In 2020 and 2019, the Company reclassified approximately $1.4 million and $4.7 million, respectively, from 
accumulated other comprehensive income or loss to interest expense related to these terminated interest rate swap derivatives.

A rollforward of the amounts in accumulated other comprehensive income or loss related to interest rate derivatives designated 
as cash flow hedges follows:

(Dollars in thousands)
Unrealized loss at beginning of period
Amount reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income to interest 
expense on deposits, other borrowings and junior subordinated debentures
Amount of gain (loss) recognized in other comprehensive income
Unrealized gain (loss) at end of period

Years Ended December 31,
2020
2021

(31,533)  $ 

(17,943) 

26,883 
41,558 
36,908  $ 

18,471 
(32,061) 
(31,533) 

$ 

$ 

As  of  December  31,  2021,  the  Company  estimated  that  during  the  next  12  months,  $11.3  million  will  be  reclassified  from 
accumulated other comprehensive income or loss as an increase to interest expense.

Fair Value Hedges of Interest Rate Risk

Interest rate swaps designated as fair value hedges involve the payment of fixed amounts to a counterparty in exchange for the 
Company receiving variable payments over the life of the agreements without the exchange of the underlying notional amount.  
As of December 31, 2021, the Company has 14 interest rate swaps with an aggregate notional amount of $212.5 million that 
were designated as fair value hedges primarily associated with fixed rate commercial and industrial and commercial real estate 
loans as well as life insurance premium finance receivables.

For derivatives designated and that qualify as fair value hedges, the net gain or loss from the entire change in the fair value of 
the derivative instrument is recognized in the same income statement line item as the earnings effect, including the net gain or 
loss, of the hedged item (interest income earned on fixed rate loans) when the hedged item affects earnings.

154

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The  following  table  presents  the  carrying  amount  of  the  hedged  assets/(liabilities)  and  the  cumulative  amount  of  fair  value 
hedging adjustment included in the carrying amount of the hedged assets/(liabilities) that are designated as a fair value hedge 
accounting relationship as of December 31, 2021:

(Dollars in 
thousands)

Derivatives in 
Fair Value
Hedging 
Relationships
Interest rate 
swaps

Location in the Statement of Condition

Loans, net of unearned income

Available-for-sale debt securities

December 31, 2021

Carrying Amount of the 
Hedged Assets/(Liabilities)

Cumulative Amount of Fair 
Value Hedging Adjustment 
Included in the Carrying 
Amount of the Hedged 
Assets/(Liabilities) 

Cumulative Amount of Fair 
Value Hedging Adjustment 
Remaining for any Hedged 
Assets (Liabilities) for which 
Hedge Accounting has been 
Discontinued

$ 

142,213  $ 

1,150 

4,316  $ 

68 

(132) 

— 

The  following  table  presents  the  gain  or  loss  recognized  related  to  derivative  instruments  that  are  designated  as  fair  value 
hedges for the respective period:

(Dollars in thousands)

Derivatives in Fair Value
Hedging Relationships
Interest rate swaps

Non-Designated Hedges

Location of Gain or (Loss) Recognized in Income on Derivative

Interest and fees on loans

$ 

Interest income - investment securities

Year Ended
December 31,

2021

50 

— 

The Company does not use derivatives for speculative purposes. Derivatives not designated as accounting hedges are used to 
manage  the  Company’s  economic  exposure  to  interest  rate  movements  and  other  identified  risks  but  do  not  meet  the  strict 
hedge accounting requirements of ASC 815. Changes in the fair value of derivatives not designated in hedging relationships are 
recorded directly in earnings. 

Interest Rate Derivatives—Periodically, the Company may purchase interest rate cap derivatives designed to act as an economic 
hedge  of  the  risk  of  the  negative  impact  on  its  fixed-rate  loan  portfolios  from  rising  interest  rates,  most  notably  the  LIBOR 
index. As of December 31, 2021, the Company held interest rate caps with an aggregate notional value of $1.0 billion.

Additionally,  the  Company  has  interest  rate  derivatives,  including  swaps  and  option  products,  resulting  from  a  service  the 
Company  provides  to  certain  qualified  borrowers.  The  Company’s  banking  subsidiaries  execute  certain  derivative  products 
(typically  interest  rate  swaps)  directly  with  qualified  commercial  borrowers  to  facilitate  their  respective  risk  management 
strategies. For example, these arrangements allow the Company’s commercial borrowers to effectively convert a variable rate 
loan to a fixed rate. In order to minimize the Company’s exposure on these transactions, the Company simultaneously executes 
offsetting derivatives with third parties. In most cases, the offsetting derivatives have mirror-image terms, which result in the 
positions’ changes in fair value substantially offsetting through earnings each period. However, to the extent that the derivatives 
are not a mirror-image and because of differences in counterparty credit risk, changes in fair value will not completely offset 
resulting in some earnings impact each period. Changes in the fair value of these derivatives are included in other non-interest 
income.  At  December  31,  2021,  the  Company  had  interest  rate  derivative  transactions  with  an  aggregate  notional  amount  of 
approximately  $9.2  billion  (all  interest  rate  swaps  and  caps  with  customers  and  third  parties)  related  to  this  program.  These 
interest rate derivatives had maturity dates ranging from January 2022 to February 2045.

Mortgage Banking Derivatives—These derivatives include interest rate lock commitments provided to customers to fund certain 
mortgage loans to be sold into the secondary market and forward commitments for the future delivery of such loans. It is the 
Company’s  practice  to  enter  into  forward  commitments  for  the  future  delivery  of  a  portion  of  our  residential  mortgage  loan 
production when interest rate lock commitments are entered into in order to economically hedge the effect of future changes in 
interest rates on its commitments to fund the loans as well as on its portfolio of mortgage loans held-for-sale. The Company’s 
mortgage banking derivatives have not been designated as being in hedge relationships. At December 31, 2021, the Company 
had forward commitments to sell mortgage loans with an aggregate notional amount of approximately $1.0 billion and interest 
rate lock commitments with an aggregate notional amount of approximately $439.5 million. The fair values of these derivatives 
were  estimated  based  on  changes  in  mortgage  rates  from  the  dates  of  the  commitments.  Changes  in  the  fair  value  of  these 
mortgage banking derivatives are included in mortgage banking revenue.

155

 
 
 
 
Foreign Currency Derivatives—These derivatives include foreign currency contracts used to manage the foreign exchange risk 
associated  with  foreign  currency  denominated  assets  and  transactions.  Foreign  currency  contracts,  which  include  spot  and 
forward  contracts,  represent  agreements  to  exchange  the  currency  of  one  country  for  the  currency  of  another  country  at  an 
agreed-upon  price  on  an  agreed-upon  settlement  date.  As  a  result  of  fluctuations  in  foreign  currencies,  the  U.S.  dollar-
equivalent value of the foreign currency denominated assets or forecasted transactions increase or decrease. Gains or losses on 
the  derivative  instruments  related  to  these  foreign  currency  denominated  assets  or  forecasted  transactions  are  expected  to 
substantially offset this variability. As of December 31, 2021, the Company held foreign currency derivatives with an aggregate 
notional amount of approximately $15.3 million. 

Other Derivatives—Periodically, the Company will sell options to a bank or dealer for the right to purchase certain securities 
held within the banks’ investment portfolios (covered call options). These option transactions are designed to increase the total 
return associated with the investment securities portfolio. These options do not qualify as accounting hedges pursuant to ASC 
815,  and,  accordingly,  changes  in  fair  value  of  these  contracts  are  recognized  as  other  non-interest  income.  There  were  no 
covered call options outstanding as of December 31, 2021 or December 31, 2020.

Periodically,  the  Company  will  purchase  options  for  the  right  to  purchase  securities  not  currently  held  within  the  banks’ 
investment portfolios or enter into interest rate swaps in which the Company elects to not designate such derivatives as hedging 
instruments.  These  option  and  swap  transactions  are  designed  primarily  to  economically  hedge  a  portion  of  the  fair  value 
adjustments  related  to  the  Company’s    mortgage  servicing  rights  portfolio.  The  gain  or  loss  associated  with  these  derivative 
contracts  are  included  in  mortgage  banking  revenue.    There  were  no  such  options  or  swaps  outstanding  as  of  December  31, 
2021 or December 31, 2020. 

Amounts  included  in  the  Consolidated  Statements  of  Income  related  to  derivative  instruments  not  designated  in  hedge 
relationships were as follows:

(Dollars in thousands)

Derivative
Interest rate swaps and caps
Trading gains (losses), net
Mortgage banking derivatives
Mortgage banking revenue
Covered call options
Fees from covered call options
Foreign exchange contracts
Trading gains (losses), net
Derivative contract held as economic hedge on MSRs Mortgage banking revenue

Location in income statement

$ 

December 31,

2021

2020

139  $ 
(42,652)   
3,673 

(10)   
— 

(1,107) 
50,183 
2,292 
(13) 
4,749 

Credit Risk

Derivative  instruments  have  inherent  risks,  primarily  market  risk  and  credit  risk.  Market  risk  is  associated  with  changes  in 
interest rates and credit risk relates to the risk that the counterparty will fail to perform according to the terms of the agreement. 
The  amounts  potentially  subject  to  market  and  credit  risks  are  the  streams  of  interest  payments  under  the  contracts  and  the 
market value of the derivative instrument and not the notional principal amounts used to express the volume of the transactions. 
Market and credit risks are managed and monitored as part of the Company’s overall asset-liability management process, except 
that  the  credit  risk  related  to  derivatives  entered  into  with  certain  qualified  borrowers  is  managed  through  the  Company’s 
standard  loan  underwriting  process  since  these  derivatives  are  secured  through  collateral  provided  by  the  loan  agreements. 
Actual  exposures  are  monitored  against  various  types  of  credit  limits  established  to  contain  risk  within  parameters.  When 
deemed necessary, appropriate types and amounts of collateral are obtained to minimize credit exposure.

The  Company  has  agreements  with  certain  of  its  interest  rate  derivative  counterparties  that  contain  cross-default  provisions, 
which provide that if the Company defaults on any of its indebtedness, including default where repayment of the indebtedness 
has not been accelerated by the lender, then the Company could also be declared in default on its derivative obligations. The 
Company also has agreements with certain of its derivative counterparties that contain a provision allowing the counterparty to 
terminate  the  derivative  positions  if  the  Company  fails  to  maintain  its  status  as  a  well  or  adequately  capitalized  institution, 
which would require the Company to settle its obligations under the agreements. As of December 31, 2021, the fair value of 
interest rate derivatives in a net liability position that were subject to such agreements, which includes accrued interest related 
to  these  agreements,  was  $58.8  million.  If  the  Company  had  breached  any  of  these  provisions  and  the  derivatives  were 
terminated as a result, the Company would have been required to settle its obligations under the agreements at the termination 
value and would have been required to pay any additional amounts due in excess of amounts previously posted as collateral 
with the respective counterparty.

156

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The Company is also exposed to the credit risk of its commercial borrowers who are counterparties to interest rate derivatives 
with  the  banks.  This  counterparty  risk  related  to  the  commercial  borrowers  is  managed  and  monitored  through  the  banks’ 
standard  underwriting  process  applicable  to  loans  since  these  derivatives  are  secured  through  collateral  provided  by  the  loan 
agreement. The counterparty risk associated with the mirror-image swaps executed with third parties is monitored and managed 
in connection with the Company’s overall asset liability management process.

The  Company  records  interest  rate  derivatives  subject  to  master  netting  agreements  at  their  gross  value  and  does  not  offset 
derivative  assets  and  liabilities  on  the  Consolidated  Statements  of  Condition.    The  table  below  summarizes  the  Company’s 
interest rate derivatives and offsetting positions as of the dates shown.

(Dollars in thousands)
Gross Amounts Recognized

Less: Amounts offset in the Statements of Condition

Net amount presented in the Statements of Condition

Gross amounts not offset in the Statements of Condition

Offsetting Derivative Positions

Collateral Posted 

Net Credit Exposure

(22) Fair Value of Assets and Liabilities

Derivative Assets

Fair Value

Derivative Liabilities

Fair Value

December 31, 2021 December 31, 2020 December 31, 2021 December 31, 2020

$ 

$ 

$ 

$ 

152,493  $ 

229,387  $ 

119,907  $ 

275,843 

— 

— 

— 

— 

152,493  $ 

229,387  $ 

119,907  $ 

275,843 

(52,832)  $ 

(8,647)  $ 

(52,832)  $ 

(3,530) 

— 

(55,201) 

96,131  $ 

220,740  $ 

11,874  $ 

(8,647) 

(266,832) 

364 

The Company measures, monitors and discloses certain of its assets and liabilities on a fair value basis. These financial assets 
and financial liabilities are measured at fair value in three levels, based on the markets in which the assets and liabilities are 
traded and the observability of the inputs used to determine fair value. These levels are:

•

•

•

Level 1 — unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities.

Level 2 — inputs other than quoted prices included in Level 1 that are observable for the asset or liability, either directly 
or indirectly. These include quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in active markets, quoted prices for identical or 
similar assets or liabilities in markets that are not active, inputs other than quoted prices that are observable for the asset 
or liability or inputs that are derived principally from or corroborated by observable market data by correlation or other 
means.

Level 3 — significant unobservable inputs that reflect the Company’s own assumptions that market participants would 
use  in  pricing  the  assets  or  liabilities.  Level  3  assets  and  liabilities  include  financial  instruments  whose  value  is 
determined using pricing models, discounted cash flow methodologies, or similar techniques, as well as instruments for 
which the determination of fair value requires significant management judgment or estimation.

A  financial  instrument’s  categorization  within  the  above  valuation  hierarchy  is  based  upon  the  lowest  level  of  input  that  is 
significant to the fair value measurement. The Company’s assessment of the significance of a particular input to the fair value 
measurement  in  its  entirety  requires  judgment,  and  considers  factors  specific  to  the  assets  or  liabilities.  Following  is  a 
description of the valuation methodologies used for the Company’s assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring 
basis.

Available-for-sale debt securities, trading account securities and equity securities with readily determinable fair value —Fair 
values for available-for-sale debt securities, trading account securities and equity securities with readily determinable fair value 
are typically based on prices obtained from independent pricing vendors. Securities measured with these valuation techniques 
are  generally  classified  as  Level  2  of  the  fair  value  hierarchy.  Typically,  standard  inputs  such  as  benchmark  yields,  reported 
trades  for  similar  securities,  issuer  spreads,  benchmark  securities,  bids,  offers  and  reference  data  including  market  research 
publications are used to fair value these securities. When these inputs are not available, broker/dealer quotes may be obtained 
by  the  vendor  to  determine  the  fair  value  of  the  security.  We  review  the  vendor’s  pricing  methodologies  to  determine  if 
observable market information is being used, versus unobservable inputs. Fair value measurements using significant inputs that 
are unobservable in the market due to limited activity or a less liquid market are classified as Level 3 in the fair value hierarchy. 

157

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The  fair  value  of  U.S.  Treasury  securities  and  certain  equity  securities  with  readily  determinable  fair  value  are  based  on 
unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical securities. As such, these securities are classified as Level 1 in the fair 
value hierarchy.

The Company’s Investment Operations Department is responsible for the valuation of Level 3 available-for-sale debt securities. 
The methodology and variables used as inputs in pricing Level 3 securities are derived from a combination of observable and 
unobservable inputs. The unobservable inputs are determined through internal assumptions that may vary from period to period 
due to external factors, such as market movement and credit rating adjustments.

At December 31, 2021, the Company classified $105.7 million of municipal securities as Level 3. These municipal securities 
are  bond  issues  for  various  municipal  government  entities  primarily  located  in  the  Chicago  metropolitan  area  and  southern 
Wisconsin and are privately placed, non-rated bonds without CUSIP numbers. The Company’s methodology for pricing these 
securities focuses on three distinct inputs: equivalent rating, yield and other pricing terms. To determine the rating for a given 
non-rated municipal bond, the Investment Operations Department references a rated, publicly issued bond by the same issuer if 
available. A reduction is then applied to the rating obtained from the comparable bond, as the Company believes if liquidated, a 
non-rated bond would be valued less than a similar bond with a verifiable rating. The reduction applied by the Company is one 
complete rating grade (i.e. a “AA” rating for a comparable bond would be reduced to “A” for the Company’s valuation). For 
bond  issues  without  comparable  bond  proxies,  a  rating  of  "BBB"  was  assigned.  At  the  year  ended  2021,  all  of  the  ratings 
derived by the Investment Operations Department using the above process were "BBB" or better. The fair value measurement 
of municipal bonds is sensitive to the rating input, as a higher rating typically results in an increased valuation. The remaining 
pricing  inputs  used  in  the  bond  valuation  are  observable.  Based  on  the  rating  determined  in  the  above  process,  Investment 
Operations obtains a corresponding current market yield curve available to market participants. Other terms including coupon, 
maturity  date,  redemption  price,  number  of  coupon  payments  per  year,  and  accrual  method  are  obtained  from  the  individual 
bond  term  sheets.  Certain  municipal  bonds  held  by  the  Company  at  December  31,  2021  are  continuously  callable.  When 
valuing these bonds, the fair value is capped at par value as the Company assumes a market participant would not pay more 
than par for a continuously callable bond. 

Mortgage  loans  held-for-sale—The  fair  value  of  mortgage  loans  held-for-sale  is  determined  by  reference  to  investor  price 
sheets for loan products with similar characteristics. As such, these loans are classified as Level 2 in the fair value hierarchy.

Loans  held-for-investment—The  fair  value  for  loans  in  which  the  Company  elected  the  fair  value  option  is  estimated  by 
discounting  future  scheduled  cash  flows  for  the  specific  loan  through  maturity,  adjusted  for  estimated  credit  losses  and 
prepayments. The Company uses a discount rate based on the actual coupon rate of the underlying loan. At December 31, 2021, 
the Company classified $15.9 million of loans held-for-investment as Level 3. The discount rate used as an input to value these 
loans at December 31, 2021 was 3.00%. The higher the rate utilized to discount estimated future cash flows, the lower the fair 
value measurement. As noted above, the fair value estimate includes assumptions of prepayment speeds and credit losses. The 
Company included a prepayment speed assumption of 11.64% at December 31, 2021. Prepayment speeds are inversely related 
to the fair value of these loans as an increase in prepayment speeds results in a decreased valuation. Additionally, the weighted 
average credit discount used as an input to value the specific loans was 0.57% with credit discounts ranging from 0% to 3% at 
December 31, 2021.

MSRs—Fair value for MSRs is determined utilizing a valuation model which calculates the fair value of each servicing rights 
based  on  the  present  value  of  estimated  future  cash  flows.  The  Company  uses  a  discount  rate  commensurate  with  the  risk 
associated with each servicing rights, given current market conditions. At December 31, 2021, the Company classified $147.6 
million of MSRs as Level 3. The weighted average discount rate used as an input to value the pool of MSRs at December 31, 
2021 was 9.80% with discount rates applied ranging from 6% to 19%. The higher the rate utilized to discount estimated future 
cash  flows,  the  lower  the  fair  value  measurement.  The  fair  value  of  MSRs  was  also  estimated  based  on  other  assumptions 
including  prepayment  speeds  and  the  cost  to  service.  Prepayment  speeds  ranged  from  0%  to  83%  or  a  weighted  average 
prepayment speed of 11.64%. Further, for current and delinquent loans, the Company assumed the weighted average cost of 
servicing of $75 and $312, respectively, per loan. Prepayment speeds and the cost to service are both inversely related to the 
fair  value  of  MSRs  as  an  increase  in  prepayment  speeds  or  the  cost  to  service  results  in  a  decreased  valuation.  See  Note  6, 
“Mortgage Servicing Rights (“MSRs”),” for further discussion of MSRs.  

Derivative instruments—The Company’s derivative instruments include interest rate swaps, caps and collars, commitments to 
fund mortgages for sale into the secondary market (interest rate locks), forward commitments to end investors for the sale of 
mortgage loans and foreign currency contracts. Interest rate swaps, caps and collars are valued by a third party, using models 
that primarily use market observable inputs, such as yield curves, and are classified as Level 2 in the fair value hierarchy. The 
credit risk associated with derivative financial instruments that are subject to master netting agreements is measured on a net 
basis by counterparty portfolio. The fair value for mortgage-related derivatives is based on changes in mortgage rates from the 

158

date of the commitments. The fair value of foreign currency derivatives is computed based on change in foreign currency rates 
stated in the contract compared to those prevailing at the measurement date.

At December 31, 2021, the Company classified $10.6 million of derivative assets related to interest rate locks as Level 3. The 
fair value of interest rate locks is based on prices obtained for loans with similar characteristics from third parties, adjusted for 
the  pull-through  rate,  which  represents  the  Company’s  best  estimate  of  the  likelihood  that  a  committed  loan  will  ultimately 
fund.  The weighted-average pull-through rate at December 31, 2021 was 85.78% with pull-through rates applied ranging from 
26% to 100%. Pull-through rates are directly related to the fair value of interest rate locks as an increase in the pull-through rate 
results in an increased valuation.

Nonqualified deferred compensation assets—The underlying assets relating to the nonqualified deferred compensation plan are 
included in a trust and primarily consist of non-exchange traded institutional funds which are priced based by an independent 
third party service. These assets are classified as Level 2 in the fair value hierarchy.

The following tables present the balances of assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis for the periods 
presented:

(Dollars in thousands)
Available-for-sale securities

U.S. Treasury
U.S. Government agencies
Municipal
Corporate notes
Mortgage-backed

Trading account securities
Equity securities with readily determinable fair value

Mortgage loans held-for-sale
Loans held-for-investment
MSRs
Nonqualified deferred compensations assets
Derivative assets

Total

Derivative liabilities

(Dollars in thousands)
Available-for-sale securities

U.S. Treasury
U.S. Government agencies
Municipal
Corporate notes
Mortgage-backed

Trading account securities
Equity securities with readily determinable fair value
Mortgage loans held-for-sale
Loans held-for-investment
MSRs
Nonqualified deferred compensations assets
Derivative assets

Total

Derivative liabilities

$ 
$ 

$ 

$ 
$ 

Total

Level 1

Level 2

Level 3

December 31, 2021

$ 

—  $ 

52,507 
165,594 
95,704 
2,013,988 
1,061 

90,511 
817,912 
38,598 
147,571 
16,240 
165,008 
3,604,694  $ 
123,000  $ 

—  $ 
— 
— 
— 
— 
— 

—  $ 

52,507 
59,907 
95,704 
2,013,988 
1,061 

82,445 
— 
— 
— 
— 
— 
82,445  $ 
—  $ 

8,066 
817,912 
22,707 
— 
16,240 
154,448 
3,242,540  $ 
123,000  $ 

December 31, 2020

— 
— 
105,687 
— 
— 
— 

— 
— 
15,891 
147,571 
— 
10,560 
279,709 
— 

Total

Level 1

Level 2

Level 3

304,971  $ 
84,513 
146,910 
91,405 
2,428,040 
671 
90,862 
1,272,090 
55,134 
92,081 
15,398 
278,423 
4,860,498  $ 
288,465  $ 

304,971  $ 
— 
— 
— 
— 
— 
82,796 
— 
— 
— 
— 
— 
387,767  $ 
—  $ 

—  $ 

82,547 
37,034 
91,405 
2,428,040 
671 
8,066 
1,272,090 
44,854 
— 
15,398 
230,332 
4,210,437  $ 
288,465  $ 

— 
1,966 
109,876 
— 
— 
— 
— 
— 
10,280 
92,081 
— 
48,091 
262,294 
— 

159

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The aggregate remaining contractual principal balance outstanding as of December 31, 2021 and 2020 for mortgage loans held- 
for-sale measured at fair value under ASC 825 was $801.6 million and $1.2 billion, respectively, while the aggregate fair value 
of  mortgage  loans  held-for-sale  was  $817.9  million  and  $1.3  billion,  respectively,  as  shown  in  the  above  tables.  There  were 
$125.5 million of loans past due greater than 90 days and still accruing interest in the mortgage loans held-for-sale portfolio as 
of December 31, 2021 and $134.1 million of loans as of December 31, 2020. All of the loans past due greater than 90 days and 
still  accruing  as  of  December  31,  2021  were  individual  delinquent  mortgage  loans  bought  back  from  GNMA  at  the 
unconditional option of the Company as servicer for those loans.

The changes in Level 3 assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis during the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020 
are summarized as follows:

(Dollars in thousands)
Balance at January 1, 2021

Total net gains (losses) included in:

Net income (1)
Other comprehensive income

Purchases
Issuances
Sales
Settlements

Net transfers into/(out of) Level 3
Balance at December 31, 2021

(Dollars in thousands)
Balance at January 1, 2020

Total net gains (losses) included in:

Net income (1)
Other comprehensive income

Purchases
Issuances
Sales
Settlements
Net transfers into/(out of) Level 3

Balance at December 31, 2020

Municipal
$  109,876  $ 

U.S. Government 
Agencies

Loans held-for-
investment

MSRs

Derivative 
assets

1,966  $ 

10,280  $  92,081  $  48,091 

— 
(4,830)   
38,727 
— 
— 

(38,086)   

— 

$  105,687  $ 

(4)   
(24)   
— 
— 
— 
(1,938)   
— 
—  $ 

(37,531) 
(293)   
— 
— 
— 
— 
— 
— 
— 
— 
— 
(4,653)   
— 
10,557 
15,891  $  147,571  $  10,560 

55,490 
— 
— 
— 
— 
— 
— 

Municipal
$  111,950  $ 

U.S. Government 
Agencies

Loans held-for-
investment

MSRs

Derivative 
assets

2,646  $ 

9,620  $  85,638  $ 

2,631 

— 

(1,302)   
39,365 
— 
— 

(40,137)   

— 

$  109,876  $ 

— 

(50)   
— 
— 
— 
(630)   

184 

6,443 

45,460 

— 
— 
— 
— 

(21,025)   

— 
— 
— 
— 
— 

— 
— 
— 
— 
— 

— 
1,966  $ 

— 
21,501 
10,280  $  92,081  $  48,091 

— 

(1) Changes in the balance of MSRs and derivative assets related to fair value adjustments are recorded as a component of 
mortgage banking revenue.  Changes in the balance of loans held-for-investment related to fair value adjustments are 
recorded as other non-interest income.

160

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Also, the Company may be required, from time to time, to measure certain other assets at fair value on a nonrecurring basis in 
accordance with GAAP. These adjustments to fair value usually result from impairment charges on individual assets. For assets 
measured at fair value on a nonrecurring basis that were still held in the balance sheet at the end of the period, the following 
table provides the carrying value of the related individual assets or portfolios at December 31, 2021.

(Dollars in thousands)
Individually assessed loans - 
foreclosure probable and collateral-
dependent
Other real estate owned (1)

Total

December 31, 2021

Total

Level 1

Level 2

Level 3

Year Ended
December 31, 2021
Fair Value Losses
Recognized, net

$ 

$ 

63,415  $ 

4,271 
67,686  $ 

—  $ 

— 
—  $ 

—  $ 

— 
—  $ 

63,415  $ 

4,271 
67,686  $ 

26,341 

1,197 
27,538 

(1) Fair value losses recognized, net on other real estate owned include valuation adjustments and charge-offs during the 

respective period.

Individually assessed loans—In accordance with ASC 326, the allowance for credit losses for loans and other financial assets 
held at amortized cost should be measured on a collective or pooled basis when such assets exhibit similar risk characteristics. 
In instances in which a financial asset does not exhibit similar risk characteristics to a pool, the Company is required to measure 
such allowance for credit losses on an individual asset basis. For the Company's loan portfolio, nonaccrual loans and TDRs are 
considered to not exhibit similar risk characteristics as pools and thus are individually assessed. Credit losses are measured by 
estimating the fair value of the loan based on the present value of expected cash flows, the market price of the loan, or the fair 
value of the underlying collateral. Individually assessed loans are considered a fair value measurement where an allowance for 
credit loss is established based on the fair value of collateral. Appraised values on relevant real estate properties, which may 
require adjustments to market-based valuation inputs, are generally used on foreclosure probable and collateral-dependent loans 
within the real estate portfolios.

The Company’s Managed Assets Division is primarily responsible for the valuation of Level 3 inputs of individually assessed 
loans. For more information on individually assessed loans refer to Note 5 – Allowance for Credit Losses. At December 31, 
2021, the Company had $93.3 million of individually assessed loans classified as Level 3. Of the $93.3 million of individually 
assessed loans, $63.4 million were measured at fair value based on the underlying collateral of the loan as shown in the table 
above. The remaining $29.9 million were valued based on discounted cash flows in accordance with ASC 310.

Other real estate owned—Other real estate owned is comprised of real estate acquired in partial or full satisfaction of loans and 
is included in other assets. Other real estate owned is recorded at its estimated fair value less estimated selling costs at the date 
of transfer, with any excess of the related loan balance over the fair value less expected selling costs charged to the allowance 
for loan losses. Subsequent changes in value are reported as adjustments to the carrying amount and are recorded in other non-
interest expense. Gains and losses upon sale, if any, are also charged to other non-interest expense. Fair value is generally based 
on  third  party  appraisals  and  internal  estimates  that  are  adjusted  by  a  discount  representing  the  estimated  cost  of  sale  and  is 
therefore considered a Level 3 valuation.

The  Company’s  Managed  Assets  Division  is  primarily  responsible  for  the  valuation  of  Level  3  inputs  for  other  real  estate 
owned.  At  December  31,  2021,  the  Company  had  $4.3  million  of  other  real  estate  owned  classified  as  Level  3.  The 
unobservable  input  applied  to  other  real  estate  owned  relates  to  the  10%  reduction  to  the  appraisal  value  representing  the 
estimated cost of sale of the foreclosed property. A higher discount for the estimated cost of sale results in a decreased carrying 
value.

161

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The  valuation  techniques  and  significant  unobservable  inputs  used  to  measure  both  recurring  and  non-recurring  Level  3  fair 
value measurements at December 31, 2021 were as follows:

(Dollars in thousands)
Measured at fair value on a recurring basis:

Fair Value

Valuation 
Methodology

Significant Unobservable
 Input

Range
of Inputs

Weighted
Average
of Inputs

Impact to valuation
from an increased or
higher input value

Municipal securities

Loans held-for-investment

$  105,687  Bond pricing

15,891  Discounted cash 
flows

Equivalent rating
Discount rate

Credit discount

Constant prepayment 
rate (CPR)

BBB-AA+
3.00%

0%-3%

11.64%

N/A
3.00%

0.57%

11.64%

Increase
Decrease

Decrease

Decrease

MSRs

  147,571  Discounted cash 
flows

Discount rate

6%-19%

9.80%

Decrease

Derivatives

10,560  Discounted cash 
flows

Measured at fair value on a non-recurring basis:

Impaired loans—collateral 
based

63,415  Appraisal value

Other real estate owned

4,271  Appraisal value

Constant prepayment 
rate (CPR)

0%-83%

11.64%

Decrease

Cost of servicing

$70-$200

$ 

75 

Cost of servicing - 
delinquent

$200-1,000

$  312 

Decrease

Decrease

Pull-through rate

26%-100%

 85.78 %

Increase

Appraisal adjustment - 
cost of sale

Appraisal adjustment - 
cost of sale

10%

10%

10.00%

Decrease

10.00%

Decrease

162

 
 
 
 
The  Company  is  required  under  applicable  accounting  guidance  to  report  the  fair  value  of  all  financial  instruments  on  the 
Consolidated  Statements  of  Condition,  including  those  financial  instruments  carried  at  cost.  The  table  below  presents  the 
carrying amounts and estimated fair values of the Company’s financial instruments as of the dates shown:

(Dollars in thousands)
Financial Assets:

Cash and cash equivalents
Securities sold under agreements to repurchase with 
original maturities exceeding three months
Interest-bearing deposits with banks
Available-for-sale securities
Held-to-maturity securities
Trading account securities
Equity securities with readily determinable fair value

FHLB and FRB stock, at cost

Brokerage customer receivables
Mortgage loans held-for-sale, at fair value
Loans held-for-investment, at fair value
Loans held-for-investment, at amortized cost
Nonqualified deferred compensation assets
Derivative assets
Accrued interest receivable and other
Total financial assets
Financial Liabilities:

Non-maturity deposits
Deposits with stated maturities
FHLB advances
Other borrowings
Subordinated notes
Junior subordinated debentures
Derivative liabilities
Accrued interest payable
Total financial liabilities

December 31, 2021

December 31, 2020

Carrying
Value

Fair
Value

Carrying
Value

Fair
Value

$ 

411,205  $ 

411,205  $ 

322,474  $ 

322,474 

700,000 
5,372,603 
2,327,793 
2,942,285 
1,061 

90,511 

700,000 
5,372,603 
2,327,793 
2,900,694 
1,061 

90,511 

— 
4,802,527 
3,055,839 
579,138 
671 

90,862 

— 
4,802,527 
3,055,839 
593,767 
671 

90,862 

135,378 
26,068 
817,912 
38,598 
  34,750,506 
16,240 
165,008 
268,921 

135,588 
17,436 
1,272,090 
55,134 
  31,871,683 
15,398 
278,423 
272,339 
$  48,064,089  $  48,569,870  $  42,921,858  $  42,784,231 

135,588 
17,436 
1,272,090 
55,134 
  32,023,939 
15,398 
278,423 
272,339 

135,378 
26,068 
817,912 
38,598 
  35,297,878 
16,240 
165,008 
268,921 

$  38,126,796  $  38,126,796  $  32,116,023  $  32,116,023 
4,969,849 
1,172,315 
518,928 
473,093 
204,713 
288,465 
15,645 
$  44,653,600  $  44,590,332  $  39,834,190  $  39,759,031 

3,965,372 
1,186,280 
494,670 
472,684 
212,226 
123,000 
9,304 

3,968,789 
1,241,071 
494,136 
436,938 
253,566 
123,000 
9,304 

4,976,628 
1,228,429 
518,928 
436,506 
253,566 
288,465 
15,645 

Not all the financial instruments listed in the table above are subject to the disclosure provisions of ASC Topic 820, as certain 
assets and liabilities result in their carrying value approximating fair value. These include cash and cash equivalents, interest 
bearing  deposits  with  banks,  brokerage  customer  receivables,  FHLB  and  FRB  stock,  accrued  interest  receivable  and  accrued 
interest payable and non-maturity deposits.

The following methods and assumptions were used by the Company in estimating fair values of financial instruments that were 
not previously disclosed.

Held-to-maturity securities. Held-to-maturity securities include U.S. Government-sponsored agency securities, municipal bonds 
issued  by  various  municipal  government  entities  primarily  located  in  the  Chicago  metropolitan  area  and  southern  Wisconsin 
and  mortgage-backed  securities.  Fair  values  for  held-to-maturity  securities  are  typically  based  on  prices  obtained  from 
independent  pricing  vendors.  In  accordance  with  ASC  820,  the  Company  has  generally  categorized  these  held-to-maturity 
securities as a Level 2 fair value measurement. Fair values for certain other held-to-maturity securities are based on the bond 
pricing  methodology  discussed  previously  related  to  certain  available-for-sale  securities.  In  accordance  with  ASC  820,  the 
Company has categorized these held-to-maturity securities as a Level 3 fair value measurement. 

Loans  held-for-investment,  at  amortized  cost.  Fair  values  are  estimated  for  portfolios  of  loans  with  similar  financial 
characteristics. Loans are analyzed by type such as commercial, residential real estate, etc. Each category is further segmented 
by interest rate type (fixed and variable) and term. For variable-rate loans that reprice frequently, estimated fair values are based 

163

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
on carrying values. The fair value of residential loans is based on secondary market sources for securities backed by similar 
loans,  adjusted  for  differences  in  loan  characteristics.  The  fair  value  for  other  fixed  rate  loans  is  estimated  by  discounting 
scheduled cash flows through the estimated maturity using estimated market discount rates that reflect credit and interest rate 
risks  inherent  in  the  loan.  In  accordance  with  ASC  820,  the  Company  has  categorized  loans  as  a  Level  3  fair  value 
measurement.

Deposits with stated maturities. The fair value of certificates of deposit is based on the discounted value of contractual cash 
flows.  The  discount  rate  is  estimated  using  the  rates  currently  in  effect  for  deposits  of  similar  remaining  maturities.  In 
accordance with ASC 820, the Company has categorized deposits with stated maturities as a Level 3 fair value measurement.

FHLB  advances.  The  fair  value  of  FHLB  advances  is  obtained  from  the  FHLB,  which  uses  a  discounted  cash  flow  analysis 
based  on  current  market  rates  of  similar  maturity  debt  securities  to  discount  cash  flows.  In  accordance  with  ASC  820,  the 
Company has categorized FHLB advances as a Level 3 fair value measurement.

Subordinated notes. The fair value of the subordinated notes is based on a market price obtained from an independent pricing 
vendor. In accordance with ASC 820, the Company has categorized subordinated notes as a Level 2 fair value measurement.

Junior  subordinated  debentures.  The  fair  value  of  the  junior  subordinated  debentures  is  based  on  the  discounted  value  of 
contractual cash flows. In accordance with ASC 820, the Company has categorized junior subordinated debentures as a Level 3 
fair value measurement.

(23) Shareholders’ Equity

A summary of the Company’s common and preferred stock at December 31, 2021 and 2020 is as follows:

Common Stock:

Shares authorized
Shares issued
Shares outstanding
Cash dividend per share

Preferred Stock:

Shares authorized
Shares issued
Shares outstanding

2021

2020

100,000,000 
58,891,780 
57,054,091 

$ 

1.24  $ 

20,000,000 
5,011,500 
5,011,500 

100,000,000 
58,473,252 
56,769,625 
1.12 

20,000,000 
5,011,500 
5,011,500 

The  Company  reserves  shares  of  its  authorized  common  stock  specifically  for  the  2015  Plan,  the  ESPP  and  the  DDFS.  The 
reserved shares and these plans are detailed in Note 18 - Stock Compensation Plans and Other Employee Benefit Plans. 

Series D Preferred Stock

In  June  2015,  the  Company  issued  and  sold  5,000,000  shares  of  fixed-to-floating  non-cumulative  perpetual  preferred  stock, 
Series D, liquidation preference $25 per share (the “Series D Preferred Stock”) for $125.0 million in a public offering. When, as 
and if declared, dividends on the Series D Preferred Stock are payable quarterly in arrears at a fixed rate of 6.50% per annum 
from the original issuance date to, but excluding, July 15, 2025, and from (and including) that date at a floating rate equal to 
three-month LIBOR plus a spread of 4.06% per annum.

Series E Preferred Stock

In  May  2020,  the  Company  issued  11,500  shares  of  fixed-rate  reset  non-cumulative  perpetual  preferred  stock,  Series  E, 
liquidation  preference  $25,000  per  share  (the  “Series  E  Preferred  Stock”)  as  part  of  a  $287.5  million  public  offering  of 
11,500,000  depositary  shares,  each  representing  a  1/1,000th  interest  in  a  share  of  Series  E  Preferred  Stock.  When,  as  and  if 
declared, dividends on the Series E Preferred Stock are payable quarterly in arrears at a fixed rate of 6.875% per annum from 
October 15, 2020 to, but excluding, July 15, 2025, and from (and including) July 15, 2025 at a floating rate equal to the Five-
Year Treasury Rate (as defined in the certificate of designations for the Series E Preferred Stock) plus 6.507%.

164

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Other

At the January 2022 Board of Directors meeting, a quarterly cash dividend of $0.34 per share of common stock ($1.36 on an 
annualized basis) was declared. It was paid on February 24, 2022 to shareholders of record as of February 10, 2022. 

Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)

The  following  tables  summarize  the  components  of  other  comprehensive  income  (loss),  including  the  related  income  tax 
effects, and the related amount reclassified to net income for the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019:

(In thousands)
Balance at January 1, 2021

Other comprehensive income (loss) during the period, net of tax, before 
reclassification
Amount reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income into net 
income, net of tax
Amount reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income related 
to amortization of unrealized gains on investment securities transferred to 
held-to-maturity from available-for-sale

Net other comprehensive income (loss) during the period, net of tax
Balance at December 31, 2021

Balance at January 1, 2020

Other comprehensive income (loss) during the period, net of tax, before 
reclassification
Amount reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income into net 
income, net of tax
Amount reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income related 
to amortization of unrealized gains on investment securities transferred to 
held-to-maturity from available-for-sale

Net other comprehensive income (loss) during the period, net of tax
Balance at December 31, 2020

Balance at January 1, 2019

Other comprehensive income (loss) during the period, net of tax, before 
reclassification
Amount reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income into net 
income, net of tax

Amount reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income related 
to amortization of unrealized gains on investment securities transferred to 
held-to-maturity from available-for-sale

Net other comprehensive income (loss) during the period, net of tax
Balance at December 31, 2019

Accumulated
Unrealized
Gains 
(Losses) on 
Securities

Accumulated
Unrealized
Gains (Losses) 
on Derivative
Instruments

Accumulated
Foreign
Currency
Translation
Adjustments

Total
Accumulated
Other
Comprehensive
Income (Loss)

$ 

70,737  $ 

(23,090)  $ 

(32,265)  $ 

15,382 

(61,047) 

30,482 

(789) 

19,719 

522 

— 

(30,043) 

18,930 

(177) 
(62,013)  $ 
8,724  $ 

$ 
$ 

— 
50,201  $ 
27,111  $ 

— 
522  $ 
(31,743)  $ 

(177) 
(11,290) 
4,092 

$ 

14,982  $ 

(13,141)  $ 

(36,519)  $ 

(34,678) 

56,086 

(23,497) 

4,254 

36,843 

(162) 

13,548 

— 

13,386 

(169) 
55,755  $ 
70,737  $ 

— 
(9,949)  $ 
(23,090)  $ 

— 
4,254  $ 
(32,265)  $ 

$ 
$ 

(169) 
50,060 
15,382 

$ 

(42,353)  $ 

7,857  $ 

(42,376)  $ 

(76,872) 

58,341 

(13,481) 

5,857 

50,717 

(658) 

(7,517) 

— 

(8,175) 

(348) 
57,335  $ 
14,982  $ 

— 
(20,998)  $ 
(13,141)  $ 

— 
5,857  $ 
(36,519)  $ 

$ 
$ 

(348) 
42,194 
(34,678) 

165

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Details Regarding the Component of                       

Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)

Accumulated unrealized gains on available-for-sale securities

Gains included in net income

Tax effect

Net of tax

Amount Reclassified from Accumulated 
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) for 
the Year Ended,

December 31,

2021

2020

(In thousands)

Impacted Line on the        

Consolidated Statements of Income

$ 

$ 

1,079  $ 

1,079 

(290) 

221 

221 

Gains (losses) on investment securities, 
net

Income before taxes

(59)  Income tax expense

789  $ 

162  Net income

Accumulated unrealized gains (losses) on derivative 
instruments

Amount reclassified to interest expense on deposits

$ 

19,640  $ 

Amount reclassified to interest expense on other borrowings

Amount reclassified to interest expense on junior subordinated 
debentures

Tax effect

Net of tax

(24) Segment Information

2,560 

4,683 

(26,883) 

7,164 

13,209 

2,187 

Interest on deposits

Interest on other borrowings

3,075 

Interest on junior subordinated 
debentures

(18,471)  Income before taxes

4,923 

Income tax expense

$ 

(19,719)  $ 

(13,548)  Net income

The Company’s operations consist of three primary segments: community banking, specialty finance and wealth management.

The  three  reportable  segments  are  strategic  business  units  that  are  separately  managed  as  they  offer  different  products  and 
services and have different marketing strategies. In addition, each segment’s customer base has varying characteristics and each 
segment  has  a  different  regulatory  environment.  While  the  Company’s  management  monitors  each  of  the  fifteen  bank 
subsidiaries’  operations  and  profitability  separately,  these  subsidiaries  have  been  aggregated  into  one  reportable  operating 
segment  due  to  the  similarities  in  products  and  services,  customer  base,  operations,  profitability  measures  and  economic 
characteristics.

For  purposes  of  internal  segment  profitability,  management  allocates  certain  intersegment  and  parent  company  balances. 
Management  allocates  a  portion  of  revenues  to  the  specialty  finance  segment  related  to  loans  and  leases  originated  by  the 
specialty  finance  segment  and  sold  or  assigned  to  the  community  banking  segment.  Similarly,  for  purposes  of  analyzing  the 
contribution from the wealth management segment, management allocates a portion of the net interest income earned by the 
community banking segment on deposit balances of customers of the wealth management segment to the wealth management 
segment.  See  Note  10,  “Deposits,”  for  more  information  on  these  deposits.  Finally,  expenses  incurred  at  the  Wintrust  parent 
company are allocated to each segment based on each segment’s risk-weighted assets.  

The segment financial information provided in the following tables has been derived from the internal profitability reporting 
system used by management to monitor and manage the financial performance of the Company. The accounting policies of the 
segments  are  substantially  similar  to  those  described  in  the  “Summary  of  Significant  Accounting  Policies”  in  Note  1.  The 
Company evaluates segment performance based on after-tax profit or loss and other appropriate profitability measures common 
to each segment.

166

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The following is a summary of certain operating information for reportable segments:

(Dollars in thousands)
2021
Net interest income
Provision for credit losses
Non-interest income
Non-interest expense
Income tax expense
Net income
Total assets at end of year
2020
Net interest income
Provision for credit losses
Non-interest income
Non-interest expense
Income tax expense 
Net income
Total assets at end of year
2019
Net interest income
Provision for credit losses
Non-interest income
Non-interest expense
Income tax expense 
Net income
Total assets at end of year

Community
Banking

Specialty
Finance

Wealth
Management

Total 
Operating 
Segments

Intersegment 
Eliminations

Consolidated

— 

26,583  $  1,124,957 
(59,263) 
(61,351)   
586,120 
(34,768)    1,132,544 
171,645 
— 
466,151 
—  $ 
—  $ 50,142,143 

— 

23,827  $  1,039,907 
214,220 
(54,704)   
604,189 
(30,877)    1,040,095 
96,791 
— 
—  $ 
292,990 
—  $ 45,080,768 

— 

(47,068)   
(25,588)   

21,480  $  1,054,919 
53,864 
407,172 
928,126 
124,404 
— 
—  $ 
355,697 
—  $ 36,620,583 

$ 

868,477  $ 
(60,309)   
422,698 
912,296 
120,092 
319,096  $ 

197,958  $  31,939  $  1,098,374  $ 
(59,263)   
— 
  128,951 
647,471 
  1,167,312 
  111,490 
171,645 
11,513 
466,151  $ 
$ 
$ 40,253,818  $  8,382,722  $ 1,505,603  $ 50,142,143  $ 

1,046 
95,822 
143,526 
40,040 
109,168  $  37,887  $ 

$ 

808,443  $ 
206,774 
469,187 
855,797 
51,439 
163,620  $ 

177,025  $  30,612  $  1,016,080  $ 
— 
  103,438 
96,615 
8,396 

214,220 
658,893 
  1,070,972 
96,791 
$ 
292,990  $ 
$ 36,769,640  $  7,015,590  $ 1,295,538  $ 45,080,768  $ 

7,446 
86,268 
118,560 
36,956 
100,331  $  29,039  $ 

$ 

841,601  $ 
47,914 
274,652 
747,202 
82,639 
238,498  $ 

161,720  $  30,118  $  1,033,439  $ 
— 
  100,121 
95,135 
7,341 

53,864 
454,240 
953,714 
124,404 
$ 
355,697  $ 
$ 29,583,112  $  5,916,835  $ 1,120,636  $ 36,620,583  $ 

5,950 
79,467 
111,377 
34,424 
89,436  $  27,763  $ 

167

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
(25) Condensed Parent Company Financial Statements

Condensed parent company only financial statements of Wintrust follow:

Statements of Financial Condition

(In thousands)
Assets
Cash
Available-for-sale debt securities and equity securities with readily determinable fair value

Investment in and receivable from subsidiaries
Goodwill
Other assets

Total assets

Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity
Other liabilities
Subordinated notes
Other borrowings
Junior subordinated debentures
Shareholders’ equity

Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity

Statements of Income

December 31,

2021

2020

$ 

181,157  $ 

322,607 

17,089 
4,966,720 
8,371 
354,148 

15,250 
4,464,747 
8,371 
366,209 
$  5,527,485  $  5,177,184 

$ 

194,681  $ 
436,938 
143,612 
253,566 
4,498,688 

204,299 
436,506 
166,818 
253,566 
4,115,995 
$  5,527,485  $  5,177,184 

(In thousands)
Income
Dividends and other revenue from subsidiaries
Investment securities gains (losses) and other income

Total income

Expenses
Interest expense
Salaries and employee benefits
Other expenses

Total expenses

Income (loss) before income taxes and equity in undistributed income 
of subsidiaries
Income tax benefit

Income before equity in undistributed net income of subsidiaries

Equity in undistributed net income of subsidiaries

Net income

Years Ended December 31,

2021

2020

2019

$ 

$ 

$ 

$ 

$ 

$ 

$ 

211,774  $ 
2,763 
214,537  $ 

38,293  $ 
109,142 
139,816 
287,251  $ 

(72,714)  $ 
56,529 
(16,185)  $ 
482,336 
466,151  $ 

317,839  $ 
(1,890)   
315,949  $ 

39,581  $ 
75,179 
113,886 
228,646  $ 

87,303  $ 
42,745 
130,048  $ 
162,942 
292,990  $ 

198,918 
3,044 
201,962 

34,649 
72,925 
116,132 
223,706 

(21,744) 
40,776 
19,032 
336,665 
355,697 

168

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Statements of Cash Flows

(In thousands)
Operating Activities:
Net income
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating 
activities

Provision for credit losses
Gains on investment securities, net
Depreciation and amortization
Deferred income tax (benefit) expense
Stock-based compensation expense
Decrease in other assets
Increase (decrease) in other liabilities
Equity in undistributed net income of subsidiaries

Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities

Investing Activities:
Capital contributions to subsidiaries, net
Net cash paid for acquisitions, net
Other investing activity, net
Net Cash Used for Investing Activities

Financing Activities:
(Decrease) increase in subordinated notes, other borrowings and junior 
subordinated debentures, net
Net proceeds from issuance of Series E Preferred Stock

Issuance of common shares resulting from exercise of stock options and 
employee stock purchase plan
Dividends paid
Common stock repurchases under authorized program
Common stock repurchases for tax withholdings related to stock-based 
compensation
Net Cash (Used for) Provided by Financing Activities

Net (Decrease) Increase  in Cash and Cash Equivalents
Cash and Cash Equivalents at Beginning of Year
Cash and Cash Equivalents at End of Year

Years Ended December 31,

2021

2020

2019

$ 

466,151  $ 

292,990  $ 

355,697 

— 
(1,794)   
28,783 
(5,350)   
6,769 
6,598 
1,225 
(482,336)   
20,046  $ 

— 
(192)   

22,224 
11,336 
(2,813)   
4,838 
2,388 
(162,942)   
167,829  $ 

(18) 
(1,900) 
15,675 
8,342 
5,611 
4,940 
(13,181) 
(336,665) 
38,501 

(27,000)  $ 
— 

(22,877)   
(49,877)  $ 

(12,000)  $ 
— 

(40,127)   
(52,127)  $ 

(22,500) 
(124,338) 
(51,495) 
(198,333) 

$ 

$ 

$ 

$ 

(23,274)  $ 

(2,690)  $ 

273,886 

— 

277,613 

— 

19,824 
(98,629)   
(9,540)   

15,059 
(85,890)   
(92,055)   

10,667 
(65,110) 
— 

— 

$ 

(111,619)  $ 

(1,377)   
110,660  $ 

(1,297) 
218,146 

$ 

$ 

(141,450)  $ 
322,607 
181,157  $ 

226,362  $ 
96,245 
322,607  $ 

58,314 
37,931 
96,245 

169

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
(26) Earnings Per Share

The following table sets forth the computation of basic and diluted earnings per common share for 2021, 2020 and 2019:

(In thousands, except per share data)
Net income

Less: Preferred stock dividends

Net income applicable to common shares

Weighted average common shares outstanding

Effect of dilutive potential common shares:

Common stock equivalents

(A)

(B)

Weighted average common shares and effect of dilutive potential common 
shares

(C)

2021

2020

2019

$ 

466,151  $ 

292,990  $ 

355,697 

27,964 

21,377 

8,200 

$ 

438,187  $ 

271,613  $ 

347,497 

56,994 

57,523 

56,857 

792 

496 

762 

57,786 

58,019 

57,619 

Net income per common share:

Basic

Diluted

(A/B) $ 
(A/C)

7.69  $ 

4.72  $ 

7.58 

4.68 

6.11 

6.03 

Potentially dilutive common shares can result from stock options, restricted stock unit awards, stock warrants and shares to be 
issued under the ESPP and the DDFS Plan, being treated as if they had been either exercised or issued, computed by application 
of  the  treasury  stock  method.  While  potentially  dilutive  common  shares  are  typically  included  in  the  computation  of  diluted 
earnings per share, potentially dilutive common shares are excluded from this computation in periods in which the effect would 
reduce the loss per share or increase the income per share. 

170

 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
ITEM 9. CHANGES IN AND DISAGREEMENTS WITH ACCOUNTANTS ON ACCOUNTING AND FINANCIAL 
DISCLOSURE

The Company made no changes in and had no disagreements with its independent accountants during the two most recent fiscal 
years or any subsequent interim period.

ITEM 9A. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES

Disclosure Controls and Procedures 

As of the end of the period covered by this Annual Report on Form 10-K, management of the Company, under the supervision 
and  with  the  participation  of  the  Chief  Executive  Officer  and  Chief  Financial  Officer,  carried  out  an  evaluation  of  the 
effectiveness  of  the  design  and  operation  of  the  Company’s  disclosure  controls  and  procedures  as  defined  under  Rules 
13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) of the Exchange Act. Based upon, and as of the date of that evaluation, the Chief Executive Officer 
and Chief Financial Officer concluded that the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures were effective, in ensuring the 
information relating to the Company (and its consolidated subsidiaries) required to be disclosed by the Company in the reports 
it files or submits under the Exchange Act was recorded, processed, summarized and reported in a timely manner.

Changes in Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

There  were  no  changes  in  the  Company’s  internal  control  over  financial  reporting  that  occurred  during  the  quarter  ended 
December 31, 2021 that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control 
over financial reporting.

171

Report on Management’s Assessment of Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

Wintrust Financial Corporation is responsible for the preparation, integrity, and fair presentation of the consolidated financial 
statements  included  in  this  Annual  Report  on  Form  10-K.  The  consolidated  financial  statements  and  notes  included  in  this 
Annual Report on Form 10-K have been prepared in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles in the United 
States and necessarily include some amounts that are based on management’s best estimates and judgments. 

We,  as  management  of  Wintrust  Financial  Corporation,  are  responsible  for  establishing  and  maintaining  adequate  internal 
control over financial reporting that is designed to produce reliable financial statements in conformity with generally accepted 
accounting principles in the United States. The system of internal control over financial reporting as it relates to the financial 
statements is evaluated for effectiveness by management and tested for reliability through a program of internal audits. Actions 
are taken to correct potential deficiencies as they are identified. Any system of internal control, no matter how well designed, 
has  inherent  limitations,  including  the  possibility  that  a  control  can  be  circumvented  or  overridden  and  misstatements  due  to 
error or fraud may occur and not be detected. Also, because of changes in conditions, internal control effectiveness may vary 
over  time.  Accordingly,  even  an  effective  system  of  internal  control  will  provide  only  reasonable  assurance  with  respect  to 
financial statement preparation. 

Management assessed the Company’s system of internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2021, in relation to 
criteria for the effective internal control over financial reporting as described in Internal Control-Integrated Framework issued 
by  the  Committee  of  Sponsoring  Organizations  of  the  Treadway  Commission  (2013  framework)  (COSO  Criteria).  Based  on 
this assessment, management concluded that, as of December 31, 2021, the Company's system of internal control over financial 
reporting  is  effective  and  meets  the  criteria  of  the  COSO  Criteria.  Ernst  &  Young  LLP  (PCAOB  ID  42),  the  independent 
registered public accounting firm that audited the Company's financial statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-
K, has issued an attestation report on management’s assessment of the Corporation’s internal control over financial reporting. 
Their report expresses an unqualified opinion on the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting as 
of December 31, 2021.

/s/ Edward J. Wehmer
Edward J. Wehmer
Founder and
Chief Executive Officer

Rosemont, Illinois
February 25, 2022

/s/ David L. Stoehr
David L. Stoehr
Executive Vice President &
Chief Financial Officer

172

 
 
 
 
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

To the Shareholders and the Board of Directors of Wintrust Financial Corporation 

Opinion on Internal Control over Financial Reporting

We have audited Wintrust Financial Corporation and subsidiaries’ internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 
2021,  based  on  criteria  established  in  Internal  Control—Integrated  Framework  issued  by  the  Committee  of  Sponsoring 
Organizations  of  the  Treadway  Commission  (2013  framework)  (the  COSO  criteria).  In  our  opinion,  Wintrust  Financial 
Corporation  and  subsidiaries  (the  Company)  maintained,  in  all  material  respects,  effective  internal  control  over  financial 
reporting as of December 31, 2021, based on the COSO criteria.

We also have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) 
(PCAOB),  the  consolidated  statements  of  condition  of  the  Company  as  of  December  31,  2021  and  2020,  the  related 
consolidated statements of income, comprehensive income, changes in shareholders’ equity and cash flows for each of the three 
years  in  the  period  ended  December  31,  2021,  and  the  related  notes  and  our  report  dated  February  25,  2022  expressed  an 
unqualified opinion thereon. 

Basis for Opinion

The  Company’s  management  is  responsible  for  maintaining  effective  internal  control  over  financial  reporting  and  for  its 
assessment  of  the  effectiveness  of  internal  control  over  financial  reporting  included  in  the  accompanying  Report  on 
Management’s  Assessment  of  Internal  Control  Over  Financial  Reporting.  Our  responsibility  is  to  express  an  opinion  on  the 
Company’s internal control over financial reporting based on our audit.  We are a public accounting firm registered with the 
PCAOB and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and 
the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.

We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the 
audit  to  obtain  reasonable  assurance  about  whether  effective  internal  control  over  financial  reporting  was  maintained  in  all 
material respects. 

Our  audit  included  obtaining  an  understanding  of  internal  control  over  financial  reporting,  assessing  the  risk  that  a  material 
weakness exists, testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control based on the assessed risk, and 
performing  such  other  procedures  as  we  considered  necessary  in  the  circumstances.  We  believe  that  our  audit  provides  a 
reasonable basis for our opinion.

Definition and Limitation of Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

A  company’s  internal  control  over  financial  reporting  is  a  process  designed  to  provide  reasonable  assurance  regarding  the 
reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally 
accepted  accounting  principles.  A  company’s  internal  control  over  financial  reporting  includes  those  policies  and  procedures 
that  (1)  pertain  to  the  maintenance  of  records  that,  in  reasonable  detail,  accurately  and  fairly  reflect  the  transactions  and 
dispositions of the assets of the company; (2) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit 
preparation  of  financial  statements  in  accordance  with  generally  accepted  accounting  principles,  and  that  receipts  and 
expenditures  of  the  company  are  being  made  only  in  accordance  with  authorizations  of  management  and  directors  of  the 
company;  and  (3)  provide  reasonable  assurance  regarding  prevention  or  timely  detection  of  unauthorized  acquisition,  use,  or 
disposition of the company’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.

Because  of  its  inherent  limitations,  internal  control  over  financial  reporting  may  not  prevent  or  detect  misstatements.  Also, 
projections  of  any  evaluation  of  effectiveness  to  future  periods  are  subject  to  the  risk  that  controls  may  become  inadequate 
because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.

/s/ Ernst & Young LLP

Chicago, Illinois
February 25, 2022

173

ITEM 9B. OTHER INFORMATION

None.

ITEM 9C. DISCLOSURE REGARDING FOREIGN JURISDICTIONS THAT PREVENT INSPECTIONS

Not applicable.

PART III

ITEM 10. DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

The information required in response to this item will be contained in the Company’s Proxy Statement for its Annual Meeting 
of  Shareholders  to  be  held  May  26,  2022  (the  “Proxy  Statement”)  under  the  captions  “Election  of  Directors,”  “Executive 
Officers of the Company,” “Board of Directors’ Committees and Governance” and “Delinquent Section 16(a) Reports” and is 
incorporated herein by reference.

The Company has adopted a Corporate Code of Ethics which complies with the rules of the SEC and the listing standards of the 
NASDAQ Global Select Market. The code applies to all of the Company’s directors, officers and employees and is posted on 
the Company’s website (www.wintrust.com), under the “Corporate Governance” section of the “Investor Relations” tab. The 
Company will post on its website any amendments to, or waivers from, its Corporate Code of Ethics as the code applies to its 
directors or executive officers.

ITEM 11. EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

The  information  required  in  response  to  this  item  will  be  contained  in  the  Company’s  Proxy  Statement  under  the  captions 
“Executive  Compensation,”  “Director  Compensation”  “Compensation  Committee  Interlocks  and  Insider  Participation”  “CEO 
Pay  Ratio  Disclosure”  and  “Compensation  Committee  Report”  and  is  incorporated  herein  by  reference.  The  information 
included  under  the  heading  “Compensation  Committee  Report”  in  the  Proxy  Statement  shall  not  be  deemed  “soliciting” 
materials or to be “filed” with the SEC or subject to Regulation 14A or 14C, or to the liabilities of Section 18 of the Securities 
Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

174

ITEM 12. SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT AND 
RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS

Information with respect to security ownership of certain beneficial owners and management is incorporated by reference to the 
materials  under  the  caption  “Security  Ownership  of  Certain  Beneficial  Owners,  Directors  and  Management”  that  will  be 
included in the Company’s Proxy Statement.

The following table summarizes information as of December 31, 2021, relating to the Company’s equity compensation plans 
pursuant to which common stock is authorized for issuance:

EQUITY COMPENSATION PLAN INFORMATION   

Plan Category
Equity compensation plans approved by security holders
WTFC 1997 Stock Incentive Plan, as amended
WTFC 2007 Stock Incentive Plan
WTFC 2015 Stock Incentive Plan
WTFC Employee Stock Purchase Plan
WTFC Directors Deferred Fee and Stock Plan

Equity compensation plans not approved by security holders (1)
N/A
Total

Number of
securities to be issued
upon exercise of
outstanding options,
warrants and rights
(a)

Weighted-average
exercise price of
outstanding options,
warrants and rights
(b)

Number of securities
remaining available
for future issuance
under equity
compensation plans
(excluding securities
reflected in column (a))
(c)

85,000  $ 
56,323 
1,068,127 
— 
— 

1,209,450  $ 

— 

1,209,450  $ 

— 
25.43 
5.49 
— 
— 
6.03 

— 
6.03 

— 
— 
963,175 
262,650 
493,702 
1,719,527 

— 
1,719,527 

(1) Excludes 18,065 shares of the Company’s common stock issuable pursuant to the exercise of options granted under the plan of STC Bancshares 

Corporation. The weighted average exercise price of these options is $41.90. No additional awards will be made under this plan.

ITEM 13. CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS, AND DIRECTOR INDEPENDENCE

The  information  required  in  response  to  this  item  will  be  contained  in  the  Company’s  Proxy  Statement  under  the  caption 
“Related Party Transactions” and is incorporated herein by reference.

ITEM 14. PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTANT FEES AND SERVICES

The information required in response to this item will be contained in the Company’s Proxy Statement under the caption “Audit 
and Non-Audit Fees Paid” and is incorporated herein by reference.

175

  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
PART IV

ITEM 15. EXHIBITS AND FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES

(a) Documents filed as part of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

1

Financial Statements

The following financial statements of Wintrust Financial Corporation, incorporated herein by reference to Item 8,    
Financial Statements and Supplementary Data:

•
•
•
•

•
•
•

Consolidated Statements of Condition as of December 31, 2021 and 2020 
Consolidated Statements of Income for the Years Ended December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019 
Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income for the Years Ended December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019 
Consolidated Statements of Changes in Shareholders’ Equity for the Years Ended December 31, 2021, 2020 
and 2019 
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the Years Ended December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019 
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

Financial Statement Schedules

Financial statement schedules have been omitted as they are not applicable or the required information is shown in 
the Consolidated Financial Statements or notes thereto.

Exhibits (Exhibits marked with a “*” denote management contracts or compensatory plans or arrangements)

Exhibit Description
Amended  and  Restated  Articles  of  Incorporation  of  the  Company,  as  amended  (incorporated  by  reference  to 
Exhibit 3.1 of the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2006, Exhibits 3.1 
and 3.2 of the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on July 
29, 2011 and Exhibit 3.1 of the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2012).

Certificate  of  Designations  of  the  Company  filed  on  June  24,  2015  with  the  Secretary  of  State  of  the  State  of 
Illinois designating the preferences, limitations, voting powers and relative rights of the Series D Preferred Stock 
(incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 of the Company's Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities 
and Exchange Commission on June 25, 2015).

Certificate of Designations of the Company filed on May 7, 2020 with the Secretary of State of the State of Illinois  
designating  the  preferences,  limitations,  voting  powers  and  relative  rights  of  the  Series  E  Preferred  Stock 
(incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 of the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities 
and Exchange Commission on May 8, 2020).

Amended  and  Restated  By-laws  of  the  Company,  as  amended  (incorporated  by  reference  to  Exhibit  3.2  of  the 
Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on January 31, 2022).

Description of the Company’s Securities Registered Pursuant to Section 12 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 
(incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities 
and Exchange Commission on February 26, 2021).

Certain  instruments  defining  the  rights  of  the  holders  of  long-term  debt  of  the  Company  and  certain  of  its 
subsidiaries,  none  of  which  authorize  a  total  amount  of  indebtedness  in  excess  of  10%  of  the  total  assets  of  the 
Company and its subsidiaries on a consolidated basis, have not been filed as Exhibits. The Company hereby agrees 
to furnish a copy of any of these agreements to the Securities and Exchange Commission upon request.

Form  of  Subordinated  Indenture  between  the  Company  and  U.S.  Bank  National  Association,  as  trustee 
(incorporated  by  reference  to  Exhibit  4.5  of  the  Company’s  Registration  Statement  on  Form  S-3  filed  with  the 
Securities and Exchange Commission on May 6, 2020).

Form of Depositary Receipt (included as Exhibit A to Exhibit 4.3 hereto) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.2 
of the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on May 15, 
2020).

2

3

Exhibit 
No.
3.1

3.2

3.3

3.4

4.1

4.2

4.3

4.4

176

4.5

4.6

4.7

4.8

4.9

4.10

4.11

10.1

10.2

10.3

10.4

10.5

10.6

10.7

10.8

Deposit  Agreement,  dated  as  of  May  15,  2020,  among  Wintrust  Financial  Corporation,  U.S.  Bank  National 
Association,  as  Depositary,  and  the  holders  from  time  to  time  of  the  Depositary  Receipts  issued  thereunder 
(incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.2 of the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities 
and Exchange Commission on May 15, 2020).

Subordinated  Indenture,  dated  June  13,  2014,  between  the  Company  and  U.S.  Bank  National  Association,  as 
trustee  (incorporated  by  reference  to  Exhibit  4.1  of  the  Company’s  Current  Report  on  Form  8-K  filed  with  the 
Securities and Exchange Commission on June 13, 2014).

First Supplemental Indenture, dated June 13, 2014 between the Company and U.S. Bank National Association, as 
trustee  (incorporated  by  reference  to  Exhibit  4.2  of  the  Company’s  Current  Report  on  Form  8-K  filed  with  the 
Securities and Exchange Commission on June 13, 2014).

Form  of  5.000%  Subordinated  Note  due  2024  (incorporated  by  reference  to  Exhibit  A  in  Exhibit  4.2  of  the 
Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 13, 2014).

Second Supplemental Indenture, dated June 6, 2019 between the Company and U.S. Bank National Association, as 
trustee  (incorporated  by  reference  to  Exhibit  4.2  of  the  Company’s  Current  Report  on  Form  8-K  filed  with  the 
Securities and Exchange Commission on June 6, 2019).

Form  of  4.850%  Subordinated  Notes  due  2029  (incorporated  by  reference  to  Exhibit  A  in  Exhibit  4.2  of  the 
Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 6, 2019).

Form of Subordinated Indenture (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.5 of the Company’s Registration Statement 
on Form S-3 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on May 6, 2020).

Credit  Agreement,  dated  as  of  September  18,  2018,  among  the  Company,  the  lenders  named  therein,  and  Wells 
Fargo  Bank,  National  Association,  as  administrative  agent  and  sole  lead  arranger  (incorporated  by  reference  to 
Exhibit 10.1 of the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission 
on September 19, 2018).

First Amendment, dated as of September 17, 2019, to the Credit Agreement dated as of September 18, 2018, as 
amended,  among  Wintrust  Financial  Corporation,  the  lenders  named  therein,  and  Wells  Fargo  Bank,  National 
Association, as administrative agent (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 of the Company’s Current Report 
on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on September 19, 2019).

Second Amendment, dated as of September 15, 2020, to the Credit Agreement dated as of September 18, 2018, as 
amended,  among  Wintrust  Financial  Corporation,  the  lenders  named  therein,  and  Wells  Fargo  Bank,  National 
Association, as administrative agent (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 of the Company’s Current Report 
on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on September 17, 2020).

Third Amendment, dated as of September 14, 2021, to the Credit Agreement dated as of September 18, 2018, as 
amended,  among  Wintrust  Financial  Corporation,  the  lenders  named  therein,  and  Wells  Fargo  Bank,  National 
Association, as administrative agent (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 of the Company’s Current Report 
on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on September 14, 2021).

Fourth Amendment, dated as of December 23, 2021, to the Credit Agreement dated as of September 18, 2018, as 
amended,  among  Wintrust  Financial  Corporation,  the  lenders  named  therein,  and  Wells  Fargo  Bank,  National 
Association, as administrative agent (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 of the Company’s Current Report 
on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on December 28, 2021).

Receivables  Purchase  Agreement,  dated  as  of  December  16,  2014,  by  and  among  First  Insurance  Funding  of 
Canada  Inc.  and  CIBC  Mellon  Trust  Company,  in  its  capacity  as  Trustee  of  PLAZA  Trust  (incorporated  by 
reference to Exhibit 10.2 of the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange 
Commission on December 19, 2014).

First Amending Agreement to the Receivables Purchase Agreement, dated December 15, 2015, by and among First 
Insurance Funding of Canada Inc. and CIBC Mellon Trust Company, in its capacity as Trustee of PLAZA Trust 
(incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.5 of the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities 
and Exchange Commission on February 29, 2016).

Second  Amending  Agreement  to  the  Receivables  Purchase  Agreement,  dated  September  9,  2016,  by  and  among 
First Insurance Funding of Canada, Inc. and CIBC Mellon Trust Company, in its capacity as Trustee of PLAZA 
Trust  (incorporated  by  reference  to  Exhibit  10.9  of  the  Company's  Annual  Report  on  Form  10-K  filed  with  the 
Securities and Exchange Commission on February 28, 2018).

177

10.9

10.10

10.11

10.12

10.13

10.14

10.15

10.16

10.17

10.18

10.19

10.20

10.22

10.23

Third  Amending  Agreement  to  the  Receivables  Purchase  Agreement,  dated  December  15,  2017,  by  and  among 
First  Insurance  Funding  of  Canada  Inc.  and  CIBC  Mellon  Trust  Company,  in  its  capacity  as  Trustee  of  PLAZA 
Trust  (incorporated  by  reference  to  Exhibit  10.1  of  the  Company's  Annual  Report  on  Form  8-K  filed  with  the 
Securities and Exchange Commission on December 18, 2017).

Fourth  Amending  Agreement  to  the  Receivables  Purchase  Agreement,  dated  June  29,  2018,  by  and  among  First 
Insurance Funding of Canada Inc. and CIBC Mellon Trust Company, in its capacity as Trustee of PLAZA Trust 
(incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 of the Company's Annual Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities 
and Exchange Commission on July 3, 2018).

Fifth Amending Agreement to the Receivables Purchase Agreement, dated as of February 15, 2019 by and between 
First  Insurance  Funding  of  Canada  Inc.  and  CIBC  Mellon  Trust,  in  its  capacity  as  trustee  of  Plaza  Trust,  by  its 
Financial  Service  Agent,  Royal  Bank  of  Canada  (incorporated  by  reference  to  Exhibit  10.1  of  the  Company's 
Annual Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 22, 2019).

Sixth  Amending  Agreement  to  the  Receivables  Purchase  Agreement,  dated  as  of  May  27,  2019  by  and  between 
First  Insurance  Funding  of  Canada  Inc.  and  CIBC  Mellon  Trust,  in  its  capacity  as  trustee  of  Plaza  Trust,  by  its 
Financial  Service  Agent,  Royal  Bank  of  Canada  (incorporated  by  reference  to  Exhibit  10.1  of  the  Company's 
Annual Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on May 30, 2019).

Seventh Amending Agreement, date as of January 15, 2020 by and between First Insurance Funding of Canada Inc. 
and  CIBC  Mellon  Trust,  in  its  capacity  of  Plaza  Trust,  by  its  Financial  Service  Agent,  Royal  Bank  of  Canada 
(incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 of the Company's Annual Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities 
and Exchange Commission on January 17, 2020).

Eighth Amending Agreement to the Receivables Purchase Agreement, dated May 20, 2020, by and between First 
Insurance Funding of Canada Inc. and CIBC Mellon Trust, in its capacity as trustee of the PLAZA Trust, by its 
Financial  Service  Agent,  Royal  Bank  of  Canada  (incorporated  by  reference  to  Exhibit  10.1  of  the  Company’s 
Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on May 26, 2020).

Ninth Amending Agreement to the Receivables Purchase Agreement, dated January 15, 2021, by and between First 
Insurance Funding of Canada Inc. and CIBC Mellon Trust, in its capacity as trustee of the PLAZA Trust, by its 
Financial  Service  Agent,  Royal  Bank  of  Canada  (incorporated  by  reference  to  Exhibit  10.1  of  the  Company’s 
Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on January 20, 2021). 

Performance  Guarantee,  made  as  of  December  16,  2014,  by  the  Company  in  favor  of  CIBC  Mellon  Trust 
Company, in its capacity as trustee of PLAZA Trust (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.3 of the Company’s 
Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on December 19, 2014).

Performance Guarantee Confirmation, made as of December 15, 2017, by the Company in favor of CIBC Mellon 
Trust  Company,  in  its  capacity  as  trustee  of  PLAZA  Trust  (incorporated  by  reference  to  Exhibit  10.2  of  the 
Company’s  Current  Report  on  Form  8-K  filed  with  the  Securities  and  Exchange  Commission  on  December  18, 
2017).

Performance Guarantee Confirmation, made as of June 28, 2018, by the Company in favor of CIBC Mellon Trust 
Company, in its capacity as trustee of PLAZA Trust (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 of the Company’s 
Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on July 3, 2018).

Performance Guarantee Confirmation, made as of February 15, 2019, by the Company in favor of CIBC Mellon 
Trust  Company,  in  its  capacity  as  trustee  of  PLAZA  Trust  (incorporated  by  reference  to  Exhibit  10.2  of  the 
Company’s  Current  Report  on  Form  8-K  filed  with  the  Securities  and  Exchange  Commission  on  February  22, 
2019).

Performance Guarantee Confirmation, made as of May 27, 2019, by the Company in favor of CIBC Mellon Trust 
Company, in its capacity as trustee of PLAZA Trust (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 of the Company’s 
Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on May 30, 2019).

Performance  Guarantee  Confirmation,  made  as  of  January  15,  2020,  by  the  Company  in  favor  of  CIBC  Mellon 
Trust  Company,  in  its  capacity  as  trustee  of  PLAZA  Trust  (incorporated  by  reference  to  Exhibit  10.2  of  the 
Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on January 17, 2020).

Performance Guarantee Confirmation, made as of May 20, 2020, by the Company in favor of CIBC Mellon Trust 
Company, in its capacity as trustee of PLAZA Trust (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 of the Company’s 
Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on May 26, 2020).

178

10.24

10.25

10.26

10.27

10.28

10.29

10.30

10.31

10.32

10.33

10.34

10.35

10.36

10.37

Performance  Guarantee  Confirmation,  made  as  of  January  15,  2021,  by  the  Company  in  favor  of  CIBC  Mellon 
Trust  Company,  in  its  capacity  as  trustee  of  PLAZA  Trust  (incorporated  by  reference  to  Exhibit  10.2  of  the 
Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on January 20, 2021).

Fee  Letter,  dated  May  27,  2019,  between  First  Insurance  Funding  of  Canada  Inc.  and  CIBC  Mellon  Trust 
Company, in its capacity as trustee of PLAZA Trust (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.3 of the Company’s 
Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on May 30, 2019).

Fee  Letter,  dated  January  15,  2020,  between  First  Insurance  Funding  of  Canada  Inc.  and  CIBC  Mellon  Trust 
Company, in its capacity as trustee of PLAZA Trust (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.3 of the Company’s 
Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on January 17, 2020).

Fee  Letter,  dated  May  20,  2020,  between  First  Insurance  Funding  of  Canada  Inc.  and  CIBC  Mellon  Trust 
Company, in its capacity as trustee of PLAZA Trust (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.3 of the Company’s 
Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on May 26, 2020).

Fee  Letter,  dated  January  15,  2021,  between  First  Insurance  Funding  of  Canada  Inc.  and  CIBC  Mellon  Trust 
Company, in its capacity as trustee of PLAZA Trust (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.3 of the Company’s 
Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on January 20, 2021).

Junior  Subordinated  Indenture,  dated  as  of  August  2,  2005,  between  the  Company  and  Wilmington  Trust 
Company,  as  trustee  (incorporated  by  reference  to  Exhibit  10.1  of  the  Company’s  Current  Report  on  Form  8-K 
filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 4, 2005).

Amended  and  Restated  Trust  Agreement,  dated  as  of  August  2,  2005,  among  the  Company,  as  depositor, 
Wilmington  Trust  Company,  as  property  trustee  and  Delaware  trustee,  and  the  Administrative  Trustees  listed 
therein (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 of the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the 
Securities and Exchange Commission on August 4, 2005).

Guarantee  Agreement,  dated  as  of  August  2,  2005,  between  the  Company,  as  Guarantor,  and  Wilmington  Trust 
Company,  as  trustee  (incorporated  by  reference  to  Exhibit  10.3  of  the  Company’s  Current  Report  on  Form  8-K 
filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 4, 2005).

Indenture, dated as of September 1, 2006, between the Company and LaSalle Bank National Association, as trustee 
(incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 of the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities 
and Exchange Commission on September 6, 2006).

Amended  and  Restated  Declaration  of  Trust,  dated  as  of  September  1,  2006,  among  the  Company,  as  depositor, 
LaSalle  Bank  National  Association,  as  institutional  trustee,  Christiana  Bank  &  Trust  Company,  as  Delaware 
trustee, and the Administrators listed therein (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 of the Company’s Current 
Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on September 6, 2006).

Guarantee  Agreement,  dated  as  of  September  1,  2006,  between  the  Company,  as  Guarantor,  and  LaSalle  Bank 
National  Association,  as  trustee  (incorporated  by  reference  to  Exhibit  10.3  of  the  Company’s  Current  Report  on 
Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on September 6, 2006).

Amended and Restated Employment Agreement, dated December 19, 2008, between the Company and Edward J. 
Wehmer,  President  and  Chief  Executive  Officer  (incorporated  by  reference  to  Exhibit  10.4  of  the  Company’s 
Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on December 24, 2008).*

Amended and Restated Employment Agreement, dated December 19, 2008, between the Company and David A. 
Dykstra, Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.5 
of the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on December 
24, 2008).*

Amended and Restated Employment Agreement, dated December 19, 2008, between the Company and Richard B. 
Murphy,  Executive  Vice  President  and  Chief  Credit  Officer  (incorporated  by  reference  to  Exhibit  10.7  of  the 
Company’s  Current  Report  on  Form  8-K  filed  with  the  Securities  and  Exchange  Commission  on  December  24, 
2008).*

179

10.38

10.39

10.40

10.41

10.42

10.43

10.44

10.45

10.46

10.47

10.48

10.49

10.50

10.51

10.52

Amended and Restated Employment Agreement, dated December 19, 2008, between the Company and David L. 
Stoehr,  Executive  Vice  President  and  Chief  Financial  Officer  (incorporated  by  reference  to  Exhibit  10.6  of  the 
Company’s  Current  Report  on  Form  8-K  filed  with  the  Securities  and  Exchange  Commission  on  December  24, 
2008).*

Employment  Agreement,  dated  August  11,  2008,  between  the  Company  and  Timothy  Crane  (incorporated  by 
reference to Exhibit 10.18 of the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange 
Commission on February 29, 2016).*

First  Amendment  to  Employment  Agreement,  dated  November  30,  2010,  between  the  Company  and  Timothy 
Crane (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.19 of the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the 
Securities and Exchange Commission on February 29, 2016).*

Wintrust Financial Corporation 1997 Stock Incentive Plan (incorporated by reference to Appendix A of the Proxy 
Statement relating to the May 22, 1997 Annual Meeting of Shareholders of the Company).*

First  Amendment  to  Wintrust  Financial  Corporation  1997  Stock  Incentive  Plan  (incorporated  by  reference  to 
Exhibit 10.1 of the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2000).*

Second  Amendment  to  Wintrust  Financial  Corporation  1997  Stock  Incentive  Plan  adopted  by  the  Board  of 
Directors on January 24, 2002 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.3 of the Company’s Registration Statement 
on Form S-8 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on July 1, 2004).*

Third Amendment to Wintrust Financial Corporation 1997 Stock Incentive Plan adopted by the Board of Directors 
on May 27, 2004 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.4 of the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-8 
filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on July 1, 2004).*

Wintrust Financial Corporation 2007 Stock Incentive Plan, as amended (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.6 to 
the  Company’s  Registration  Statement  on  Form  S-8,  filed  with  the  Securities  and  Exchange  Commission  on 
November 8, 2011).*

Wintrust  Financial  Corporation  2015  Stock  Incentive  Plan  (incorporated  by  reference  to  Exhibit  10.1  of  the 
Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 1, 2015).*

Form of Nonqualified Stock Option Agreement under the Company’s 2007 Stock Incentive Plan (incorporated by 
reference  to  Exhibit  10.31  of  the  Company’s  Annual  Report  on  Form  10-K  for  the  year  ended  December  31, 
2006).*

Form of Nonqualified Stock Option Agreement under the Company’s 2015 Stock Incentive Plan (incorporated by 
reference to Exhibit 10.2 of the Company’s Quarter Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2016).*

Form of Restricted Stock Unit Award Agreement under the Company’s 2007 Stock Incentive Plan (incorporated by 
reference  to  Exhibit  10.32  of  the  Company’s  Annual  Report  on  Form  10-K  for  the  year  ended  December  31, 
2006).*

Form  of  Performance  Share  Unit  Award  -  Stock  Settled  under  the  Company's  2007  Stock  Incentive  Plan 
(incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 of the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended 
June 30, 2013).*

Form  of  Performance  Award  Agreement  -  Share  Settled  under  the  Company's  2015  Stock  Incentive  Plan 
(incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.3 of the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended 
March 31, 2016).*

Form  of  Performance  Share  Unit  Award  -  Cash  Settled  under  the  Company's  2007  Stock  Incentive  Plan 
(incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 of the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended 
June 30, 2013).*

180

10.53

10.54

10.55

10.56

10.57

10.58

10.59

10.60

10.61

10.62

10.63

10.64

10.65

10.66

10.67

10.68

21.1

23.1

31.1

Form  of  Performance  Share  Unit  Award  -  Cash  Settled  under  the  Company's  2015  Stock  Incentive  Plan 
(incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 of the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended 
March 31, 2016).*

Form  of  Performance  Award  Agreement  -  Cash  Settled  under  the  Company's  2015  Stock  Incentive  Plan 
(incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.4 of the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended 
March 31, 2016).*

Form of Performance Cash Award under the Company's 2007 Stock Incentive Plan (incorporated by reference to 
Exhibit 10.3 of the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2013).*

Form  of  Performance  Share  Unit  Award  -  Shares  Settled  -  Deferral  Option  under  the  Company’s  2007  Stock 
Incentive Plan (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.30 of the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K filed 
with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 29, 2016).*

Form of Performance Award Agreement - Cash Settled/Share Settled under the Company’s 2015 Stock Incentive 
Plan  (incorporated  by  reference  to  Exhibit  10.41  of  the  Company's  Annual  Report  on  Form  10-K  filed  with  the 
Securities and Exchange Commission on February 28, 2018).*

Form  of  Performance  Share  Unit  Award  -  Cash  Settled  -  Deferral  Option  under  the  Company’s  2007  Stock 
Incentive Plan (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.31 the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with 
the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 29, 2016).*

Form of Restricted Share Unit Award Agreement under the Company’s 2015 Stock Incentive Plan (incorporated by 
reference to Exhibit 10.4 the Company’s Quarterly Report on form 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange 
Commission on May 7, 2021).*

Form  of  Performance  Award  Agreement  -  Share  Settled  under  the  Company’s  2015  Stock  Inventive  Plan 
(incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.4 the Company’s Quarterly Report on form 10-Q filed with the Securities 
and Exchange Commission on May 7, 2021).*

Wintrust Financial Corporation Employee Stock Purchase Plan, as amended (incorporated by reference to Annex A 
of  the  Company's  definitive  Proxy  Statement  filed  with  the  Securities  and  Exchange  Commission  on  April  24, 
2012).*

Amended and Restated Wintrust Financial Corporation Employee Stock Purchase Plan, (incorporated by reference 
to Exhibit 10.1 of the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission 
on May 25, 2018).*

Second Amended and Restated Wintrust Financial Corporation Employee Stock Purchase Plan, (incorporated by 
reference to Annex A to the Company’s Definitive Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A, filed with the Securities and 
Exchange Commission on April 8, 2021).*

Wintrust Financial Corporation Directors Deferred Fee and Stock Plan (incorporated by reference to Appendix B 
of the Proxy Statement relating to the May 24, 2001 Annual Meeting of Shareholders of the Company).*

Wintrust  Financial  Corporation  2005  Directors  Deferred  Fee  and  Stock  Plan,  as  amended  and  restated 
(incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.1 of the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K, filed with the Securities 
and Exchange Commission on July 29, 2014).*

Form  of  Cash  Incentive  and  Retention  Award  Agreement  under  the  Company’s  2008  Long-Term  Cash  and 
Incentive Retention Plan with no Minimum Payout (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.3 of the Company’s 
Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2008).*

Form  of  Director  Indemnification  Agreement  (incorporated  by  reference  to  Exhibit  10.2  of  the  Company’s 
Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2009).

Form of Officer Indemnification Agreement (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.3 of the Company’s Quarterly 
Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2009).

Subsidiaries of the Registrant.

Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm.

Certification of Chief Executive Officer pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.

181

31.2

32.1

Certification of the Chief Financial Officer pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.

Certification  of  Chief  Executive  Officer  and  Chief  Financial  Officer  pursuant  to  18  U.S.C.  Section  1350,  as 
adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.

101.INS Inline XBRL Instance Document (1)

101.SCH Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document

101.CAL Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase Document

101.LAB Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Label Linkbase Document

101.PRE Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase Document

101.DEF Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase Document

104

Cover Page Interactive Data File (formatted as Inline XBRL and contained in Exhibit 101)

(1) Includes  the  following  financial  information  included  in  the  Company’s  Annual  Report  on  Form  10-K  for  the  year 
ended  December  31,  2021,  formatted  in  XBRL  (eXtensible  Business  Reporting  Language):  (i)  the  Consolidated 
Statements  of  Condition,  (ii)  the  Consolidated  Statements  of  Income,  (iii)  the  Consolidated  Statements  of 
Comprehensive  Income,  (iv)  the  Consolidated  Statements  of  Changes  in  Shareholders’  Equity,  (v)  the  Consolidated 
Statements of Cash Flows, and (vi) Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

ITEM 16. FORM 10-K SUMMARY

None.

182

 
Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly 

caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

SIGNATURES

WINTRUST FINANCIAL CORPORATION (Registrant)

February 25, 2022

  By:

/s/ EDWARD J. WEHMER
Edward J. Wehmer, Founder and

Chief Executive Officer

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this report has been signed below by the following 
persons on behalf of the registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

/s/ H. PATRICK HACKETT, JR.
H. Patrick Hackett, Jr.

Chairman of the Board of Directors

February 25, 2022

/s/ EDWARD J. WEHMER
Edward J. Wehmer

Founder, Chief Executive Officer and Director
(Principal Executive Officer)

February 25, 2022

/s/ DAVID L. STOEHR
David L. Stoehr

Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
(Principal Financial and Accounting Officer)

February 25, 2022

/s/ ELIZABETH H. CONNELLY
Elizabeth H. Connelly

/s/ PETER D. CRIST
Peter D. Crist

/s/ BRUCE K. CROWTHER
Bruce K. Crowther

/s/ WILLIAM J. DOYLE
William J. Doyle

/s/ MARLA F. GLABE
Marla F. Glabe

/s/ SCOTT K. HEITMANN
Scott K. Heitmann

/s/ DEBORAH L. HALL LEFEVRE
Deborah L. Hall Lefevre

/s/ SUZET M. MCKINNEY
Suzet M. McKinney

/s/ GARY D. “JOE” SWEENEY
Gary D. “Joe” Sweeney

/s/ KARIN GUSTAFSON TEGLIA
Karin Gustafson Teglia

/s/ ALEX E. WASHINGTON, III
Alex E. Washington, III

Director

Director

Director

Director

Director

Director

Director

Director

Director

Director

Director

183

February 25, 2022

February 25, 2022

February 25, 2022

February 25, 2022

February 25, 2022

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February 25, 2022

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February 25, 2022

February 25, 2022

February 25, 2022