Note 12 - ESOP |
12 Months Ended | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Dec. 31, 2022 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Notes to Financial Statements | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Stockholders' Equity Note Disclosure [Text Block] |
Note 12: ESOP
In connection with the Bank’s mutual to stock conversion in January 2022, the Bank established the North Shore Trust and Savings Employee Stock Ownership Plan (“ESOP”) for all eligible employees. The ESOP purchased 431,836 shares of Company common stock in the Company’s initial public offering at $10.00 per share with the proceeds of a twenty-five (25) year loan from the Company in the amount of $4.3 million. The interest rate on the ESOP loan is fixed at 3.25%. The Bank intends to make annual contributions to the ESOP that at a minimum will permit the ESOP to repay the principal and interest due on the ESOP debt. However, the Bank may prepay the principal of the note, partially or in full and without penalty or premium at any time and from time to time without prior notice to the holder. Any dividends declared on Company common stock held by the ESOP and not allocated to the account of a participant can be used to repay the loan. As the ESOP loan is repaid, shares of Company common stock pledged as collateral for the loan are released from the loan suspense account for allocation to Plan participants on the basis of each active participant’s proportional share of compensation. Participants vest 100% in their ESOP allocations after years of service. In connection with the implementation of the ESOP, participants were given credit for past service with the Bank for vesting purposes. Participants will become fully vested upon death, disability, retirement, a change in control, or termination of the ESOP. Generally, participants will receive distributions from the ESOP upon separation from service. The plan reallocates any unvested shares of common stock forfeited upon termination of employment among the remaining participants in the plan.
ESOP compensation represents the average fair market value of the shares of Company common stock allocated or committed to be released as of that date. The difference between the market price and the cost of shares committed to be released is recorded as an adjustment to additional paid-in capital. Dividends, if any, on allocated shares are recorded as a reduction of retained earnings and dividends, if any, on unallocated shares are recorded as a reduction of the debt service. The ESOP compensation expense for the year ended December 31, 2022 was $246,000.
Shares held by the ESOP were as follows:
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