Employee Benefit Plans

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2023

Note 13 – Employee Benefit Plans

401(k) Plans

In July of 2022, the Broadway Federal Bank 401(k) benefit plan and the City First Bank 401(k) benefit plan were combined into one plan called “the City First Bank 401(k) benefit plan” (the “401(k) Plan”). The 401(k) Plan allows employee contributions for substantially all employees up to 15% of their compensation, which are matched at a rate equal to 50% of the first 6% of compensation contributed. In addition, the 401(k) Plan makes a non-elective safe harbor contribution of 3% of each eligible employee’s compensation. Expenses related to the 401(k) plans totaled $447 thousand in 2023 and $309 thousand for 2022.

ESOP Plan

Employees participate in an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (“ESOP”) after attaining certain age and service requirements. During 2022, the ESOP purchased 58,369 shares of the Company’s common stock at an average cost of $8.57 per share for a total cost of $500 thousand which was funded with a $5 million line of credit from the Company. During 2023, the ESOP purchased 369,958 additional shares of the Company’s common stock at an average cost of $9.19 per share for a total cost of $3.4 million which was funded with the line of credit. Any loans or borrowings under the line of credit will be repaid from the Bank’s discretionary contributions to the ESOP, net of dividends paid, over a period of 20 years. Shares of the Company’s common stock purchased by the ESOP are held in a suspense account until released for allocation to participants. When loan payments are made, shares are allocated to each eligible participant based on the ratio of each such participant’s compensation, as defined in the ESOP, to the total compensation of all eligible plan participants. As the unearned shares are released from the suspense account, the Company recognizes compensation expense equal to the fair value of the ESOP shares during the periods in which they become committed to be released. To the extent that the fair value of the ESOP shares released differs from the cost of such shares, the difference is charged or credited to equity as additional paid‑in capital. Dividends on allocated shares increase participant accounts. Dividends on unallocated shares will be used to repay the loan. At the end of employment, participants will receive shares for their vested balance. Compensation expense related to the ESOP was $307 thousand for 2023 and $66 thousand for 2022.

Shares held by the ESOP were as follows:

	December 31, 2023		December 31, 2022
	(Dollars in thousands)
Allocated to participants		134,444		132,188
Committed to be released		28,669		1,237
Suspense shares		458,829		118,561
Total ESOP shares		621,942		251,986
Fair value of unearned shares	$	4,217	$	1,016

During 2023 and 2022, 28,669 and 5,032 of ESOP shares were released for allocation to participants, respectively. The outstanding book balance of unearned ESOP shares at December 31, 2023 and 2022 was $4.5 million and $1.3 million, respectively, which is shown as unearned ESOP shares in the equity section of the consolidated statements of financial condition.

During December of 2022, the Company issued a $5 million line of credit to the ESOP Plan for the purchase of additional shares. As of December 31, 2023, the trustee for the ESOP had purchased 428,327 shares at a total cost of $3.9 million. As of December 31, 2022, the trustee for the ESOP had purchased 58,369 shares at a total cost of $500 thousand.

All common stock share amounts and per share amounts above have been retroactively adjusted, as applicable, for the 1-for-8 reverse stock split effective November 1, 2023. See Note 2.