10-Q 1 b55530bfe10vq.htm BENJAMIN FRANKLIN BANCORP e10vq
Table of Contents

 
 
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
 
FORM 10-Q
(Mark One)
     
þ   QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 FOR THE QUARTER ENDED JUNE 30, 2005
OR
     
o   TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
Commission file number 000-51194
 
Benjamin Franklin Bancorp, Inc.
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)
     
Massachusetts
(State or Other Jurisdiction of
Incorporation or Organization)
  04-3336598
(I.R.S. Employer
Identification No.)
     
58 Main Street, Franklin, MA
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)
  02038
(Zip Code)
Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (617) 528-7000
 
     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. Yes þ No o
     Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an accelerated filer (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes o No þ
     Shares outstanding of the registrant’s common stock (no par value) at August 4, 2005: 8,194,211
 
 

 


                 
            Page  
PART I — FINANCIAL INFORMATION        
       
 
       
Item 1.          
       
 
       
            3  
       
 
       
            4  
       
 
       
            5  
       
 
       
            6  
       
 
       
            8  
       
 
       
Item 2.       13  
       
 
       
Item 3.       30  
       
 
       
Item 4.       32  
       
 
       
PART II — OTHER INFORMATION        
       
 
       
Item 1.       33  
       
 
       
Item 2.       33  
       
 
       
Item 3.       33  
       
 
       
Item 4.       33  
       
 
       
Item 5.       33  
       
 
       
Item 6.       33  
       
 
       
SIGNATURES     35  
 EX-31.1 Section 302 Certification of CEO
 EX-31.2 Section 302 Certification of CFO
 EX-32.1 Section 906 Certification of CEO
 EX-32.2 Section 906 Certification of CFO
See accompanying notes to condensed consolidated financial statements.

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PART I. FINANCIAL INFORMATION
Item 1. Financial Statements
BENJAMIN FRANKLIN BANCORP, INC AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
(Unaudited)
                 
    June 30,     December 31,  
    2005     2004  
    (In thousands)  
ASSETS
               
 
               
Cash and due from banks
  $ 15,052     $ 8,691  
Cash supplied by CSSI to ATM customers
    27,192        
Short-term investments
    18,424       5,513  
 
           
Total cash and cash equivalents
    60,668       14,204  
 
               
Securities available for sale, at fair value
    120,029       86,070  
Securities held to maturity, at amortized cost
    161       217  
Restricted equity securities, at cost
    9,115       6,975  
 
           
Total securities
    129,305       93,262  
 
               
Loans
    613,982       386,545  
Allowance for loan losses
    (5,531 )     (3,172 )
 
           
Loans, net
    608,451       383,373  
 
               
Premises and equipment, net
    11,338       11,147  
Accrued interest receivable
    2,818       1,490  
Goodwill
    33,762       4,248  
Core deposit intangible
    4,934       45  
Bank-owned life insurance
    7,303       7,182  
Other assets
    5,205       2,442  
 
           
 
  $ 863,784     $ 517,393  
 
           
 
               
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
               
 
               
Deposits:
               
Regular savings
  $ 107,557     $ 95,875  
Money market accounts
    105,586       53,167  
Now accounts
    36,697       22,460  
Demand deposit accounts
    126,632       87,776  
Time deposit accounts
    252,373       137,221  
 
           
Total deposits
    628,845       396,499  
 
               
Short-term borrowings
          4,250  
Long-term debt
    117,915       81,000  
Other liabilities
    7,795       4,316  
 
           
Total liabilities
    754,555       486,065  
 
           
 
               
Common stock, no par value; authorized 75,000,000 shares; issued 8,488,898 shares at June 30, 2005
           
Additional paid-in capital
    82,837        
Retained earnings
    30,785       32,997  
Unallocated common stock held by ESOP
    (2,990 )      
Accumulated other comprehensive loss
    (1,403 )     (1,669 )
 
           
Total stockholders’ equity
    109,229       31,328  
 
           
 
  $ 863,784     $ 517,393  
 
           
See accompanying notes to condensed consolidated financial statements.

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BENJAMIN FRANKLIN BANCORP, INC AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME
(Unaudited)
                                 
    Three Months Ended
June 30,
    Six Months Ended
June 30,
 
    2005     2004     2005     2004  
    (In thousands)     (In thousands)  
 
                               
Interest and dividend income:
                               
Loans, including fees
  $ 8,048     $ 4,073     $ 12,940     $ 7,989  
Debt securities
    893       786       1,554       1,630  
Equity securities
    94       47       162       99  
Short-term investments
    151       37       244       86  
 
                       
Total interest and dividend income
    9,186       4,943       14,900       9,804  
 
                               
Interest expense:
                               
Interest on deposits
    2,193       1,094       3,424       2,136  
Interest on short-term borrowings
    21             22        
Interest on long-term debt
    914       567       1,767       1,132  
 
                       
Total interest expense
    3,128       1,661       5,213       3,268  
 
                       
Net interest income
    6,058       3,282       9,687       6,536  
 
                               
Provision for loan losses
    328       150       496       320  
 
                       
 
                               
Net interest income, after provision for loan losses
    5,730       3,132       9,191       6,216  
 
                       
 
                               
Other income (charges):
                               
Deposit service fees
    298       231       504       485  
Loan servicing fees
    132       32       204       176  
CSSI ATM servicing fees
    509             509        
Gain on sale of loans, net
    4       31       20       98  
Gain (loss) on sales of securities, net
          (1 )           8  
Loss on sale/write-down of bank-owned land, net
    (1,020 )           (1,020 )      
Income from bank-owned life insurance
    59       49       118       97  
Miscellaneous
    263       186       402       358  
 
                       
Total other income
    245       528       737       1,222  
 
                       
 
                               
Operating expenses:
                               
Salaries and employee benefits
    2,466       1,866       4,480       3,717  
Occupancy and equipment
    658       366       1,099       745  
Data processing
    535       366       872       702  
Professional fees
    238       52       367       118  
Contribution to Benjamin Franklin Bank
                               
Charitable Foundation
    4,000             4,000        
Amortization of core deposit intangible
    554       45       599       91  
Other general and administrative
    691       489       1,189       938  
 
                       
Total operating expenses
    9,142       3,184       12,606       6,311  
 
                       
 
                               
Income (loss) before income taxes
    (3,167 )     476       (2,678 )     1,127  
 
                               
Provision (benefit) for income taxes
    (625 )     153       (466 )     349  
 
                       
 
                               
Net income (loss)
  $ (2,542 )   $ 323     $ (2,212 )   $ 778  
 
                       
See accompanying notes to condensed consolidated financial statements.

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BENJAMIN FRANKLIN BANCORP, INC AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
SIX MONTHS ENDED JUNE 30, 2005 AND 2004
(Unaudited)

(Dollars in thousands)
                                                         
                            Unallocated             Accumulated        
                    Additional     Common             Other     Total  
    Common Stock     Paid-in     Stock Held     Retained     Comprehensive     Stockholders'  
    Shares     Amount     Capital     by ESOP     Earnings     Loss     Equity  
 
                                                       
Balance at December 31, 2003
        $     $     $     $ 31,308     $ (2,007 )   $ 29,301  
 
                                                       
Comprehensive income (loss):
                                                       
Net income
                            778             778  
Net unrealized loss on securities available for sale, net of reclassification adjustment and tax effects
                                          (1,436 )     (1,436 )
 
                                                     
Total comprehensive loss
                                                    (658 )
 
                                                       
 
                                         
Balance at June 30, 2004
        $     $     $     $ 32,086     $ (3,443 )   $ 28,643  
 
                                         
 
                                                       
Balance at December 31, 2004
                                  $ 32,997     $ (1,669 )   $ 31,328  
 
                                                       
Comprehensive income (loss):
                                                       
Net loss
                            (2,212 )           (2,212 )
Net unrealized gain on securities available for sale, net of reclassification adjustment and tax effects
                                  266       266  
 
                                                     
Total comprehensive loss
                                                    (1,946 )
Issuance of common stock for initial public offering, net of expenses of $2.1 million
    5,577,419             53,721                         53,721  
Issuance of common stock to Benjamin Frankin Bank Charitable Foundation
    400,000             4,000                         4,000  
Issuance of common stock for acquisition of Chart Bank, A Cooperative Bank
    2,511,479             25,115                         25,115  
Stock purchased for ESOP
                            (3,044 )                     (3,044 )
Release of ESOP stock
                    1       54                   55  
 
                                         
Balance at June 30, 2005
    8,488,898     $     $ 82,837     $ (2,990 )   $ 30,785     $ (1,403 )   $ 109,229  
 
                                         
See accompanying notes to condensed consolidated financial statements.

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BENJAMIN FRANKLIN BANCORP, INC AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(Unaudited)
                 
    Six Months Ended June 30,  
    2005     2004  
    (In thousands)  
Cash flows from operating activities:
               
Net income (loss)
  $ (2,212 )   $ 778  
Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash provided by operating activities:
               
Amortization of securities, net
    69       498  
Amortization (accretion) of loans, net
    (44     39  
Loss (gain) on sales of securities, net
          (8 )
Provision for loan losses
    496       320  
Accretion of certificates of deposit and borrowings
    (129      
Amortization of mortgage servicing rights
    140       241  
Depreciation expense
    441       375  
Amortization of core deposit intangible
    599       91  
Amortization of unearned compensation
    55      
Deferred income tax benefit
    (1,646 )     (1 )
Income from bank-owned life insurance
    (118 )     (97 )
Gains on sales of loans, net
    (20 )     (98 )
Loans originated for sale
    (7,314     (25,398 )
Proceeds from sales of loans
    7,334     25,496
Decrease (increase) in accrued interest receivable
    (653 )     (238 )
Gain on sale of bank-owned land
    (380      
Writedown of bank-owned land
    1,400        
Charitable Foundation Contribution
    4,000        
Other, net
    632       (1,060 )
 
           
Net cash provided by operating activities
    2,650       938  
 
           
 
               
Cash flows from investing activities:
               
Activity in available-for-sale securities:
               
Sales
          1,000  
Maturities, calls, and principal repayments
    15,461       25,721  
Purchases
    (16,373 )     (28,433 )
Principal repayments on held-to-maturity securities
    56       94  
Net change in restricted equity securities
    (102 )     1,000  
Purchases of mortgage loans
          (19,871 )
Loan originations, net
    (41,259 )     (30,401 )
Proceeds from sales of bank-owned land
    868        
Additions to premises and equipment
    (101 )     (417 )
Net cash purchased in acquisition of Chart Bank
    (9,879 )      
 
           
Net cash used for investing activities
    (31,571 )     (51,307 )
 
           
See accompanying notes to condensed consolidated financial statements.

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BENJAMIN FRANKLIN BANCORP, INC AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (Concluded)
(Unaudited)
                 
    Six Months Ended June 30,  
    2005     2004  
    (In thousands)  
Cash flows from financing activities:
               
Net increase in deposits
    17,458       29,447  
Net proceeds (repayments) from short-term borrowings
    (24,750 )     5,000  
Proceeds from long-term debt
    32,000       10,000  
Net proceeds from common stock offering
    53,721        
Acquisition of Common Stock by ESOP
    (3,044 )
 
           
Net cash provided by financing activities
    75,385       44,447  
 
           
 
               
Net change in cash and cash equivalents
    46,464       (5,922 )
 
               
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of the period
    14,204       35,485  
 
               
Cash and cash equivalents at end of the period
  $ 60,668     $ 29,563  
 
           
 
               
Supplemental cash flow information:
               
Interest paid on deposits
  $ 3,333     $ 2,048  
Interest paid on short-term borrowings
    22        
Interest paid on long-term debt
    1,565       996  
Income taxes paid (refunded)
    601       495  
 
               
Assets acquired and liabilities assumed were as follows:
               
Fair value on noncash assets acquired
  $ 259,008          
Fair value of liabilities assumed
    243,772          
Fair value of common stock issued
    25,115          
See accompanying notes to condensed consolidated financial statements.

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BENJAMIN FRANKLIN BANCORP, INC AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(Unaudited)
1.   Basis of presentation and consolidation
 
    The accompanying unaudited consolidated interim financial statements include the accounts of Benjamin Franklin Bancorp, Inc and subsidiaries (the “Company’’) including its main wholly-owned subsidiary, Benjamin Franklin Bank (the “Bank’’). These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) for interim financial statements and the instructions for Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by GAAP for complete financial statements. In the opinion of management, all adjustments (consisting of only normal recurring adjustments) necessary for a fair presentation have been included.
 
    These consolidated interim financial statements should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K as of and for the year ended December 31, 2004.
 
    Stock Conversion and Merger
The Company completed its mutual-to-stock conversion and related stock offering with the issuance of 5,977,419 shares (including 400,000 shares contributed to the Benjamin Franklin Bank Charitable Foundation) on April 4, 2005. An additional 2,511,479 shares were issued in connection with the acquisition of Chart Bank, which was consummated immediately following the stock conversion. The cash portion of the consideration paid to Chart Bank shareholders totaled $21,534,960. The Company’s stock began trading on April 5, 2005, on the Nasdaq National Market, under the symbol “BFBC”.
 
    In connection with the stock conversion, the Company established the Benjamin Franklin Bank Charitable Foundation (the “Foundation”), funded with a contribution of 400,000 shares of newly-issued Benjamin Franklin common stock. This contribution resulted in the recognition of expense in the second quarter of 2005 equal to the $10 offering price for each of the shares contributed, net of tax benefits. The effect of this transaction on the Company’s results for the second quarter was $2.6 million ($4.0 million expense, net of $1.4 million in tax benefits). The Foundation provides funding to support charitable causes and community development activities in the communities served by Benjamin Franklin.
 
    The acquisition of Chart Bank was accounted for using the purchase method of accounting in accordance with Statement of Financial Accounting Standards (“SFAS”) No. 141, Business Combinations. The allocation of purchase price is as follows:

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    Chart Bank     Purchase     Final Allocation of  
    Balance at     Accounting     Purchase  
    April 4, 2005     Adjustments     Price  
    (In thousands)  
Assets:
                       
Cash and cash equivalents
  $ 35,643     $ (4,229 )   $ 31,414  
Securities
    36,743       (607 )     36,136  
Loans, less allowance for loan losses
    185,022       (987 )     184,035  
Premises and equipment
    2,054       569       2,623  
Goodwill
          29,515       29,515  
Core deposit intangible
          5,488       5,488  
Other assets
    1,211               1,211  
 
                 
 
    260,673       29,749       290,422  
 
                       
Liabilities:
                       
Deposits
    216,903       473       217,376  
Borrowed funds
    25,500       (101 )     25,399  
Other liabilities
    725       272       997  
 
                 
 
    243,128       644       243,772  
 
                       
Net assets acquired
                  $ 46,650  
 
                     
    The goodwill created in the acquisition of Chart Bank, in the amount of $29.5 million, is not tax deductible. In accordance with SFS No. 142, “Goodwill and Other Intangibles”, goodwill will not be amortized, but will be subject to periodic testing for impairment. Any impairment detected in the future as a result of such testing would result in a charge to earnings. Certain other purchase accounting adjustments are being amortized/accreted into income over the estimated lives of those adjustments. The following table summarizes the Company’s current estimates for the future amortization or accretion of the most significant of the purchase accounting adjustments:
                                                                 
            Estimated Accretion/(Amortization)  
    Actual -                                            
    Quarter     Six Months                                      
    Ended     Ended     Year Ended     Year Ended     Year Ended     Year Ended     After        
    June 30,     December 31,     December 31,     December 31,     December 31,     December 31,     December 31,        
    2005     2005     2006     2007     2008     2009     2009     Total  
                            (In thousands)                                  
Core deposit intangible
  $ (554 )   $ (801 )   $ (1,064 )   $ (779 )   $ (574 )   $ (408 )   $ (1,308 )   $ (5,488 )
 
                                                               
Loan discount
    136       270       337       154       53       21       16       987  
 
                                                               
Investments discount
    91       194       252       62       8                   607  
 
                                                               
Time deposit premium
    145       198       66       31       20       13               473  
 
                                                               
Borrowed funds discount
    (16 )     (21 )     (33 )     (20 )     (11 )                     (101 )
    The forecasted accretion and amortization of the fair market value adjustments for loans, investments, time deposits and borrowed funds approximates the level yield method and may vary in the future if actual prepayments or other dispositions differ from current estimates. The core deposit intangible is

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    being amortized on an accelerated basis over its estimated life of 15 years. The core deposit intangible will be tested periodically for impairment which, if detected, would result in a charge to earnings.
    The results of Chart Bank are included in the results of the Company subsequent to April 3, 2005. The unaudited condensed pro forma consolidated statements of operations presented below for the three months ended June 30, 2005 and 2004 assume that the Company had acquired Chart Bank as of April 1, 2005 and 2004. The unaudited condensed pro forma consolidated statements of operations for the six months ended June 30, 2005 and 2004 assume that Chart Bank had been acquired as of January 1, 2005 and 2004. The pro forma information is theoretical in nature and is not necessarily indicative of future consolidated results of operations of the Company or the consolidated results of operations that would have resulted had the Company acquired the stock of Chart Bank during the periods presented:

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    For the Three Months Ended June 30,  
    2005     2004  
    (In thousands except per share amounts)  
Interest and dividend income
  $ 9,327     $ 7,895  
Interst expense
    3,174       2,465  
 
           
Net interest income
    6,153       5,430  
Provision for loan losses
    328       180  
Non-interest income
    250       1,142  
Non-interest expense
    9,733       5,484  
 
           
Income (loss) before income taxes
    (3,658 )     908  
Income tax provision (benefit)
    (676 )     327  
 
           
Net income (loss)
  $ (2,982 )   $ 581  
 
           
Earnings (loss) per share — diluted
  $ (0.38 )   $ 0.07  
 
           
Weighted average shares outstanding — diluted
    7,941,497       7,941,497  
 
           
                 
    For the Six Months Ended June 30,  
    2005     2004  
    (In thousands except per share amounts)  
Interest and dividend income
  $ 18,317     $ 15,518  
Interst expense
    6,214       4,720  
 
           
Net interest income
    12,103       10,798  
Provision for loan losses
    526       380  
Non-interest income
    1,462       2,406  
Non-interest expense
    15,893       10,870  
 
           
Income (loss) before income taxes
    (2,854 )     1,954  
Income tax provision (benefit)
    (257 )     674  
 
           
Net income (loss)
  $ (2,597 )   $ 1,280  
 
           
Earnings (loss) per share — diluted
  $ (0.32 )   $ 0.16  
 
           
Weighted average shares outstanding — diluted
    8,112,406       8,112,406  
 
           

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    The pro forma results of operations for the three months ended June 30, 2005 include a net $1.0 million loss/write-down of bank-owned land and a $4.0 expense item for the contribution of 400,000 shares of Benjamin Franklin Bancorp common stock to the Foundation. Tax benefits have been reflected for the $4.0 million Foundation contribution but no tax benefit has been recognized for the $1.0 loss/write-down of bank owned land. These results also include $367,000 of non-tax deductible merger-related expenses recorded by Chart Bank in the first three days of April, 2005.
 
    The pro forma results of operations for the six months ended June 30, 2005 include the one-time Foundation contribution and the loss/write-down on bank-owned land, as well as a total of $709,000 of non-tax deductible merger-related expenses recorded by Chart Bank during the period from January 1, 2005 to April 4, 2005.
 
    Recent Accounting Pronouncements
On December 16, 2004, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Statement of Financial Accounting Standards (“SFAS”) No. 123R, “Share-Based Payment,” which changes, among other things, the manner in which share-based compensation, such as stock options, will be accounted for by both public and non-public companies. SFAS No. 123R will be effective beginning with the first interim or annual reporting period of the Company’s first fiscal year that begins after June 15, 2005, which would be January 1, 2006 for the Company. For public companies, the cost of employee services received in exchange for equity instruments including options and restricted stock awards generally will be measured at fair value at the grant date. The grant date fair value will be estimated using option-pricing models adjusted for the unique characteristics of those options and instruments, unless observable market prices for the same or similar options are available. The cost will be recognized over the requisite service period, often the vesting period, and will be re-measured subsequently at each reporting date through settlement date. On March 29, 2005, the SEC staff issued Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 107 (“SAB 107”). SAB 107 expresses the views of the SEC staff regarding SFAS No. 123R and certain rules and regulations and provides the SEC’s view regarding the valuation of share-based payment arrangements for public companies. The provisions of SFAS No. 123R and SAB 107 do not have an impact on the Company’s results of operations at this time.
 
2.   Loan Commitments
 
    Outstanding loan commitments totaled $126.0 million at June 30, 2005, compared to $70.6 million as of December 31, 2004. Loan commitments consist of commitments to originate new loans as well as the outstanding undrawn portions of lines of credit.
 
3.   Earnings per share
 
    Basic earnings per share excludes dilution and is computed by dividing income available to common shareholders by the weighted-average common shares outstanding during the period. Diluted earnings per share takes into account the potential dilution that could occur if securities or other contracts to issue common stock were exercised and converted into common stock. Earnings per share were not meaningful for the quarter ended June 30, 2005 and for the other periods presented, because the Company did not complete its public offering until April 4, 2005.

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Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
The following analysis discusses the changes in financial position and results of operations of the Company, and should be read in conjunction with the Company’s unaudited consolidated interim financial statements and the notes thereto, appearing in Part I, Item 1 of this document.
Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements herein constitute “forward-looking statements” and actual results may differ from those contemplated by these statements. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts. They often include words like “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” and “intend” or future or conditional verbs such as “will,” “would,” “should,” “could” or “may.” Certain factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from expected results include changes in the interest rate environment, changes in general economic conditions, legislative and regulatory changes that adversely affect the businesses in which the Company is engaged and changes in the securities market.
Critical Accounting Policies
Critical accounting policies are those that involve significant judgments and assessments by management, and which could potentially result in materially different results under different assumptions and conditions. As discussed in the Company’s 2004 Annual Report on Form 10-K, the Company considers its critical accounting policies to be those associated with income taxes, intangible assets and the determination of the allowance for loan losses. The Company’s critical accounting policies have not changed since December 31, 2004.
Comparison of Financial Condition at June 30, 2005 and December 31, 2004
Overview
Total assets increased by $346.4 million, or 66.9%, from $517.4 million at December 31, 2004 to $863.8 million at June 30, 2005. The Chart Bank acquisition added $290.4 million to total assets on April 4, 2005, consisting primarily of loans ($184.0 million), investments ($39.3 million), and goodwill and other intangibles ($35.0 million). Funding liabilities added through the Chart Bank acquisition included $217.4 million in deposits and $25.4 million of borrowed funds. The mutual-to-stock conversion and acquisition added $82.8 million to stockholders’ equity. The Company has also grown internally since December 31, 2004, with additions to loans and investment securities totaling $41.0 and 9.6 million, respectively. Funding that internal asset growth, in part, were $14.9 million of net new deposits and $7.3 million of additional borrowed funds.
Investment Activities
Cash and correspondent bank balances increased by $33.5 million to $42.2 million as of June 30, 2005 when compared to December 31, 2004. Of that increase, $27.2 million consists of cash supplied by Creative Strategic Solutions, Inc. (“CSSI”) to its ATM customers. CSSI is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Benjamin Franklin Bank that supplies cash to ATMs owned by independent service organizations and provides related cash management services to a nationwide customer base. Over the same period, short-term investments, comprised of overnight fed funds sold ($15.0 million) and money market funds ($3.4 million), increased $12.9 million to $18.4 million at June 30, 2005. The higher level of short-term investments at quarter-end was due to anticipated funding needs for loan originations in early July 2005.

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At June 30, 2005, the Company’s investment portfolio amounted to $129.3 million, or 15.0% of total assets. The following table sets forth certain information regarding the amortized cost and market values of the Company’s investment securities at the dates indicated:
                                 
    At June 30, 2005     At December 31, 2004  
    Amortized     Fair     Amortized     Fair  
    Cost     Value     Cost     Value  
            (In thousands)          
Securities available for sale:
                               
U.S. Government and agency obligations
  $ 73,684     $ 73,504     $ 33,607     $ 33,306  
Corporate bonds and other obligations
    6,007       5,973       5,056       5,014  
Mortgage-backed securities
    41,864       40,552       49,246       47,750  
 
                       
 
                               
Total available for sale securities
  $ 121,555     $ 120,029     $ 87,909     $ 86,070  
 
                       
 
                               
Securities held to maturity:
                               
 
                               
Mortgage-backed securities
  $ 161     $ 162     $ 217     $ 221  
 
                       
 
                               
Restricted equity securities:
                               
Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston stock
  $ 6,597     $ 6,597     $ 4,459     $ 4,459  
Access Capital Strategies Community Investment Fund
    2,000       2,000       2,000       2,000  
SBLI & DIF stock
    518       518       516       516  
 
                       
 
                               
Total equity securities
  $ 9,115     $ 9,115     $ 6,975     $ 6,975  
 
                       
Increases in the investment portfolio during the quarter were the result of the acquisition of the Chart Bank securities portfolio, consisting primarily of U.S. Government and agency obligations.
Lending Activities
The Company’s net loan portfolio aggregated $608.5 million on June 30, 2005, or 70.4% of total assets on that date. The following table sets forth the composition of the loan portfolio at the dates indicated:

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    At June 30, 2005     At December 31, 2004  
    Amount     Percent     Amount     Percent  
    (Dollars in thousands)  
 
                               
Mortgage loans on real estate:
                               
Residential
  $ 299,553       48.90 %   $ 241,090       62.56 %
Commercial
    226,339       36.94 %     85,911       22.29 %
Construction
    36,434       5.95 %     28,651       7.43 %
Home equity
    33,377       5.45 %     23,200       6.02 %
 
                       
 
    595,703       97.24 %     378,852       98.30 %
 
                       
 
                               
Other loans:
                               
Commercial
    14,487       2.36 %     4,375       1.14 %
Consumer
    2,448       0.40 %     2,170       0.56 %
 
                       
 
    16,935       2.76 %     6,545       1.70 %
 
                       
Total loans
    612,638       100.00 %     385,397       100.00 %
 
                           
Other items:
                               
Deferred loan origination costs
    1,344               1,148          
Allowance for loan losses
    (5,531 )             (3,172 )        
 
                           
Total loans, net
  $ 608,451             $ 383,373          
 
                           
The gross loan portfolio increased by $225.1 million, or 58.8%, during the first half of 2005. While the Chart Bank acquisition accounted for $184.0 million of that growth, another $43.4 million of net loan growth was generated internally, primarily in commercial real estate loans. With the addition of the Chart Bank loan portfolio and internal growth, commercial loans (including commercial real estate, construction and commercial business loans) have grown to 44.5% of total loans, compared to 30.9% at December 31, 2004. The Company remains committed to expanding its commercial lending business, and to that end has increased the size of its commercial lending staff to twelve at present, compared to four at year-end 2004. Commercial credit analysis, processing, review and monitoring resources have also been increased to support this effort.
Concurrent with its mutual-to-stock conversion and acquisition of Chart Bank, the Company increased its policy guideline for maximum loans to one borrower (or related entity) to $10.0 million. Exceptions to this limit require the approval of the Executive Committee of the Board prior to loan origination. As of June 30, 2005, Benjamin Franklin had no borrower relationships over the $10.0 million policy guideline. Benjamin Franklin Bank’s internal lending limit is lower than the Massachusetts legal lending limit, which is 20.0% of a bank’s surplus and capital stock accounts, or $18.5 million for Benjamin Franklin Bank as of June 30, 2005. The Company has also increased other loan authorities in light of its larger size and increased lending limit, including individual loan officer authorities and management Credit Committee authority.
Non-performing Assets
The table below sets forth the amounts and categories of the Company’s non-performing assets at the dates indicated. At each date presented, the Company had no troubled debt restructurings (loans for which a portion of

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interest or principal has been forgiven and loans modified at interest rates materially less than current market rates):
                 
    At June 30, 2005     At December 31, 2004  
    (In thousands)  
Non-accrual loans:
               
Residential mortgage
  $ 123     $  
Commercial mortgage
    3        
Construction
           
Commercial
    221       334  
Consumer and other
           
 
           
Total non-performing loans
    347       334  
 
           
 
               
Loans greater than 90 days delinquent and still accruing:
               
Residential mortgage
           
Commercial mortgage
           
Construction
           
Commercial
           
Consumer and other
          3  
 
           
Total loans 90 days and still accruing
          3  
 
           
 
               
Total non-performing assets
  $ 347     $ 337  
 
           
 
               
Ratios:
               
Non-performing loans to total loans
    0.06 %     0.09 %
Non-performing assets to total assets
    0.04 %     0.07 %
Allowance for Loan Losses
In originating loans, the Company recognizes that losses will be experienced on loans and that the risk of loss will vary with many factors, including the type of loan being made, the creditworthiness of the borrower over the term of the loan, general economic conditions and, in the case of a secured loan, the quality of the security for the loan over the term of the loan. The Company maintains an allowance for loan losses to absorb losses inherent in the loan portfolio, and as such, this allowance represents management’s best estimate of the probable known and inherent credit losses in the loan portfolio as of the date of the financial statements.
The allowance for loan losses is evaluated on a regular basis by management and is based upon management’s periodic review of the collectibility of the loans in light of historical experience, portfolio volume and mix, geographic and large borrower concentrations, estimated credit losses based on internal and external portfolio reviews, adverse situations that may affect the borrower’s ability to repay, estimated value of any underlying collateral and prevailing economic conditions. This evaluation is inherently subjective as it requires estimates that are susceptible to significant revision as more information becomes available.
The allowance consists of specific, general and unallocated components. The specific component relates to loans that are classified as doubtful, substandard or special mention. The general component covers non-classified loans and is based on historical loss experience adjusted for qualitative factors. An unallocated component is maintained to cover uncertainties that could affect management’s estimate of probable losses. The unallocated

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component of the allowance reflects the margin of imprecision inherent in the underlying assumptions used in the methodologies for estimating specific and general losses in the portfolio.
A loan is considered impaired when, based on current information and events, it is probable that the Company will be unable to collect the scheduled payments of principal or interest when due according to the contractual terms of the loan agreement. Factors considered by management in determining impairment include payment status, collateral value, and the probability of collecting scheduled principal and interest payments when due. Impairment is measured on a loan by loan basis for commercial loans by either the present value of expected future cash flows discounted at the loan’s effective interest rate or the fair value of the collateral if the loan is collateral dependent. Large groups of smaller balance homogeneous loans are collectively evaluated for impairment. Accordingly, the Company does not separately identify individual consumer and residential loans for impairment disclosures. At June 30, 2005, impaired loans totaled $182,000 and in the aggregate carried a specific reserve allocation of $100,000, as compared to $334,000 of impaired loans with a specific reserve allocation of $210,000 at December 31, 2004.
While the Company believes that it has established adequate specific and general allowances for losses on loans, adjustments to the allowance may be necessary if future conditions differ substantially from the information used in making the evaluations. In addition, as an integral part of their examination process, the Company’s regulators periodically review the allowance for loan losses. These regulatory agencies may require the Company to recognize additions to the allowance based on their judgments of information available to them at the time of their examination, thereby negatively affecting the Company’s financial condition and earnings.
The following table sets forth activity in the Company’s allowance for loan losses for the periods indicated:

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    At or For the     At or For the  
    Three Months Ended     Six Months Ended  
    June 30,     June 30,  
    2005     2004     2005     2004  
    (In thousands)     (In thousands)  
Balance at beginning of period
  $ 3,351     $ 2,704     $ 3,172     $ 2,523  
 
                       
 
                               
Allowance added from acquisition of Chart Bank
    1,812             1,812        
 
                               
Charge-offs:
                               
Mortgage loans on real estate
                       
Other loans:
                               
Commercial
    (11 )           (11 )      
Consumer
    (3 )           (3 )     (4 )
 
                       
 
    (14 )     0       (14 )     (4 )
 
                       
 
                               
Total charge-offs
    (14 )     0       (14 )     (4 )
 
                               
Recoveries:
                               
Mortgage loans on real estate
                       
Other loans:
                               
Commercial
    53       11       60       21  
Consumer
    1       2       5       7  
 
                       
 
    54       13       65       28  
 
                       
 
                               
Total recoveries
    54       13       65       28  
 
                               
Net recoveries
    40       13       51       24  
Provision for loan losses
    328       144       496       314  
 
                       
 
                               
Balance at end of period
  $ 5,531     $ 2,861     $ 5,531     $ 2,861  
 
                       
 
                               
Ratios:
                               
Net recoveries to average loans outstanding (annualized)
    0.03 %     0.02 %     0.02 %     0.02 %
Allowance for loan losses to non-performing loans at end of period
    1593.89 %     729.76 %     1593.89 %     729.87 %
Allowance for loan losses to total loans at end of period
    0.91 %     0.84 %     0.91 %     0.84 %

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Deposits
The following table sets forth the Company’s deposit accounts for the periods indicated:
                                 
    June 30,     % of     December 31,     % of  
    2005     Total     2004     Total  
    (In thousands)             (In thousands)          
Deposit type:
                               
Demand deposits
  $ 126,632       20 %   $ 87,776       22 %
NOW deposits
    36,697       6 %     22,460       6 %
Regular and other savings
    107,557       17 %     95,875       24 %
Money market deposits
    105,586       17 %     53,167       13 %
 
                           
Total non-certificate accounts
    376,472       60 %     259,278       65 %
 
                           
 
                               
Term certificates less than $100,000
    154,331       24 %     97,114       25 %
Term certificates of $100,000 or more
    98,042       16 %     40,107       10 %
 
                           
Total certificate accounts
    252,373       40 %     137,221       35 %
 
                           
Total deposits
  $ 628,845       100.00 %   $ 396,499       100.00 %
 
                           
Of the $232.3 million increase in deposits in the first half of 2005, $217.4 million were acquired through the Chart Bank transaction. An additional $14.9 million was gained through internal growth, most of that increase coming in certificates of deposit and NOW accounts. The addition of Chart Bank’s deposit base changed the composition of the Company’s deposits, with certificate accounts growing to 40% of the total as compared to 35% at December 31, 2004.
Borrowed Funds
Funds borrowed from the Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston (“FHLBB”) increased during the first six months of 2005 by $32.7 million to $117.9 million at June 30, 2005. Of this increase, $25.4 million was provided by the Chart Bank acquisition. Of the borrowed funds acquired from Chart, $20.5 million matured during the second quarter of 2005. Those borrowings and the remainder of the increase, or $7.2 million, were placed in new FHLBB borrowings with original maturities of three to five years, in order to match the estimated repricing characteristics of the net loan growth during the quarter. The $9.0 million balance in subordinated debt remained unchanged during the first six months of 2005.
Stockholder’s Equity
Total stockholders’ equity was $109.2 million as of June 30, 2005, an increase of $77.9 million when compared to the balance at December 31, 2004. The increase was primarily attributable to the Company’s mutual-to-stock conversion and issuance of shares in connection with the acquisition of Chart Bank. The components of the net increase were: a) the recording of common stock and additional paid-in capital in the initial public offering in the amount of $53.7 million, net of offering expenses of $2.1 million, b) shares issued to the Benjamin Franklin Bank Charitable Foundation in the amount of $4.0 million, c) shares issued to Chart Bank shareholders in the amount of $25.1 million, d) a net loss of $2.2 million, e) a change of $266,000 in other comprehensive income resulting from an increase in the fair market value of investments available for sale, and f) a decrease of $3.0 million, representing the $3.044 million purchase price of the shares purchased by the employee stock ownership plan during the quarter, net of $55,000 attributable to shares released from the ESOP suspense account.

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Comparison of Operating Results for the Three Months and Six Months Ended June 30, 2005 and 2004
The Company incurred a $2.5 million loss for the quarter ended June 30, 2005, primarily as a result of two non-recurring charges: i) a $4.0 million contribution made to the Benjamin Franklin Bank Charitable Foundation, and ii) the recognition of a net loss of $1.0 million of the sale/write-down of bank-owned land. The $2.2 million loss incurred for the six-month period ended June 30, 2005 was the result of these same one-time items. Offsetting the non-recurring charges were significant increases in net interest income and non-interest income in both the three and six-month periods, due to the acquisition of the operations of Chart Bank and to internally generated balance sheet growth. Operating expenses also increased significantly when compared to the three and six-month periods ended June 30, 2004, due to the addition of Chart Bank’s operations, as well as to higher costs related to generating internal growth and meeting the demands of operating as a public company.
Analysis of Net Interest Income
Net interest income represents the difference between income on interest-earning assets and expense on interest-bearing liabilities. Net interest income also depends upon the relative amounts of interest-earning assets and interest-bearing liabilities and the interest rates earned or paid on them.
The following tables set forth average balance sheets, average yields and costs, and certain other information for the periods indicated. Most average balances are daily average balances. Non-accrual loans were included in the computation of average balances, but have been reflected in the table as loans carrying a zero yield. The yields set forth below include the effect of deferred fees, discounts and premiums that are amortized or accreted to interest income or expense:

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    Three Months Ended June 30, 2005             Three Months Ended June 30, 2004        
    Average                     Average              
    Outstanding                     Outstanding              
    Balance     Interest     Yield/Rate(1)     Balance     Interest     Yield/Rate(1)  
    (In thousands)     (In thousands)  
Interest-earning assets:
                                               
Loans
  $ 589,869     $ 8,048       5.47 %   $ 320,864     $ 4,073       5.11 %
Investment securities
    128,698       987       3.08 %     115,064       833       2.91 %
Short-term investments
    26,429       151       2.29 %     16,565       37       0.89 %
 
                                       
Total interest-earning assets
    744,996       9,186       4.95 %     452,493       4,943       4.39 %
Non-interest-earning assets
    106,428                       30,059                  
 
                                           
Total assets
  $ 851,424                     $ 482,552                  
 
                                           
 
                                               
Interest-bearing liabilities:
                                               
Savings deposits
  $ 109,318       142       0.52 %   $ 100,505       125       0.50 %
Money market
    117,969       458       1.56 %     51,601       104       0.81 %
NOW accounts
    36,240       32       0.36 %     24,804       9       0.15 %
Certificates of deposits
    244,490       1,561       2.56 %     136,581       856       2.52 %
 
                                       
Total deposits
    508,017       2,193       1.73 %     313,491       1,094       1.40 %
Short-term borrowings
    9,509       21       0.89 %     110       0       0.00 %
Long-term debt
    90,348       914       4.06 %     45,549       567       5.00 %
 
                                       
Total interest-bearing liabilities
    607,874       3,128       2.06 %     359,150       1,661       1.86 %
Non-interest bearing liabilities
    138,073                       93,675                  
 
                                           
Total liabilities
    745,947                       452,825                  
Equity
    105,477                       29,727                  
 
                                           
Total liabilities and equity
  $ 851,424                     $ 482,552                  
 
                                           
Net interest income
          $ 6,058                     $ 3,282          
 
                                           
Net interest rate spread (2)
                    2.89 %                     2.53 %
Net interest-earning assets (3)
  $ 137,122                     $ 93,343                  
 
                                           
Net interest margin (4)
                    3.26 %                     2.92 %
Average interest-earning assets to interest-bearing liabilities
                    122.56 %                     125.99 %
 
(1)   Yields and rates for the three months ended June 30, 2005 and 2004 are annualized.
 
(2)   Net interest rate spread represents the difference between the yield on average interest-earning assets and the cost of average interest-bearing liabilities.
 
(3)   Net interest-earning assets represents total interest-earning assets less total interest-bearing liabilities.
 
(4)   Net interest margin represents net interest income divided by average total interest-earning assets.

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    Six Months Ended June 30, 2005     Six Months Ended June 30, 2004  
    Average                     Average              
    Outstanding                     Outstanding              
    Balance     Interest     Yield/Rate(1)     Balance     Interest     Yield/Rate(1)  
    (In thousands)     (In thousands)  
Interest-earning assets:
                                               
Loans
  $ 489,108     $ 12,940       5.34 %   $ 308,729     $ 7,989       5.20 %
Investment securities
    110,167       1,716       3.14 %     112,887       1,729       3.08 %
Short-term investments
    21,272       244       2.32 %     19,525       86       0.89 %
 
                                       
Total interest-earning assets
    620,547       14,900       4.84 %     441,141       9,804       4.47 %
Non-interest-earning assets
    71,073                       31,361                  
 
                                           
Total assets
  $ 691,619                     $ 472,502                  
 
                                           
 
                                               
Interest-bearing liabilities:
                                               
Savings deposits
  $ 102,177       258       0.51 %   $ 98,602       244       0.50 %
Money market
    87,618       668       1.54 %     51,414       207       0.81 %
NOW accounts
    29,161       40       0.28 %     24,065       18       0.15 %
Certificates of deposits
    193,450       2,458       2.56 %     132,406       1,667       2.53 %
 
                                       
Total deposits
    412,405       3,424       1.67 %     306,487       2,136       1.40 %
Short-term borrowings
    4,811       22       0.92 %     55       0       0.00 %
Long-term debt
    85,674       1,767       4.16 %     45,275       1,132       5.03 %
 
                                       
Total interest-bearing liabilities
    502,890       5,213       2.09 %     351,816       3,268       1.87 %
Non-interest bearing liabilities
    120,171                       90,815                  
 
                                           
Total liabilities
    623,061                       442,631                  
Equity
    68,558                       29,870                  
 
                                           
Total liabilities and equity
  $ 691,619                     $ 472,502                  
 
                                           
 
                                               
Net interest income
          $ 9,687                     $ 6,536          
 
                                           
Net interest rate spread (2)
                    2.75 %                     2.60 %
Net interest-earning assets (3)
  $ 117,657                     $ 89,325                  
 
                                           
Net interest margin (4)
                    3.15 %                     2.98 %
Average interest-earning assets to interest-bearing liabilities
                    123.40 %                     125.39 %
 
(1)   Yields and rates for the six months ended June 30, 2005 and 2004 are annualized.
 
(2)   Net interest rate spread represents the difference between the yield on average interest-earning assets and the cost of average interest-bearing liabilities.
 
(3)   Net interest-earning assets represents total interest-earning assets less total interest-bearing liabilities.
 
(4)   Net interest margin represents net interest income divided by average total interest-earning assets.
The following table presents the dollar amount of changes in interest income and interest expense for the major categories of the Company’s interest-earning assets and interest-bearing liabilities. Information is provided for each category of interest-earning assets and interest-bearing liabilities with respect to (i) changes attributable to changes in volume (i.e., changes in average balances multiplied by the prior-period average rate) and (ii) changes attributable to rate (i.e., changes in average rate multiplied by prior-period average balances). For purposes of this table, changes attributable to both rate and volume, which cannot be segregated, have been allocated proportionately to the change due to volume and the change due to rate.

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    Three Months Ended June 30,  
    2005 vs. 2004  
    Increase (Decrease)        
    Due to     Total  
                    Increase  
    Volume     Rate     (Decrease)  
    (In thousands)  
Interest-earning assets:
                       
Loans
  $ 3,650     $ 326     $ 3,976  
Investment securities
    103       50       153  
Interest-earning deposits
    32       82       114  
 
                 
 
                       
Total interest-earning assets
    3,785       458       4,243  
 
                 
Interest-bearing liabilities:
                       
Savings deposits
    11       7       18  
Money Market
    206       148       354  
NOW accounts
    6       17       23  
Certificates of deposits
    688       16       704  
 
                 
Total deposits
    911       188       1,099  
 
                       
Short-term borrowings and long-term debt
    470       (102 )     368  
 
                 
 
                       
Total interest-bearing liabilities
    1,381       86       1,467  
 
                 
 
                       
Change in net interest income
  $ 2,404     $ 372     $ 2,776  
 
                 
                         
    Six Months Ended June 30,  
    2005 vs. 2004  
    Increase (Decrease)        
    Due to     Total  
                    Increase  
    Volume     Rate     (Decrease)  
    (In thousands)  
Interest-earning assets:
                       
Loans
  $ 4,768     $ 183     $ 4,951  
Investment securities
    (41 )     28       (13 )
Interest-earning deposits
    8       150       158  
 
                 
 
                       
Total interest-earning assets
    4,735       361       5,096  
 
                 
 
                       
Interest-bearing liabilities:
                       
Savings deposits
    9       5       14  
Money Market
    203       258       461  
NOW accounts
    4       19       23  
Certificates of deposits
    776       14       790  
 
                 
Total deposits
    992       296       1,288  
 
                       
Short-term borrowings and long-term debt
    862       (205 )     657  
 
                 
 
                       
Total interest-bearing liabilities
    1,854       91       1,945  
 
                 
 
                       
Change in net interest income
  $ 2,881     $ 270     $ 3,151  
 
                 

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Net interest income for the quarter ended June 30, 2005 was $6.1 million, an increase of $2.8 million when compared to net interest income of $3.3 million for the three months ended June 30, 2004. The $2.8 million increase was the result of an increase in average interest-earning assets of $292.5 million, greater than the $248.7 million increase in interest-bearing liabilities, coupled with a 34 basis point increase in the net interest margin. The funds received in the Company’s public stock offering and an increase in non-interest bearing deposit accounts were the primary reasons that average interest-earning assets grew by more than average interest-bearing liabilities when compared to the comparable quarter in 2004.
Interest income for the quarter ended June 30, 2005 was $9.2 million, compared to $4.9 million for the quarter ended June 30, 2004, an increase of $4.2 million or 85.8%. Most of the increase was the result of the $292.5 million increase in average interest earning assets, augmented by a 56 basis point increase in the yield earned on average interest-earning assets. The increase in average interest-earning assets was the result of the acquisition of Chart Bank and the Company’s public stock offering. The largest increase was seen in average loan balances, which increased by $269.0 million due to the acquisition of the $184.0 million Chart Bank loan portfolio and internally generated growth. Increases in average balances of investment securities and short-term investments of $13.6 million and $9.9 million, respectively, were also related to both the acquisition and the stock offering. The increases in yields earned on investment securities and short-term investments of 17 basis points and 140 basis points, respectively, were due mainly to the increase in market interest rates during the year ended June 30, 2005. The increase in the loan yield of 36 basis points was due both to the increase in market interest rates and to the addition of the Chart Bank loan portfolio, which was more heavily weighted toward higher-yielding commercial loans than that of Benjamin Franklin.
Interest expense for the quarter increased $1.5 million compared to the prior year, due primarily to the Chart Bank acquisition, which added $243.8 million to the Company’s funding liabilities. The remainder of the increase in average funding liabilities between the comparable quarters in 2005 and 2004 of $49.3 million consists of increases in borrowed funds ($28.8 million), deposits ($14.1 million) and non-interest bearing liabilities ($6.4 million). Overall, the cost of interest-bearing deposits increased by 33 basis points in the second quarter of 2005 compared to the second quarter of 2004. This is due in part to the increase in market interest rates over the twelve months ended June 30, 2005 and to the composition of the Chart Bank deposit base, which had a greater proportion of higher-cost certificate balances than did that of Benjamin Franklin. The cost of long-term debt declined between periods, by 94 basis points, due to the fact that the $44.8 million increase in average FHLBB advances outstanding represented funds borrowed at rates significantly lower than those paid on the Company’s long-term debt prior to such increase.
Net interest income for the first half of 2005 increased by $3.2 million to $9.7 million, compared to $6.5 million earned in the first six months of 2004. The increase was the result of an increase in average interest-earning assets of $179.4 million, greater than the increase in average interest-bearing liabilities of $151.1 million, and to an increase in the net interest margin of 17 basis points. The increase in interest earning assets was due to the Chart Bank acquisition, which added $111.7 million on average for the six months ended June 30, 2005, and to internally generated growth in loans outstanding, which increased by $88.4 million on average, independent of the addition of the Chart Bank loan portfolio. Funding liabilities also increased due to the acquisition, which added average interest-bearing deposits of $90.2 million, average non-interest bearing balances of $19.0 million and average borrowed funds of $12.7 million. Internally generated interest-bearing deposit growth added $15.7 million on average, while the average balances of outstanding borrowings, exclusive of the Chart Bank addition, increased by $32.5 million. The Company also grew the average balances outstanding in demand deposits and other non-interest bearing funds by $10.4 million over and above those balances provided by Chart Bank. Rates earned on interest-earning assets increased by 37 basis points, due to the increase in market interest rates and the favorable mix of the Chart Bank assets. Rates paid on interest-bearing liabilities increased by 22 basis points, as an increase in deposit costs was offset by a reduction in the weighted average rate paid on borrowed funds.

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Provision for Loan Losses
The Company recorded provisions for loan losses of $328,000 and $150,000 for the three months ended June 30, 2005 and 2004, respectively. For the first six months of 2005 and 2004, provisions for loan losses amounted to $496,000 and $320,000, respectively. The provisions were reflective of growth in the loan portfolio and a small amount of net recoveries recorded in each period. At June 30, 2005, the allowance for loan losses totaled $5.5 million, or .90% of the loan portfolio, as compared to $3.2 million, or .82% of total loans, at December 31, 2004.
Non-interest Income
Non-interest income for the three month period ended June 30, 2005 declined to $245,000, a reduction of $283,000, or 53.6%, when compared to non-interest income of $528,000 earned during the second quarter of 2004. For the six month period, non-interest income declined by $485,000 or 39.7% to $737,000. The primary cause of these declines was a $1.0 million net loss/write-down recognized in June of 2005 on bank-owned land, offset by increases in fee income resulting from the acquisition of Chart Bank.
During the second quarter of 2005, two parcels of land that had been held as future branch sites were sold for an aggregate gain of $380,000. A third parcel that had been held as a future branch site was written down by $1.4 million to its estimated net fair market value, once the decision was made by the Company to market the parcel for sale. The Company’s determination to sell the property followed a decision by the town planning board to reject the Company’s proposed plans for combined retail-banking development of the parcel, after the Company had reworked the plans to deal with the concerns previously raised by the planning board. Although the Company’s Executive Committee considered whether to again revise and resubmit development plans that would be acceptable both to the Company and the planning board, the Committee decided that under the circumstances it would not continue to pursue its combined retail-banking development plans. This decision was consistent with the Company’s emerging strategy of opting in favor of leasing rather than owning future branch locations. The Company’s current strategy contemplates the opening of several new branches over the next few years and in all likelihood future branch locations will be leased rather than owned.
In the second quarter of 2005, fees earned on deposit accounts and other miscellaneous income increased by 29.0% and 40.9%, respectively when compared to the second quarter of 2004. This growth was mainly the result of the addition of the Chart Bank deposit accounts and branch locations. Increases in loan servicing fees in both the three month and six month periods amounting to $100,000 and $27,000, respectively, were largely independent of the Chart Bank acquisition and were instead the result of growth in the Bank’s portfolio of fixed rate loans serviced for others. The Chart Bank acquisition also provided a new non-interest income source, fees earned on ATM servicing performed by CSSI, which yielded $509,000 in the second quarter of 2005. CSSI provides cash to ATMs owned by independent service organizations nationwide. Fees are collected from the independent service organizations for managing the ATMs and for the use of the cash in the machines. A summary of CSSI’s operating performance, pre-tax, for the second quarter of 2005 is as follows:

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    For the Three  
    Months Ended  
    June 30, 2005  
    (In thousands)  
Income:
       
Fees earned on ATM servicing contracts
  $ 509  
 
       
Expenses:
       
Interest expense
    253  
Personnel costs
    92  
Occupancy and equipment
    7  
Services, supplies and other
    18  
 
     
Total expenses
    370  
 
       
Pre-tax contribution margin
  $ 139  
 
     
The expense figures shown reflect direct expenses only and do not include any allocation for overhead costs or support services provided to CSSI by the Bank. Interest expense is charged to CSSI by the Bank on the amount of cash CSSI employs, based on the one-year FHLBB advance rate. The average balance of the cash deployed by CSSI in the second quarter of 2005 was $26.3 million.
Non-interest Expense
Non-interest expenses rose significantly in the second quarter of 2005 when compared to the same period in 2004, primarily as the result of the $4.0 million contribution to the Benjamin Franklin Bank Charitable Foundation and to the acquisition of Chart Bank. Expenses also rose as the Company increased its lending capabilities and incurred the costs associated with operating a public company. Costs associated with the Company’s public stock offering were charged to stockholders’ equity. Costs associated with the acquisition of Chart Bank were capitalized as part of the goodwill created in the transaction. The contribution to the Foundation was one-time in nature, since the Company has no intention of making future contributions to the Foundation.
Expenses, excluding the $4.0 million non-recurring Foundation contribution, increased by $2.0 million to $5.1 million in the second quarter of 2005, compared to $3.1 million recorded in the three months ended June 30, 2004. The largest increase was in salaries and employee benefits expense, which rose by $600,000 or 32.2%, attributable to the acquisition of Chart Bank and to a lesser degree to the addition of loan origination and support staff in the first half of 2005. Amortization of the core deposit intangible asset created in the Chart Bank acquisition added $554,000 to expense for the quarter, an increase of $509,000 over the comparable period in 2004. Occupancy and equipment expenses increased by $292,000 or 79.8%, mainly due to the addition of costs associated with Chart Bank’s three branches and its former corporate headquarters. The rental expense associated with the lease of the headquarters location will cease at the end of July 2005. Increases in data processing costs ($169,000 or 46.2%) and miscellaneous expenses ($202,000 or 41.3%) were both due primarily to the effect of adding Chart Bank operations. Professional fees grew to $238,000, an increase of $186,000 over the comparable period in 2004, due to increased legal, consulting and audit fees that for the most part were related to the Company’s conversion to public company status.
Year-to-date, operating expenses excluding the $4.0 million Foundation contribution increased by $2.3 million to $8.6 million, compared to $6.3 million incurred in the first six months of 2004. The reasons for the increases in various expense categories as essentially the same as those described above for the second quarter of 2005 compared to the second quarter of 2004.

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Income Taxes
The income tax benefit of $625,000 recorded for the three months ended June 30, 2004 resulted in an effective tax rate of 19.7%, compared to income tax expense of $153,000 recorded for the three months ended June 30, 2004, which resulted in an effective tax rate of 32.1%. The income tax benefit of $466,000 for the six months ended June 30, 2004, resulted in an effective tax rate of 17.4%, compared to income tax expense of $349,000 for the six months ended June 30, 2004, which resulted in an effective tax rate of 31.0%. The primary reason for the reduction in the effective rate in the 2005 periods is the fact that no tax benefit was recognized on the $1.0 million net loss/write-down recognized on the bank-owned land.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
The Company’s primary sources of funds are from deposits, amortization of loans, loan prepayments and the maturity of loans, mortgage-backed securities and other investments, and other funds provided by operations. While scheduled payments from amortization of loans and mortgage-backed securities and maturing loans and investment securities are relatively predictable sources of funds, deposit flows and loan prepayments can be greatly influenced by general interest rates, economic conditions and competition. The Company maintains excess funds in cash and short-term interest-bearing assets that provide additional liquidity. At June 30, 2005, cash and due from banks, short-term investments and debt securities maturing within one year totaled $78.2 million (excluding cash supplied by CSSI to ATM customers) or 9.1% of total assets.
The Company also relies on outside borrowings from the Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston, as an additional funding source. As of June 30, 2005, the Company had the ability to borrow an additional $100.4 million from the Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston.
The Company uses its liquidity to fund existing and future loan commitments, to fund maturing certificates of deposit and borrowings, to fund other deposit withdrawals, to invest in other interest-earning assets and to meet operating expenses. The Company anticipates that it will continue to have sufficient funds and alternative funding sources to meet its current commitments.
The following tables present information indicating various contractual obligations and commitments of the Company as of the dates indicated and the respective maturity dates:

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Contractual Obligations:
                                         
    At June 30, 2005  
                    More than     More than        
                    One Year     Three Years        
            One Year     through Three     through five     Over Five  
    Total     or Less     Years     Years     Years  
    (In thousands)  
Federal Home Loan Bank advances(1)
  $ 109,000             $ 48,000     $ 31,000     $ 30,000  
Subordinated Debt
    9,000                         9,000  
Other (2)
    5,978       1,744       3,370       864        
 
                             
Total Contractual Obligations
  $ 123,978     $ 1,744     $ 51,370     $ 31,864     $ 39,000  
 
                             
 
(1)   Secured under a blanket security agreement on qualifying assets, principally 1-4 Family Residential mortgage loans. Advances totalling $36 million shown with maturities of greater than three years may be called by the FHLB during the period remaining to maturity. One “knock-out” advance in the amount of $10 million maturing in June, 2010 will become immediately payable if 3-month LIBOR rises above 6.0% (measured on a quarterly basis, beginning in June 2006. Amounts shown exclude the purchase accounting adjustment for Chart Bank borrowings.
 
(2)   Represents contracts for technology services and employee compensation.
Loan Commitments
                                         
    At June 30, 2005  
                    More than     More than        
                    One Year     Three Years        
            One Year     through Three     through five     Over Five  
    Total     or Less     Years     Years     Years  
    (In thousands)  
Commitments to grant loans (1)
  $ 38,765     $ 38,765     $     $     $  
Commercial loan lines of credit
    21,375       21,375                    
Unused portion of home equity loans (3)
    37,811                         37,811  
Unused portion of construction loans (4)
    25,619       20,059       5,560              
Unused portion of personal lines of credit (2)
    2,476                         2,476  
 
                             
Total Loan Commitments
  $ 126,046     $ 80,199     $ 5,560     $     $ 40,287  
 
                             
General: Commitments to extend credit are agreements to lend to a customer as long as there is no violation of any condition established in the contract and generally have fixed expiration date or other termination clauses.
 
(1)   Commitments for loans are typically extended to customers for up to 180 days after which they expire.
 
(2)   Unused portion of checking overdraft lines of credit are available to customers in “good standing” indefinitely.
 
(3)   Unused portions of home equity loans are available to the borrower for up to 10 years.
 
(4)   Unused portions of construction loans are available to the borrower for up to 2 years for development loans and up to 1 year for other construction loans.

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Minimum Regulatory Capital Requirements:
As of June 30, 2005, the most recent notification from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation categorized the Bank as well capitalized under the regulatory framework for prompt corrective action. To be categorized as well capitalized, the Bank must maintain minimum total risk-based, Tier 1 risk-based and Tier 1 leverage ratios as set forth in the following table. There are no conditions or events since the notification that management believes have changed the Bank’s category. The Company’s and the Bank’s actual capital amounts and ratios as of June 30, 2005 and December 31, 2004 are also presented in this table (Dollars in thousands):
                                                 
                                    Minimum  
                                    To Be Well  
                    Minimum     Capitalized Under  
                    Capital     Prompt Corrective  
    Actual     Requirements     Action Provisions  
    Amount     Ratio     Amount     Ratio     Amount     Ratio  
June 30, 2005:
                                               
 
                                               
Total capital to risk weighted assets:
                                               
Consolidated
  $ 86,468       15.3 %   $ 45,103       8.0 %     N/A       N/A  
Bank
    60,543       10.8       44,941       8.0     $ 56,176       10.0 %
 
                                               
Tier 1 capital to risk weighted assets:
                                               
Consolidated
    80,937       14.4       22,552       4.0       N/A       N/A  
Bank
    55,012       9.8       22,470       4.0       33,706       6.0  
 
                                               
Tier 1 capital to average assets:
                                               
Consolidated
    80,937       10.0       32,509       4.0       N/A       N/A  
Bank
    55,012       8.2       26,722       4.0       33,403       5.0  
 
                                               
December 31, 2004:
                                               
 
                                               
Total capital to risk weighted assets:
                                               
Consolidated
  $ 40,875       12.5 %   $ 26,200       8.0 %     N/A       N/A  
Bank
    40,022       12.3       26,125       8.0     $ 32,656       10.0 %
 
                                               
Tier 1 capital to risk weighted assets:
                                               
Consolidated
    37,703       11.5       13,100       4.0       N/A       N/A  
Bank
    36,850       11.3       13,062       4.0       19,594       6.0  
 
                                               
Tier 1 capital to average assets:
                                               
Consolidated
    37,703       7.3       20,545       4.0       N/A       N/A  
Bank
    36,850       7.2       20,513       4.0       25,641       5.0  

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Item 3. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk.
The Company’s Asset/Liability Committee’s primary method for measuring and evaluating interest rate risk is income simulation analysis. This analysis considers the maturity and repricing characteristics of assets and liabilities, as well as the relative sensitivities of these balance sheet components over a range of interest rate scenarios. Interest rate scenarios tested generally include instantaneous rate shocks, rate ramps over a one year period, and static (or flat) rates. The simulation analysis is used to measure the exposure of net interest income to changes in interest rates over a specified time horizon, usually a two-year period.
The table below sets forth, as of June 30, 2005 the estimated changes in Benjamin Franklin’s net interest income that would result from the designated instantaneous changes in the U.S. Treasury yield curve. Computations of prospective effects of hypothetical interest rate changes are based on numerous assumptions including relative levels of market interest rates, loan prepayments and deposit decay, and should not be relied upon as indicative of actual results.
         
    Percentage Change in Estimated  
    Net Interest Income over 12 months  
200 basis point increase in rates
    2.29 %
100 basis point increase in rates
    1.28 %
Flat interest rates
     
100 basis point decrease in rates
    (4.02 )%
As indicated in the table above, the result of an immediate 100 basis point increase in interest rates is estimated to increase net interest income by 1.28% over a 12-month horizon, when compared to the flat rate scenario. For an immediate 200 basis point parallel increase in the level of interest rates, net interest income is estimated to increase by 2.29% over a 12-month horizon, when compared against the flat rate scenario. Inherent in these estimates is the assumption that savings account deposit rates would only increase by 25 basis points and that money market deposit account rates would only increase by 36 basis points for each 100 basis point increase in market interest rates. These scenarios also assume no change in checking account interest rates. These assumptions are based on the Bank’s past experience with the changes in rates paid on these non-maturity deposits coincident with changes in market interest rates. The estimated change in net interest income from the flat rate scenario for a 100 basis point decline in the level of interest rates is a decrease of 4.02%, which assumes no decrease in interest-bearing checking rates, a 25 basis point decrease in savings rates and an average decrease in money market rates of 35 basis points.
There are inherent shortcomings in income simulation, given the number and variety of assumptions that must be made in performing the analysis. The assumptions relied upon in making these calculations of interest rate sensitivity include the level of market interest rates, the shape of the yield curve, the degree to which certain assets and liabilities with similar maturities or periods to repricing react to changes in market interest rates, the degree to which non-maturity deposits react to changes in market rates, the expected prepayment rates on loans and mortgage-backed securities, the degree to which early withdrawals occur on certificates of deposit and the volume of other deposit flows. As such, although the analysis shown above provides an indication of the Company’s sensitivity to interest rate changes at a point in time, these estimates are not intended to and do not provide a precise forecast of the effect of changes in market interest rates on the Company’s net interest income and will differ from actual results.
In its management of interest rate risk, Benjamin Franklin also relies on the analysis of its interest rate “gap,” which is the measure of the mismatch between the amount of Benjamin Franklin’s interest-earning assets and interest-bearing liabilities that mature or reprice within specified timeframes. An asset-sensitive position (positive gap) exists when there are more rate-sensitive assets than rate-sensitive liabilities maturing or repricing within a

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particular time horizon, and generally signifies a favorable effect on net interest income during periods of rising interest rates and a negative effect during periods of falling interest rates. Conversely, a liability-sensitive position (negative gap) would generally indicate a negative effect on net interest income during periods of rising rates and a positive effect during periods of falling rates.
The table below shows Benjamin Franklin’s interest sensitivity gap position as of June 30, 2005, indicating the amount of interest-earning assets and interest-bearing liabilities that are anticipated to mature or reprice in each of the future time periods shown. Generally, these assets and liabilities are shown in the table based on the earlier of the time remaining to repricing or contractual maturity. However, residential mortgage loans and mortgage-backed securities have been presented in a manner that also incorporates the estimated effects of prepayment assumptions. Interest-bearing checking, savings and money market deposit accounts are assumed to have annual rates of withdrawal (decay rates) of 9.2%, 38.3% and 59.5%, respectively.
                                                         
    Up to     More than     More than     More than     More than     More than        
    one     one year to     two years to     three years to     four years to     five        
    year     two years     three years     four years     five years     years     Total  
    (Dollars in thousands)  
Interest-earning assets:
                                                       
Loans (1)
  $ 241,716     $ 84,069     $ 71,956     $ 57,518     $ 113,288     $ 44,391     $ 612,938  
Investment securities (2)
    55,437       32,928       11,061       6,660       2,215       22,552       130,853  
Short-term investments
    18,424                                               18,424  
 
                                         
Total interest-earning assets
    315,577       116,997       83,017       64,178       115,503       66,943       762,215  
 
                                         
 
                                                       
Interest-bearing liabilities:
                                                       
Savings deposits
    41,194       25,417       15,682       9,676       5,970       9,617       107,556  
Money market
    62,824       25,444       10,305       4,173       1,690       1,150       105,586  
NOW accounts
    3,376       3,066       2,783       2,527       2,295       22,650       36,697  
Certificates of deposits
    195,776       38,391       11,181       3,904       3,121               252,373  
Short-term borrowings
                                                   
Long-term debt
          19,000       38,000       9,000       22,000       30,000       118,000  
 
                                         
Total interest-bearing liabilities
  $ 303,170     $ 111,317     $ 77,951     $ 29,281     $ 35,076     $ 63,418     $ 620,212  
 
                                         
 
                                                       
Interest rate sensitivity gap
    12,407       5,680       5,066       34,897       80,427       3,525       142,003  
 
                                         
Interest rate sensitivity gap as a % of total assets
    1.44 %     0.66 %     0.59 %     4.04 %     9.31 %     0.41 %        
Cum. interest rate sensitivity gap
    12,407       18,087       23,153       58,051       138,478       142,003          
 
                                           
Cum. interest rate sensitivity gap as a % of total assets
    1.44 %     2.09 %     2.68 %     6.72 %     16.03 %     16.44 %        
 
(1)   Excludes the allowance for loan losses, deferred fees and costs, and non-performing loans.
 
(2)   Investment securities are shown at amortized cost.
Certain factors may serve to limit the usefulness of the measurement of the interest rate gap. For example, interest rates on certain assets and liabilities are discretionary and may change in advance of, or may lag behind, changes in market rates. The gap analysis does not give effect to changes Benjamin Franklin may undertake to mitigate interest rate risk. Certain assets, such as adjustable-rate loans, have features that may restrict the magnitude of changes in interest rates both on a short-term basis and over the life of the assets. Further, in the event of changes in interest rates, prepayment and early withdrawal levels would likely deviate significantly from those assumed in the gap analysis. Lastly, should interest rates increase, the ability of borrowers to service their debt may decrease.

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Item 4. Controls and Procedures.
     (a) Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures. The Company’s President and Chief Executive Officer, its Chief Financial Officer, and other members of its senior management team have evaluated the effectiveness of the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)). Based on such evaluation, the President and Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer have concluded that the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the periods covered by this report, were adequate and effective to provide reasonable assurance that information required to be disclosed by the Company, including its consolidated subsidiaries, in reports that the Company files or submits under the Exchange Act, is recorded, processed, summarized and reported, within the time periods specified in the Commission’s rules and forms.
     The effectiveness of a system of disclosure controls and procedures is subject to various inherent limitations, including cost limitations, judgments used in decision making, assumptions about the likelihood of future events, the soundness of internal controls, and fraud. Due to such inherent limitations, there can be no assurance that any system of disclosure controls and procedures will be successful in preventing all errors or fraud, or in making all material information known in a timely manner to the appropriate levels of management.
     (b) Changes in Internal Controls Over Financial Reporting. There were no changes in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting during the first six months of 2005 that have materially affected, or that are reasonably likely to materially affect, its internal controls over financial reporting.

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PART II. OTHER INFORMATION
Item 1. Legal Proceedings.
     None.
Item 2. Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds.
  (a)   Unregistered Sale of Equity Securities. Not applicable.
 
  (b)   Use of Proceeds. Not applicable. The Use of Proceeds from the Company’s stock offering, which closed on April 4, 2005, was reported in the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the Quarter ended March 31, 2005..
 
  (c)   Repurchases of Our Equity Securities. The Company’s employee stock ownership plan, an affiliated purchaser, purchased the following shares of the Company’s common stock during the quarter:
                                 
                            (d) Maximum number
                            (or approximate
                    (c) Total Number of   dollar value) of
                    Shares Purchased as   shares that may yet
                    Part of Publicly   be purchased under
    (a) Total Number of   (b) Average Price   Announced Plans or   the Plans or
Period   Shares Purchased   Paid per Share   Programs (1)   Programs (1)
April 1-30
    278,800     $ 10.14       278,800       199,394  
May 1-31
    21,200     $ 10.20       21,200       178,194  
June 1-30
    0               0       178,194  
 
(1)   In a press release issued on March 31, 2005 and in a Current Report on Form 8-K filed on April 1, 2005, the Company announced that its employee stock ownership plan (the “ESOP) intended to purchase in the public offering after market up to 478,194 shares of the Company’s common stock, or 8% of the shares sold in the offering and issued to the Benjamin Franklin Bank Charitable Foundation. There is no expiration date for these planned purchases. These purchases have been and will continue to be effected by the independent corporate trustee of the Company’s ESOP.
Item 3. Defaults on Senior Securities.
     Not applicable.
Item 4. Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders.
     Not applicable.
Item 5. Other Information.
     Not applicable
Item 6. Exhibits.
The following exhibits, required by Item 601 of Regulation S-K, are filed as part of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q. Exhibit numbers, where applicable, in the left column correspond to those of Item 601 of Regulation S-K.
                 
Exhibit No.   Description   Footnotes
  2.1    
Plan of Conversion of Benjamin Franklin Bancorp.
    3  
       
 
       
  2.2    
Agreement and Plan of Merger among Benjamin Franklin Bancorp, M.H.C., Benjamin Franklin Savings Bank and Chart Bank, a Cooperative Bank, dated as of September 1, 2004.
    2  

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Exhibit No.   Description   Footnotes
  3.1    
Articles of Organization of Benjamin Franklin Bancorp, Inc.
    2  
       
 
       
  3.2    
Bylaws of Benjamin Franklin Bancorp, Inc.
    2  
       
 
       
  4.1    
Form of Common Stock Certificate of Benjamin Franklin Bancorp, Inc.
    5  
       
 
       
  10.1.1    
Form of Employment Agreement with Thomas R. Venables. *
    6  
       
 
       
  10.1.2    
Form of Employment Agreement with Claire S. Bean. *
    6  
       
 
       
  10.2    
Form of Change in Control Agreement with five other Executive Officers, providing one year’s severance to Brian E. Ledwith, Michael J. Piemonte and Kathleen P. Sawyer, and two years’ severance to Mariane E. Broadhurst and Rose M. Buckley. This form contains all material information concerning the agreement and the only differences are the name and contact information of the executive officer who is party to the agreement and the number of years of severance provided. *
    2  
       
 
       
  10.3    
Form of Benjamin Franklin Bank Benefit Restoration Plan. *
    2  
       
 
       
  10.4.1    
Benjamin Franklin Bank Salary Continuation Agreement with Thomas R. Venables dated as of August 22, 2002. *
    2  
       
 
       
  10.5    
Benjamin Franklin Bancorp Director Fee Continuation Plan. *
    4  
       
 
       
  10.6    
Benjamin Franklin Bancorp Employee Salary Continuation Plan. *
    2  
       
 
       
  10.7.1    
Payments and Waiver Agreement among Richard E. Bolton, Jr., Benjamin Franklin Bancorp, M.H.C., Benjamin Franklin Savings Bank and Chart Bank, a Cooperative Bank, dated as of September 1, 2004. *
    2  
       
 
       
  10.7.2    
Consulting and Noncompetition Agreement between Richard E. Bolton, Jr. and Benjamin Franklin Bancorp, M.H.C., dated as of September 1, 2004. *
    2  
       
 
       
  11    
See Note 3 to the Financial Statements for a discussion of earnings per share.
       
       
 
       
  31.1    
Certification of Chief Executive Officer pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
    1  
       
 
       
  31.2    
Certification of Chief Financial Officer pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
    1  
       
 
       
  32.1    
Certification of Chief Executive Officer pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
    1  
       
 
       
  32.2    
Certification of Chief Financial Officer pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
    1  
 
*   Relates to compensation.
  1   Filed herewith.
 
  2   Incorporated by reference to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form S-1, File No. 333-121154, filed on December 10, 2004.
 
  3   Incorporated by reference to Amendment No. 1 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form S-1, File No. 333-121154, filed on January 24, 2005.
 
  4   Incorporated by reference to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form S-4, File No. 333-121608, filed on December 23, 2004.
 
  5   Incorporated by reference to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form 8-A, File No. 000-51194, filed on March 9, 2005.
 
  6   Incorporated by reference to the Registrant’s Annual Report on Forma 10-K, filed on March 29, 2005.

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SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements 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.
         
  Benjamin Franklin Bancorp, Inc.
 
 
Date: August 8, 2005  By:   /s/ Thomas R. Venables    
    Thomas R. Venables   
    President and Chief Executive Officer   
 
         
     
Date: August 8, 2005  By:   /s/ Claire S. Bean    
    Claire S. Bean   
    Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer   
 

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EXHIBIT INDEX
     
Exhibit    
No.   Item
31.1
  Certification of Chief Executive Officer pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
 
   
31.2
  Certification of Chief Financial Officer pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
 
   
32.1
  Certification of Chief Executive Officer pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
 
   
32.2
  Certification of Chief Financial Officer pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.