WHAT IS
SAFE AND SOUND?
When it comes to measuring an a bank's financial fortitude, capital is essential. It works as a buffer against losses and affords protection for accountholders when a bank is struggling financially. When looking at safety and soundness, the more capital, the better.
Eaglemark Savings Bank scored 30 out of a possible 30 points on our test to measure the adequacy of a bank's capital, beating the national average of 13.13.
A bank's Tier 1 capital ratio is a widely followed measure of this buffer. Eaglemark Savings Bank's Tier 1 capital ratio was 76.78 percent, exceeding the 6 percent level considered adequate by regulators, and higher than the national average of 25.65 percent. The higher the capital ratio, the better the bank will be able to weather economic difficulties.
Overall, Eaglemark Savings Bank held equity amounting to 35.51 percent of its assets, which exceeded the national average of 12.03 percent.
In this test, Bankrate tries to determine the impact of troubled assets, such as past-due mortgages, on the bank's capitalization and allocated loan loss reserves.
A bank with a large number of these kinds of assets could eventually have to use capital to absorb losses, diminishing its equity cushion. Many of those assets are also likely to be in non-accrual status and no longer earning interest for the bank, resulting in depressed earnings and potentially more risk of a future failure.
Eaglemark Savings Bank scored 40 out of a possible 40 points on Bankrate's test of asset quality, better than the national average of 37.49.
The percentage of problem assets a bank holds compared to its total assets is a widely used indicator of asset quality.As of December 31, 2017, none of Eaglemark Savings Bank's loans were noncurrent -- in other words, they were more than 90 days past due or were in non-accrual status. That's below the national average of 1.01 percent.
Banks maintain a reserve to handle problem assets known as an "allowance for loan and lease losses." Comparing the reserve's size to the total amount of at-risk loans can be a helpful indicator when evaluating a bank's ability to manage problem assets. Unfortunately, the FDIC did not provide information on Eaglemark Savings Bank's loan loss allowance in its most recent filings.
A bank's profitability has an effect on its long-term survivability. Earnings can be retained by the bank, increasing its capital buffer, or be used to address problematic loans, potentially making the bank better prepared to withstand financial shocks. However, banks that are losing money have less ability to do those things.
Eaglemark Savings Bank scored 30 out of a possible 30 on Bankrate's test of earnings, better than the national average of 15.12.
One key way to measure a bank's earnings is return on equity, or net income (profit, basically) divided by the total amount of equity. The most recent annualized quarterly return on equity for Eaglemark Savings Bank was 30.92 percent, above the national average of 8.10 percent.
For the twelve months ended December 31, 2017, the bank recorded net income of $2.9 million on total equity of $8.7 million. The bank experienced an annualized return on average assets, or ROA, of 8.73 percent, above the 1 percent deemed satisfactory in accordance with industry standards, and above the average for U.S. banks of 1.00 percent.
Bankrate.com's Safe & Sound Ratings provide a star rating system to evaluate the current financial status of financial institutions. The information gathered about banks, credit unions and thrifts is updated as set forth in the Terms of Use of Safe & Sound Ratings and Reports. The Safe & Sound Ratings information is grouped by categories of banks, thrifts and credit unions.
Bankrate.com evaluates the financial condition of institutions and assigns a one- to five-star rating for each with five stars representing the highest rating. Institutions with satisfactory performance will generally receive a rating of three or more stars. The majority of institutions fall into the three- to four-star range. An institution with an "NR" rating may be too new to rate or may have limited the publicly available information in their regulatory filings. The "NR" is not an indication of financial strength or weakness. The Safe & Sound rating is believed to be reliable, but the information is not guaranteed. In addition, events since the information was collected may have altered the institution's financial condition.