About Five Star Bank

Well, you certainly can't accuse Financial Institutions of wasting valuable company fundsto createa snazzy name. The holding company owns Five Star Bank, which serves western and central New York through some 50 branches. Serving area businesses and consumers, it offers standard deposit products, such as checking and savings accounts, CDs, and IRAs. Subsidiary Five Star Investment Services offers brokerage and financialplanning services. An area of growth for Five Star Bank, indirect consumer loans originated through agreements witharea franchised car dealers account for the largest percentage of the company's loan portfolio, followed by commercial mortgages. Growth in the bank'scommercial and auto loan portfolios,coupled with its conservative underwriting standards,contributed to a 7% increase in earnings forFinancial Institutions in 2011.The bank also writes direct-to-consumer and home equity loans, business loans, residential mortgages, and agricultural loans. In 2012 Five Star Bankacquired four retail branches owned byHSBC Bankand four owned byFirst Niagara Bankin upstate New York. The divestitures were madeto satisfy antitrust concerns regardingFirst Niagara's purchase of 195 branches from HSBC. Five Star Bank was formed in 2005 when thecompany consolidated its four banking subsidiaries (First Tier Bank & Trust, National Bank of Geneva, Wyoming County Bank, and Bath National Bank) into a single entity. First Tier Bank & Trust absorbed the other three banks and changed its name to Five Star Bank.