CHFC 2017 Annual Report

site that contains reports, proxy and information statements and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with the SEC at www.sec.gov . Our annual report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K and proxy statements, and amendments to those reports filed or furnishedpursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, including the financial statements and the financial statement schedules, but not including exhibits to those reports, may be obtained without charge upon written request to Dennis L. Klaeser, Chief Financial Officer of the Corporation, at P.O. Box 569, Midland, Michigan 48640-0569 and are accessible at no cost on our website at www.chemicalbank.com in the "Investor Information" section, as soon as reasonably practicable after they are electronically filed with or furnished to the SEC. No information contained on our website is intended to be included as part of, or incorporated by reference into, this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Copies of exhibits may be requested at the cost of 30 cents per page from our corporate offices. Supervision and Regulation Chemical Financial Corporation and Chemical Bank are subject to extensive supervision and regulation under various federal and state laws and regulations. The supervisory and regulatory framework is intended primarily for the protection of depositors and the banking system as a whole, and not for the protection of shareholders and creditors. Banks are subject to a number of federal and state laws and regulations that have a material impact on their business. These include, among others, minimum capital requirements, state usury laws, state laws relating to fiduciaries, the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010 (Dodd-Frank Act), the Truth in Lending Act, the Truth in Savings Act, the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, the Fair Housing Act, the Fair Credit Reporting Act, the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, the Expedited Funds Availability Act, the Community Reinvestment Act, the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act, the U.S.A. PATRIOT Act, the Bank Secrecy Act, the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act, Office of Foreign Assets Controls regulations, electronic funds transfer laws, redlining laws, predatory lending laws, laws prohibiting unfair and deceptive acts or practices, antitrust laws, environmental laws, anti-money laundering laws and privacy laws. These laws and regulations can have a significant effect on the operating and financial results of banks. A summary of significant elements of some of the laws, regulations and regulatory policies applicable to the Corporation and Chemical Bank follows below. The descriptions are qualified in their entirety by reference to the full text of the statutes, regulations and policies that are described. The following discussion is not intended to be a complete list of all of the activities regulated by the banking laws or of the impact of those laws and regulations on our operations. It is intended only to briefly summarize some material provisions. These statutes, regulations and policies are continually subject to review by Congress, state legislatures and federal and state regulatory agencies. Changes in applicable laws or regulations may have a material effect on our business and prospects. Our operations may be affected by legislative changes and the policies of various regulatory authorities. We cannot predict the effect that fiscal or monetary policies, economic conditions or new federal or state legislation may have on our business and earnings in the future. Regulatory Agencies The Corporation is a legal entity separate and distinct from Chemical Bank. The Corporation is regulated by the Federal Reserve Board ("FRB") as a financial holding company and a bank holding company under the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956 ("BHC Act"). The BHC Act provides for general regulation of financial holding companies by the FRB and functional regulation of banking activities by banking regulators. The Corporation is also under the jurisdiction of the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") and is subject to the disclosure and regulatory requirements of the Securities Act of 1933 and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. The Corporation's common stock is traded on The NASDAQ Stock Market ® ("NASDAQ") under the symbol CHFC and is subject to the NASDAQ Listing Rules. Chemical Bank is chartered by the State ofMichigan and supervised, examined and regulated by theMichiganDepartment of Insurance and Financial Services ("DIFS"). Chemical Bank, as a member of the Federal Reserve System, is also supervised, examined and regulated by the FRB. Chemical Bank is also subject to regulation by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which has responsibility for enforcing the principal federal consumer protection laws, such as the Truth in Lending Act, the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, and Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act, and the Truth in Savings Act, among others, for institutions that have assets in excess of $10 billion. Deposits of Chemical Bank are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation ("FDIC") to the maximum extent provided by law. Bank Holding Company Activities In general, the BHC Act limits the business of bank holding companies to banking, managing or controlling banks and other activities that the FRB has determined to be closely related to the business of banking. In addition, bank holding companies that qualify and elect to be financial holding companies may engage in any activities that are financial in nature or complementary 9