(a) For purposes of this subpart, the following definitions apply:

(1) Accredited investor means the same as in Commission Rule 501(a) (17 CFR 230.501(a)) under the Securities Act, and includes any State savings association.

(2) Commission means the Securities and Exchange Commission.

(3) Dividend or interest reinvestment plan means a plan which is offered solely to existing security holders of the State savings association which allows such persons to reinvest dividends or interest paid to them on securities issued by the State savings association, and which also may allow additional cash amounts to be contributed by the participants in the plan, provided that the securities to be issued are newly issued, or are purchased for the account of plan participants, at prices not in excess of current market prices at the time of purchase, or at prices not in excess of an amount determined in accordance with a pricing formula specified in the plan and based upon average or current market prices at the time of purchase.

(4) Employee benefit plan means any purchase, savings, option, rights, bonus, ownership, appreciation, profit sharing, thrift, incentive, pension or similar plan solely for officers, directors or employees.

(5) Exchange Act means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (15 U.S.C. §§ 78a-78jj).

(6) Filing date means the date on which a document is actually received during business hours, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, by the FDIC, 550 17th Street, NW., Washington, DC 20429. However if the last date on which a document can be accepted falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or holiday, such document may be filed on the next business day.

(7) Issuer means a State savings association which issues or proposes to issue any security.

(8) Offer; Sale or sell. For purposes of this subpart, the term offer, offer to sell, or offer for sale shall include every attempt or offer to dispose of, or solicitation of an offer to buy, a security or interest in a security, for value. However, these terms shall not include preliminary negotiations or agreements between an issuer and any underwriter or among underwriters who are or are to be in privity of contract with the issuer. Sale and sell includes every contract to sell or otherwise dispose of a security or interest in a security for value. Every offer or sale of a warrant or right to purchase or subscribe to another security of the same or another issuer, as well as every sale or offer of a security which gives the holder a present or future right or privilege to convert the security into another security of the same or another issuer, includes an offer and sale of the other security only at the time of the offer or sale of the warrant or right or convertible security; but neither the exercise of the right to purchase or subscribe or to convert nor the issuance of securities pursuant thereto is an offer or sale.

(9) Person means the same as in 12 CFR 192.25, and includes a State savings association.

(10) Purchase and buy mean the same as in 12 CFR 192.25.

(11) State savings association means the same as in section 3(b) of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act (12 U.S.C. § 1813(b)), and includes a state-chartered savings association in organization which is granted conditional approval of insurance of accounts by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. In addition, for purposes of § 390.411, State savings association includes any underwriter participating in the distribution of securities of a State savings association.

(12) Securities Act means the Securities Act of 1933 (15 U.S.C. §§ 77a–77aa).

(13) Security means any non-withdrawable account, note, stock, treasury stock, bond, debenture, evidence of indebtedness, certificate of interest or participation in any profit-sharing agreement, collateral-trust certificate, preorganization or subscription, transferable share, investment contract, voting trust certificate or, in general, any interest or instrument commonly known as a security, or any certificate of interest or participation in, temporary or interim certificate for, receipt for, guarantee of, or warrant or right to subscribe to or purchase any of the foregoing, except that a security shall not include an account insured, in whole or in part, by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.

(14) Underwriter means any person who has purchased from an issuer with a view to, or offers or sells for an issuer in connection with, the distribution of any security, or participates or has a participation in the direct or indirect underwriting of any such undertaking; but such term shall not include a person whose interest is limited to a commission from an underwriter or dealer not in excess of the usual and customary distributors’ or sellers’ commission and such term shall also not include any person who has continually held the securities being transferred for a period of two (2) consecutive years provided that the securities sold in any one (1) transaction shall be less than ten percent (10%) of the issued and outstanding securities of the same class. The following shall apply for the purpose of determining the period securities have been held:

(i) Stock dividends, splits and recapitalizations. Securities acquired from the issuer as a dividend or pursuant to a stock split, reverse split or recapitalization shall be deemed to have been acquired at the same time as the securities on which the dividend or, if more than one, the initial dividend was paid, the securities involved in the split or reverse split, or the securities surrendered in connection with the recapitalization.

(ii) Conversions. If the securities sold were acquired from the issuer for consideration consisting solely of other securities of the same issuer surrendered for conversion, the securities so acquired shall be deemed to have been acquired at the same time as the securities surrendered for conversion.

(iii) Contingent issuance of securities. Securities acquired as a contingent payment of the purchase price of an equity interest in a business, or the assets of a business, sold to the issuer or an affiliate of the issuer shall be deemed to have been acquired at the time of such sale if the issuer was then committed to issue the securities subject only to conditions other than the payment of further consideration for such securities. An agreement entered into in connection with any such purchase to remain in the employment of, or not to compete with, the issuer or affiliate or the rendering of services pursuant to such agreement shall not be deemed to be the payment of further consideration for such securities.

(iv) Pledged securities. Securities which are bona fide pledged by any person other than the issuer when sold by the pledgee, or by a purchaser, after a default in the obligation secured by the pledge, shall be deemed to have been acquired when they were acquired by the pledgor, except that if the securities were pledged without recourse they shall be deemed to have been acquired by the pledgee at the time of the pledge or by the purchaser at the time of purchase.

(v) Gifts of securities. Securities acquired from any person, other than the issuer, by gift shall be deemed to have been acquired by the donee when they were acquired by the donor.

(vi) Trusts. Securities acquired from the settler of a trust by the trust or acquired from the trust by the beneficiaries thereof shall be deemed to have been acquired when they were acquired by the settler.

(vii) Estates. Securities held by the estate of a deceased person or acquired from such an estate by the beneficiaries thereof shall be deemed to have been acquired when they were acquired by the deceased person, except that no holding period is required if the estate is not an affiliate of the issuer or if the securities are sold by a beneficiary of the estate who is not such an affiliate.

(viii) Exchange transactions. A person receiving securities in a transaction involving an exchange of the securities of one issuer for securities of another issuer shall be deemed to have acquired the securities received when such person acquired the securities exchanged.

(b) A term not defined in this subpart but defined elsewhere in this part, when used in subpart, shall have the meanings given elsewhere in this part, unless the context otherwise requires.

(c) When used in the rules, regulations, or forms of the Commission referred to in this subpart, the term Commission shall be deemed to refer to the FDIC, the term registrant shall be deemed to refer to an issuer defined in this subpart, and the term registration statement or prospectus shall be deemed to refer to an offering circular filed under this subpart, unless the context otherwise requires.