Citizens Financial Group 10-K 2021-12-31

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-K

☒ ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d)

OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the Fiscal Year Ended

December 31, 2021

☐ TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d)

OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the Transition Period From

(Not Applicable)

Commission File Number 001-36636

(Exact name of the registrant as specified in its charter)

One Citizens Plaza, Providence, RI 02903

(Address of principal executive offices, including zip code)

(203) 900-6715

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:

None

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. ☑ Yes ☐ No

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act. ☐ Yes ☑ No

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 ☐ No

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files). ☑ Yes ☐ No

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act:

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report. ☑

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). ☐ Yes ☑ No

The aggregate market value of voting stock held by nonaffiliates of the Registrant was 19,475,179,748 (based on the June 30, 2021 closing price of Citizens Financial Group, Inc. common shares of $45.87 as reported on the New York Stock Exchange). There were 422,141,584 shares of Registrant’s common stock ($0.01 par value) outstanding on January 28, 2022.

Documents incorporated by reference

Portions of Citizens Financial Group, Inc.’s proxy statement to be filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission in connection with Citizens Financial Group, Inc.’s 2022 annual meeting of stockholders (the “Proxy Statement”) are incorporated by reference into Part III hereof. Such Proxy Statement will be filed within 120 days of Citizens Financial Group, Inc.’s fiscal year ended December 31, 2021.

						Table of Contents
									Page
			Glossary of Acronyms and Terms						2
			Forward-looking Statements						5
			Part I.
			Item 1. Business						6
			Item 1A. Risk Factors						21
			Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments						35
			Item 2. Properties						35
			Item 3. Legal Proceedings						35
			Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures						35
			Part II.
			Item 5. Market for Registrant's Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities						35
			Item 6. Reserved						36
			Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations						37
			Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk						79
			Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data						80
			Consolidated Balance Sheets						86
			Consolidated Statements of Operations						87
			Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income						88
			Consolidated Statements of Changes in Stockholders’ Equity						89
			Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows						90
			Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements						91
			Item 9. Changes in and Disagreements With Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure						151
			Item 9A. Controls and Procedures						151
			Item 9B. Other Information						151
			Item 9C. Disclosure Regarding Foreign Jurisdictions that Prevent Inspections						151
			Part III.
			Item 10. Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance						151
			Item 11. Executive Compensation						152
			Item 12. Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters						152
			Item 13. Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence						152
			Item 14. Principal Accountant Fees and Services						152
			Part IV.
			Item 15. Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules						152
			Item 16. Form 10-K Summary						156
			Signatures						157

GLOSSARY OF ACRONYMS AND TERMS

The following is a list of common acronyms and terms we regularly use in our financial reporting:

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This document contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Statements regarding potential future share repurchases and future dividends as well as the potential effects of the COVID-19 disruption on our business, operations, financial performance and prospects, are forward-looking statements. Also, any statement that does not describe historical or current facts is a forward-looking statement. These statements often include the words “believes,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “estimates,” “intends,” “plans,” “goals,” “targets,” “initiatives,” “potentially,” “probably,” “projects,” “outlook,” “guidance” or similar expressions or future conditional verbs such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “would,” and “could.”

Forward-looking statements are based upon the current beliefs and expectations of management, and on information currently available to management. Our statements speak as of the date hereof, and we do not assume any obligation to update these statements or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from those contained in such statements in light of new information or future events. We caution you, therefore, against relying on any of these forward-looking statements. They are neither statements of historical fact nor guarantees or assurances of future performance. While there is no assurance that any list of risks and uncertainties or risk factors is complete, important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements include the following, without limitation:

• Negative economic and political conditions that adversely affect the general economy, housing prices, the job market, consumer confidence and spending habits which may affect, among other things, the level of nonaccrual assets, charge-offs and provision expense;

• The rate of growth in the economy and employment levels, as well as general business and economic conditions, and changes in the competitive environment;

• Our ability to implement our business strategy, including the cost savings and efficiency components, and achieve our financial performance goals, including through the integration of Investors and the HSBC branches;

• The COVID-19 disruption and its effects on the economic and business environments in which we operate;

• Our ability to meet heightened supervisory requirements and expectations;

• Liabilities and business restrictions resulting from litigation and regulatory investigations;

• Our capital and liquidity requirements under regulatory capital standards and our ability to generate capital internally or raise capital on favorable terms;

• The effect of changes in interest rates on our net interest income, net interest margin and our mortgage originations, mortgage servicing rights and mortgages held for sale;

• Changes in interest rates and market liquidity, as well as the magnitude of such changes, which may reduce interest margins, impact funding sources and affect the ability to originate and distribute financial products in the primary and secondary markets;

• The effect of changes in the level of checking or savings account deposits on our funding costs and net interest margin;

• Financial services reform and other current, pending or future legislation or regulation that could have a negative effect on our revenue and businesses;

• A failure in or breach of our operational or security systems or infrastructure, or those of our third party vendors or other service providers, including as a result of cyber-attacks;

• An inability to complete the Investors acquisition, or changes in the current anticipated timeframe, terms or manner of such acquisition;

• Greater than expected costs or other difficulties related to the integration of our business and that of Investors and the relevant HSBC branches;

• The inability to retain existing Investors or HSBC clients and employees following the closing of the Investors and HSBC branch acquisitions;

• The occurrence of any event change or other circumstance that could give rise to the right of one or both parties to terminate the agreement to acquire Investors; and

• Management’s ability to identify and manage these and other risks.

In addition to the above factors, we also caution that the actual amounts and timing of any future common stock dividends or share repurchases will be subject to various factors, including our capital position, financial performance, risk-weighted assets, capital impacts of strategic initiatives, market conditions and regulatory and accounting considerations, as well as any other factors that our Board of Directors deems relevant in making such a determination. Therefore, there can be no assurance that we will repurchase shares from or pay any dividends to holders of our common stock, or as to the amount of any such repurchases or dividends. Further, statements about the effects of the COVID-19 disruption on our business, operations, financial performance and prospects may constitute forward-looking statements and are subject to the risk that the actual impacts may differ, possibly materially, from what is reflected in those forward-looking statements due to factors and future developments that are uncertain, unpredictable and in many cases beyond our control, including the scope and duration of the pandemic, actions taken by governmental authorities in response to the pandemic, and the direct and indirect impact of the pandemic on our customers, third parties and us. Statements about the Investors and HSBC branch acquisitions also constitute forward-looking statements and are subject to the risk that actual results could be materially different from those expressed in those statements, including if the Investors transaction is not consummated in a timely manner or at all, or if integration of the acquisitions is more costly or difficult than expected.

More information about factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements can be found under Item 1A “Risk Factors”.

PART I

Citizens Financial Group, Inc. is headquartered in Providence, Rhode Island. We offer a broad range of retail and commercial banking products and services to more than five million individuals, small businesses, middle-market companies, large corporations and institutions. Our products and services are offered through approximately 900 branches in 11 states in the New England, Mid-Atlantic and Midwest regions and 114 retail and commercial non-branch offices, though certain lines of business serve national markets. At December 31, 2021, we had total assets of $188.4 billion, total deposits of $154.4 billion and total stockholders’ equity of $23.4 billion.

We are a bank holding company incorporated under Delaware state law in 1984 and whose primary federal regulator is the FRB. CBNA is our banking subsidiary, whose primary federal regulator is the OCC.

Business Segments

We manage our business through two business segments: Consumer Banking and Commercial Banking. For additional information regarding our business segments see the “Business Operating Segments” section of Item 7 and Note 26 in Item 8. Our activities outside these segments are classified as “Other” and include treasury activities, wholesale funding activities, the securities portfolio, community development assets, and other unallocated assets, liabilities, capital, revenues, provision for credit losses and expenses, including income tax expense.

Consumer Banking Segment

Consumer Banking serves retail customers and small businesses with annual revenues of up to $25 million, with products and services that include deposit products, mortgage and home equity lending, credit cards, business loans, wealth management and investment services largely across our 11-state traditional banking footprint. We also offer auto, education and point-of-sale finance loans in addition to select digital deposit products nationwide.

Consumer Banking operates a multi-channel distribution network with a workforce of approximately 4,500 branch colleagues, approximately 900 branches, including 248 in-store locations, and approximately 3,000 ATMs. Our network includes approximately 1,340 specialists covering lending, savings and investment needs as well as a broad range of small business products and services. We serve customers on a national basis through telephone service centers as well as through our online and mobile platforms where we offer customers the convenience of depositing funds, paying bills and transferring money between accounts and from person to person, as well as a host of other everyday transactions.

We believe our strong retail deposit market share in our core regions, which have relatively diverse economies and affluent demographics, is a competitive advantage. As of June 30, 2021, we ranked in the top three by deposit market share in the New England region and ranked in the top five in eight of our ten principal Metropolitan Statistical Areas.(1)

(1) According to SNL Financial.

Commercial Banking Segment

Commercial Banking primarily serves companies and institutions with annual revenues of over $25 million to more than $3.0 billion and strives to be our clients’ trusted advisor and preferred provider for their banking needs. We offer a broad complement of financial products and solutions, including lending and leasing, deposit and treasury management services, foreign exchange, interest rate and commodity risk management solutions, as well as syndicated loans, corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions, and debt and equity capital markets capabilities.

Commercial Banking is structured along business lines and product groups. The business lines, Corporate Banking and Commercial Real Estate, and the product groups, Corporate Finance & Capital Markets, and Treasury Solutions work in teams to understand client needs and provide comprehensive solutions to meet those needs. We acquire new clients through a coordinated approach to the market, leveraging deep industry knowledge in specialized banking groups and a geographic coverage model.

Corporate Banking serves middle market commercial and industrial clients with annual gross revenues of $25 million to $500 million, and mid-corporate clients with annual revenues of $500 million to more than $3.0 billion in the United States. In several areas, such as Aerospace, Defense and Government Services, Communications, Transportation and Logistics, Franchise, Human Capital Management, and Gaming we offer a more dedicated and tailored approach to better meet the unique needs of these client segments.

Commercial Real Estate provides customized debt capital solutions for middle market operators, institutional developers, investors, and REITs. Commercial Real Estate provides financing for projects primarily in the office, multi-family, industrial, retail, healthcare and hospitality sectors.

Corporate Finance & Capital Markets serve clients through key product groups including Corporate Finance, Capital Markets, and Global Markets. Corporate Finance provides advisory services to middle market and mid-corporate clients, including mergers and acquisitions and capital structure advice. The team works closely with industry-sector specialists within capital markets to advise our clients. Corporate Finance also provides acquisition and follow-on financing for new and recapitalized portfolio companies of key sponsors, with services meeting the unique and time-sensitive needs of private equity firms, management companies and funds, and underwriting and portfolio management expertise for leveraged transactions and relationships. Capital Markets originates, structures and underwrites credit and equity facilities targeting middle market, mid-corporate and private equity sponsors. They focus on offering value-added ideas to optimize their capital structures, including advising on and facilitating mergers and acquisitions, valuations, tender offers, financial restructurings, bond and equity underwriting, asset sales, divestitures and other corporate reorganizations and business combinations. Capital Markets also provides sales and trading across loan, fixed income and equity products, as well as other brokerage services including equity research. Global Markets provides foreign exchange, interest rate and commodities risk management services.

The Treasury Solutions product group supports Commercial Banking and certain small business clients with treasury management solutions, including domestic and international products and services related to receivables, payables, information reporting and liquidity management as well as commercial credit cards and trade finance.

Business Strategy

Our mission is to help our customers, colleagues and communities reach their potential, and our vision is to become a top-performing bank distinguished by our customer-centric culture, mindset of continuous improvement, and excellent capabilities. We strive to understand customers and client needs, so we can tailor advice and solutions to help make them more successful. Our business strategy is designed to maximize the full potential of our businesses, drive sustainable growth and enhance profitability. Our success rests on our ability to distinguish ourselves as follows:

Maintain a high-performing, customer-centric organization: We continually strive to enhance our “customer-first” culture in order to deliver the best possible banking experience. We are taking talent management to the next level, with a goal of attracting, developing and retaining great people, while ensuring strong leadership, teamwork, and a sense of empowerment, accountabilit

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We are subject to a number of risks potentially impacting our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. As we are a financial services organization, certain elements of risk are inherent in our transactions and operations and are present in the business decisions we make. We, therefore, encounter risk as part of the normal course of our business and we design risk management processes to help manage these risks. Our success is dependent on our ability to identify, understand and manage the risks presented by our business activities so that we can appropriately balance revenue generation and profitability. These risks include, but are not limited to, credit risk, market risk, liquidity risk, operational risk, model risk, technology, regulatory and legal risk and strategic and reputational risk. We discuss our principal risk management processes and, in appropriate places, related historical performance in the “Risk Governance” section in Item 7.

You should carefully consider the following risk factors that may affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. Other factors that could affect our business, financial condition and results of operation are discussed in the “Forward-Looking Statements” section above. However, there may be additional risks that are not presently material or known, and factors besides those discussed below, or in this or other reports that we file or furnish with the SEC, that could also adversely affect us.

Risks Related to Our Business

The COVID-19 pandemic has adversely affected and may continue to adversely affect us, and created and may exacerbate or create new, significant risks and uncertainties for our business, and the ultimate impact of the pandemic on us will depend on future developments, which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted.

The COVID-19 pandemic has negatively affected the global and U.S. economies, increased unemployment levels, disrupted supply chains and businesses in many industries, lowered equity market valuations, decreased liquidity in fixed income markets, and created significant volatility and disruption in financial markets. This has resulted, and could continue to result, in higher and more volatile provisions for credit losses, and is also

expected to result in increased charge-offs, particularly as more customers experience credit deterioration and as customers need to draw on their committed credit lines to help finance their businesses and activities. The pandemic’s negative economic impact and its effect on customer needs and behaviors could adversely affect our liquidity and capital profile. Moreover, governmental actions in response to the pandemic are meaningfully influencing the interest-rate environment, which has, and is likely to continue to, reduce our net interest margin. The pandemic may also have adverse effects on our noninterest income, including causing volatility in our capital markets fees, card and service fees, and foreign exchange and interest rate products fees.

In addition, our reliance on work-from-home capabilities and the potential inability to maintain critical staff in our operational facilities present risks associated with our local infrastructure, illness, quarantines and the sustainability of a work-from-home environment, as well as heightened cybersecurity, information security and operational risks. Many of our service providers have been, and may further be, affected by similar factors that increase their risk of business disruptions or that may otherwise affect their ability to perform under the terms of any agreements with us or provide essential services. Any disruption to our ability to deliver financial products or services to, or interact with, our clients and customers could result in losses or increased operational costs, regulatory fines, penalties or other sanctions, or harm to our reputation. We also face an increased risk of litigation and governmental and regulatory scrutiny as a result of the effects of the pandemic on market and economic conditions and the actions of governmental authorities in response to those conditions.

The extent to which the pandemic adversely affects our business, financial condition and results of operations, as well as our liquidity and regulatory capital ratios, will depend on future developments, which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted, including the scope and duration of the pandemic, the widespread availability, use and effectiveness of vaccines, the effectiveness of our work-from-home arrangements and staffing levels in operational facilities, actions taken by governmental authorities and other third parties in response to the pandemic and the direct and indirect impact of the pandemic on us, our clients and customers, our service providers and other market participants. As the pandemic adversely affects us, it may also have the effect of heightening many of the other risks described herein.

We may not be able to successfully execute our business strategy.

Our business strategy is designed to maximize the full potential of our business and drive sustainable growth and enhanced profitability, and our success rests on our ability to maintain a high-performing, customer-centric organization; develop differentiated value propositions to acquire, deepen, and retain core customer segments; build excellent capabilities designed to help us stand out from our competitors; operate with financial discipline and a mindset of continuous improvement to self-fund investments; prudently grow and optimize our balance sheet; modernize our technology and operational models to improve delivery, organizational agility and speed to market; and embed risk management within our culture and our operations. Our future success and the value of our stock will depend, in part, on our ability to effectively implement our business strategy. There are risks and uncertainties, many of which are not within our control, associated with each element of our strategy. If we are not able to successfully execute our business strategy, we may never achieve our financial performance goals and any shortfall may be material. See the “Business Strategy” section in Item 1 for further information.

Supervisory requirements and expectations on us as a financial holding company and a bank holding company and any regulator-imposed limits on our activities could adversely affect our ability to implement our strategic plan, expand our business, continue to improve our financial performance and make capital distributions to our stockholders.

Our operations are subject to extensive regulation, supervision and examination by the federal banking agencies (the FRB, the OCC and the FDIC), as well as the CFPB. As part of the supervisory and examination process, if we are unsuccessful in meeting the supervisory requirements and expectations that apply to us, regulatory agencies may from time to time take supervisory actions against us that may not be publicly disclosed. Such actions may include restrictions on our activities or the activities of our subsidiaries, informal (nonpublic) or formal (public) supervisory actions or public enforcement actions, including the payment of civil money penalties, which could increase our costs and limit our ability to implement our strategic plans and expand our business, and as a result could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations. See the “Regulation and Supervision” section in Item 1 for further information.

Changes in interest rates may have an adverse effect on our profitability.

Net interest income historically has been, and we anticipate that it will remain, a significant component of our total revenue. This is due to th

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None.

We lease seven operations centers in Boston, Medford, and Westwood, Massachusetts; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Franklin, Tennessee; Irving, Texas and Glen Allen, Virginia. We own two principal operations centers in Johnston and East Providence, Rhode Island. At December 31, 2021, our subsidiaries owned and operated a total of 37 facilities and leased an additional 1,123 facilities. We believe our current facilities are adequate to meet our needs. See Note 7 and Note 9 in Item 8 for more information regarding our premises and equipment, and leases, respectively.

Information required by this item is presented in Note 19 in Item 8 and is incorporated herein by reference.

Not applicable.

PART II

Our common stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “CFG.” As of January 28, 2022, our common stock was owned by nine holders of record (including Cede & Co.) and approximately 384,000 beneficial shareholders whose shares were held in “street name” through a broker or bank. Information relating to compensation plans under which our equity securities are authorized for issuance is presented in Item 12.

The following graph compares the cumulative total stockholder returns for our performance during the five-year period ended December 31, 2021 relative to the performance of the Standard & Poor’s 500® index, a commonly referenced U.S. equity benchmark consisting of leading companies from diverse economic sectors; the KBW Nasdaq Bank Index (“BKX”), composed of 24 leading national money centers, regional banks and thrifts; and a group of other banks that constitute our peer regional banks (i.e., Comerica, Fifth Third, KeyCorp, M&T, PNC, Regions, Truist, Huntington and U.S. Bancorp). The graph assumes a $100 investment at the closing price on December 31, 2016 in each of CFG common stock, the S&P 500 index, the BKX and the peer market-capitalization

weighted average and assumes all dividends were reinvested on the date paid. The points on the graph represent the fiscal quarter-end amounts based on the last trading day in each subsequent fiscal quarter.

This graph shall not be deemed “soliciting material” or be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission for purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (“Exchange Act”), or otherwise subject to the liabilities under that Section, and shall not be deemed to be incorporated by reference into any filing of Citizens Financial Group, Inc. under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Exchange Act.

Issuer Purchase of Equity Securities

Details of the repurchases of the Company’s common stock during the three months ended December 31, 2021 are included below:

(1) On January 20, 2021, the Company announced that its Board of Directors approved an open-ended share repurchase plan for up to $750 million of CFG common stock. This share repurchase plan allowed for share repurchases that may be executed in the open market or in privately negotiated transactions, including under Rule 10b5-1 plans. The timing and exact amount of future share repurchases will be subject to various factors, including the Company’s capital position, financial performance and market conditions.

Not applicable.

INTRODUCTION

Citizens Financial Group, Inc. is one of the nation’s oldest and largest financial institutions with $188.4 billion in assets as of December 31, 2021. Headquartered in Providence, Rhode Island, we offer a broad range of retail and commercial banking products and services to individuals, small businesses, middle-market companies, large corporations, and institutions. We help our customers reach their potential by listening to them and by understanding their needs to offer tailored advice, ideas and solutions. In Consumer Banking, we provide an integrated experience that includes mobile and online banking, a 24/7 customer contact center, the convenience of approximately 3,000 ATMs and approximately 900 branches in 11 states in the New England, Mid-Atlantic, and Midwest regions. Consumer Banking products and services include a full range of banking, lending, savings, wealth management and small business offerings. In Commercial Banking, we offer a broad complement of financial products and solutions, including lending and leasing, deposit and treasury management services, foreign exchange, interest rate and commodity risk management solutions, as well as loan syndication, corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions, and debt and equity capital markets capabilities. More information is available at www.citizensbank.com.

On May 26, 2021, CBNA entered into an agreement to acquire 80 East Coast branches and the national online deposit business from HSBC. The HSBC branch acquisition provides an attractive entry into important metro markets and supports our national expansion strategy. The acquisition closed on February 18, 2022.

On July 28, 2021 Citizens entered into a definitive agreement and a plan of merger under which we will acquire all of the outstanding shares of Investors for a combination of stock and cash. The acquisition of Investors enhances Citizens’ banking franchise, adding an attractive middle market, small business and consumer customer base while building our physical presence in the northeast with the addition of 154 branches located in the greater New York City and Philadelphia metropolitan areas and across New Jersey. The merger is expected to close in early second quarter 2022, subject to regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions.

For more information regarding these pending acquisitions, see Note 2 in Item 8.

The following MD&A is intended to assist readers in their analysis of the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements and supplemental financial information. It should be read in conjunction with the Consolidated Financial Statements and Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8, as well as other information contained in this document.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

This document contains non-GAAP financial measures denoted as “Underlying,” “excluding PPP loans”, as well as other results excluding the impact of certain items. Underlying results for any given reporting period exclude certain items that may occur in that period which management does not consider indicative of our on-going financial performance. We believe these non-GAAP financial measures provide useful information to investors because they are used by management to evaluate our operating performance and make day-to-day operating decisions. In addition, we believe our Underlying results or results excluding the impact of certain items in any given reporting period reflect our on-going financial performance and increase comparability of period-to-period results, and, accordingly, are useful to consider in addition to our GAAP financial results.

Other companies may use similarly titled non-GAAP financial measures that are calculated differently from the way we calculate such measures. Accordingly, our non-GAAP financial measures may not be comparable to similar measures used by such companies. We caution investors not to place undue reliance on such non-GAAP financial measures, but to consider them with the most directly comparable GAAP measures. Non-GAAP financial measures have limitations as analytical tools, and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for our results reported under GAAP.

Non-GAAP measures are denoted throughout our MD&A by the use of the term Underlying or identified as excluding the impact of certain items. Where there is a reference to these metrics in that paragraph, all measures that follow are on the same basis when applicable. For more information on the computation of non-GAAP financial measures, see “—Non-GAAP Financial

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Quantitative and qualitative disclosures about market risk are presented in the “Market Risk” section of Part II, Item 7 — Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations is incorporated herein by reference.

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None.

The Company maintains a set of disclosure controls and procedures designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Company in reports that it files or submits under the Exchange Act, is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in SEC rules and forms. The design of any disclosure controls and procedures is based in part upon certain assumptions about the likelihood of future events, and there can be no assurance that any design will succeed in achieving its stated goals under all potential future conditions. Any controls and procedures, no matter how well designed and operated, can provide only reasonable, not absolute, assurance of achieving the desired control objectives. In accordance with Rule 13a-15(b) of the Exchange Act, as of the end of the period covered by this Annual Report on Form 10-K, an evaluation was carried out under the supervision and with the participation of the Company’s management, including its Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, of the effectiveness of its disclosure controls and procedures. Based on that evaluation, the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer concluded that the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this Annual Report on Form 10-K, were effective to provide reasonable assurance that information required to be disclosed by the Company in reports that it files or submits under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in SEC rules and forms and is accumulated and communicated to the Company’s management, including the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.

There were no changes in our internal control over financial reporting identified in management's evaluation pursuant to Rules13a-15(d) or 15d-15(d) of the Exchange Act during the period covered by this Annual Report on Form 10-K that materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.

Management’s Annual Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting, the Report of the Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm on the Consolidated Financial Statements and the Report of the Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm on Internal Control over Financial Reporting are included in Item 8.

None.

Not applicable.

PART III

We refer in Part III of this Report to relevant sections of our 2022 Proxy Statement for the 2022 annual meeting of shareholders, which will be filed with the SEC pursuant to Regulation 14A within 120 days of the close of our 2021 fiscal year. Portions of our 2022 Proxy Statement, including the sections we refer to in this Report, are incorporated by reference into this Report.

Information required by this item is presented under the captions “Corporate Governance Matters” — “Election of Directors” — “Nominees” and “Board Governance and Oversight — “Corporate Governance Guidelines, Committee Charters and Code of Business Conduct and Ethics” of our 2022 Proxy Statement, which is incorporated by reference into this item.

Information required by this item is presented under the captions “Compensation Matters” — “Compensation Discussion and Analysis,” “Compensation and Human Resources Committee Report,” “Executive Compensation,” “Termination of Employment and Change of Control,” “Director Compensation,” “Role of Risk Management in Compensation,” and “CEO Pay Ratio” of our 2022 Proxy Statement, which is incorporated by reference into this item.

The information required by this item regarding security ownership of certain beneficial owners and management is presented under the caption “Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management” in our 2022 Proxy Statement and is incorporated herein by reference.

Information regarding our compensation plans under which CFG equity securities are authorized for issuance is included in the table below. Additional information regarding these plans is included in Note 18 in Item 8.

Equity Compensation Plan Information

At December 31, 2021

(1) This table excludes securities subject to the JMP Group LLC Amended and Restated Equity Incentive Plan (“the Plan”). Although equity-based awards granted under the Plan were converted into CFG awards and assumed in connection with the JMP acquisition, CFG does not intend to grant any awards under the Plan. As of December 31, 2021, 245,861 stock options with a weighted-average exercise price of $19.45 and 40,363 restricted stock units were outstanding under the Plan.

(2) Represents the number of shares of common stock associated with outstanding time-based and performance-based restricted stock units.

(3) Other than the stock options assumed in connection with the JMP acquisition, CFG had no outstanding stock options.

(4) Represents the number of shares remaining available for future issuance under the Citizens Financial Group, Inc. 2014 Omnibus Incentive Plan (43,575,066 shares), the Citizens Financial Group, Inc. 2014 Employee Stock Repurchase Plan (4,547,955 shares), and the Citizens Financial Group, Inc. 2014 Non-Employee Directors Compensation Plan (1,336,389 shares).

Information required by this item is set forth under the captions “Corporate Governance Matters” — “Board Governance and Oversight — Director Independence” and “Related Person Transactions” of our 2022 Proxy Statement, which is incorporated by reference into this item.

Information required by this item is presented under the captions “Audit Matters” — “Pre-approval of Independent Auditor Services” and “Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm Fees” of our 2022 Proxy Statement, which is incorporated by reference into this item.

PART IV

(a)(1) Financial Statements of Citizens Financial Group, Inc., included in this Report:

• Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm on the Consolidated Financial Statements;

• Consolidated Balance Sheets as of December 31, 2021 and 2020;

• Consolidated Statements of Operations for the Years Ended December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019;

• Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income for the Years Ended December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019;

• Consolidated Statements of Changes in Stockholders’ Equity for the Years Ended December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019;

• Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the Years Ended December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019; and

• Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

(a)(2) Financial Statement Schedules

All financial statement schedules for the Registrant have been included in the audited Consolidated Financial Statements or the related footnotes in Item 8, or are either inapplicable or not required.

(a)(3) Exhibits

2.1 Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated July 28, 2021, by and between Citizens Financial Group, Inc. and Investors Bancorp, Inc. (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 2.1 of the Current Report on Form 8-K, filed July 30, 2021)

3.1 Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Registrant as in effect on the date hereof, as filed with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware and effective July 8, 2021 (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 3.1 of the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended June 30, 2021, filed August 3, 2021)

3.2 Amended and Restated Bylaws of the Registrant (as amended and restated on April 23, 2020) (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 3.2 of the Current Report on Form 8-K, filed April 24, 2020)

4.1 Senior Debt Indenture between the Company and The Bank of New York Mellon dated as of October 28, 2015 (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 4.1 of Registration Statement on Form S-3, filed October 29, 2015)

4.2 Subordinated Indenture between the Company and The Bank of New York Mellon dated as of September 28, 2012 (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 4.2 of the Registration Statement on Form S-1, filed July 28, 2015)

4.3 Form of Certificate representing the Series B Preferred Stock (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 4.2 of the Current Report on Form 8-K, filed May 24, 2018)

4.4 Form of Deposit Agreement, by and among the Company, Computershare Inc. and Computershare Trust Company, N.A., jointly as depositary, and the holders from time to time of the depositary receipts described therein (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to the Registration Statement on Form 8-A, filed October 25, 2019)

4.5 Form of Depositary Receipt (incorporated herein by reference as Exhibit A to Exhibit 4.2 of the Current Report on Form 8-K, filed January 29, 2019)

4.6 Description of the Securities Registered Pursuant to Section 12 of the Securities Act of 1934*

4.7 Agreement to furnish to the SEC upon request a copy of instruments defining the rights of holders of certain long-term debt of the registrant and consolidated subsidiaries*

10.1 Citizens Financial Group, Inc. 2014 Omnibus Incentive Plan (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.11 of the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, filed November 14, 2014)†

10.2 Amended and Restated Citizens Financial Group, Inc. 2014 Omnibus Incentive Plan as of June 23, 2016 (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.2 of the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, filed August 5, 2016)†

10.3 Amended and Restated Citizens Financial Group, Inc. 2014 Omnibus Incentive Plan as of June 20, 2019 (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.2 of the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, filed August 6, 2019)†

10.4 Citizens Financial Group, Inc. 2014 Omnibus Incentive Plan Form of Restricted Stock Unit Award Agreement†*

10.5 Citizens Financial Group, Inc. 2014 Omnibus Incentive Plan Restricted Stock Unit Award Agreement for Bruce Van Saun Relating to Annual Awards (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.11 of the Annual Report on Form 10-K, Filed February 24, 2017)†

10.6 Citizens Financial Group, Inc. 2014 Omnibus Incentive Plan Form of Performance Stock Unit Award Agreement†*

10.7 Citizens Financial Group, Inc. 2014 Omnibus Incentive Plan Performance Stock Unit Award Agreement for Bruce Van Saun Relating to Annual Awards (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.15 of the Annual Report on Form 10-K, Filed February 24, 2017)†

10.8 Citizens Financial Group, Inc. 2014 Employee Stock Purchase Plan (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 99.3 of the Registration Statement on Form S-8, filed September 26, 2014)†

10.9 Citizens Financial Group, Inc. Non-Employee Directors Compensation Policy, as amended April 25, 2019 (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.1 of the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed August 6, 2019)†

10.10 Citizens Financial Group, Inc. Non-Employee Directors Compensation Policy, amended and effective April 22, 2021 (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.1 of the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed August 3, 2021)†

10.11 Citizens Financial Group, Inc. 2014 Non-Employee Directors Compensation Plan (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 99.2 of the Registration Statement on Form S-8, filed September 26, 2014)†

10.12 Amended and Restated Citizens Financial Group, Inc. 2014 Non-Employee Directors Compensation Plan as of June 23, 2016 (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.1 of the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, filed August 5, 2016)†

10.13 Citizens Financial Group, Inc. 2014 Non-Employee Directors Compensation Plan Form of Restricted Stock Unit Award Agreement (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.19 of the Annual Report on Form 10-K, filed February 26, 2016)†

10.14 Citizens Financial Group, Inc. 2014 Non-Employee Directors Compensation Plan Form of Restricted Stock Unit Award Agreement (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.2 of the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, Filed August 3, 2017)†

10.15 Amended and Restated Deferred Compensation Plan for Directors of Citizens Financial Group, Inc., effective January 1, 2009 (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.19 of Amendment No. 2 to Registration Statement on Form S-1, filed August 15, 2014)†

10.16 Form of Indemnification Agreement (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.5 of Amendment No. 3 to Registration Statement on Form S-1, filed September 8, 2014)†

10.17 Amended and Restated CFG Voluntary Executive Deferred Compensation Plan, effective January 1, 2009 and amended and restated on September 1, 2014 (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.21 of the Annual Report on Form 10-K, filed March 3, 2015)†

10.18 First Amendment to the CFG Voluntary Executive Deferred Compensation Plan dated March 1, 2019 (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.26 of the Annual Report on Form 10-K, filed February 24, 2020)†

10.19 Second Amendment to the CFG Voluntary Executive Deferred Compensation Plan dated December 9, 2019 (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.27 of the Annual Report on Form 10-K, filed February 24, 2020)†

10.20 Third Amendment to the CFG Voluntary Executive Deferred Compensation Plan dated March 4, 2020 (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.27 of the Annual Report on Form 10-K, filed February 23, 2021)†

10.21 Fourth Amendment to the CFG Voluntary Executive Deferred Compensation Plan dated January 1, 2022†*

10.22 Amended and Restated Citizens Financial Group, Inc. Deferred Compensation Plan, effective January 1, 2009 (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.20 of Amendment No. 2 to Registration Statement on Form S-1, filed August 15, 2014)†

10.23 Citizens Financial Group, Inc. Form of Deferred Cash Award Agreement†*

10.24 Citizens Financial Group, Inc. Executive Severance Practice (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.21 of Amendment No. 2 to Registration Statement on Form S-1, filed August 15, 2014)†

10.25 Citizens Financial Group, Inc. Performance Formula and Incentive Plan (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.28 of Annual Report on Form 10-K, filed March 3, 2015)†

10.26 Amended and Restated Executive Employment Agreement, dated May 5, 2016, between the Registrant and Bruce Van Saun (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.5 of the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, filed May 9, 2016)†

10.27 Addendum to Amended and Restated Executive Employment Agreement, dated as of June 25, 2021 between the Registrant and Bruce Van Saun (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.2 of the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed August 3, 2021)†

10.28 Executive Employment Agreement, dated March 23, 2015, between the Registrant and Donald H. McCree III and subsequent addendum dated August 2, 2017 (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.7 of the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, filed August 3, 2017)†

10.29 Executive Employment Agreement, dated September 6, 2014, between the Registrant and Malcolm Griggs and subsequent addendum dated August 14, 2017 (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.41 of the Annual Report on Form 10-K, filed February 21, 2019)†

10.30 Executive Employment Agreement, dated December 13, 2016, between the Registrant and John F. Woods and subsequent addendum dated August 2, 2017 (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.8 of the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, filed August 3, 2017)†

10.31 Executive Employment Agreement, dated August 25, 2011, between the Registrant and Susan LaMonica and subsequent addendums dated July 15, 2014 and August 11, 2017 (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.39 of the Annual Report on Form 10-K, filed February 23, 2021)†

10.32 Amended and Restated Executive Employment Agreement, dated December 20, 2021, between the Registrant and Brendan Coughlin†*

10.33 Supplemental Retirement Agreement, dated October 31, 1995, as amended, between Charter One Financial, Inc. and, Charles J. Koch (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.37 of Amendment No. 3 to Registration Statement on Form S-1, filed September 8, 2014)†

21.1 Subsidiaries of Registrant*

23.1 Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm*

24.1 Power of Attorney (contained herein on signature pages)

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*

101 The following materials from the Registrant's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021, formatted in XBRL: (i) the Consolidated Balance Sheets, (ii) the Consolidated Statements of Operations, (iii) the Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income, (iv) the Consolidated Statements of Changes in Stockholders’ Equity, (v) the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows and (vi) the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements*

104 Cover page interactive data file in inline XBRL format, included in Exhibit 101 to this report*

† Indicates management contract or compensatory plan or arrangement.

• Filed herewith.

Not applicable.

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Section 13 or 15(d) 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 on February 23, 2022.

SIGNATURES

KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS, that each of the undersigned, being a director or officer of Citizens Financial Group, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the "Company"), hereby constitutes and appoints Bruce Van Saun, John F. Woods, Malcolm D. Griggs, and C. Jack Read, and each of them, his or her true and lawful attorney-in-fact and agent, with full power of substitution and resubstitution, for him or her and in his or her name, place and stead in any and all capacities, to sign one or more Annual Reports for the Company's fiscal year ended December 31, 2021 on Form 10-K under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or such other form as any such attorney-in-fact may deem necessary or desirable, any amendments thereto, and all additional amendments thereto, each in such form as they or any one of them may approve, and to file the same with all exhibits thereto and other documents in connection therewith with the Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said attorneys-in-fact and agents, and each of them, full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done so that such Annual Report shall comply with the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the applicable Rules and Regulations adopted or issued pursuant thereto, as fully and to all intents and purposes as he or she might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact and agents, or any of them or their substitute or resubstitute, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this Report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the Registrant and in the capacities and on the date indicated.