



Effective February 29, 2012, Sterling Savings Bank acquired substantially all the assets of First Independent Bank. Sterling Savings Bank is a Washington state-chartered bank that operates under the following registered trade names: Sterling Bank, First Independent Bank and Sonoma Bank. Sterling Savings Bank operates as Sonoma Bank only in the State of California. Sterling Savings Bank, Sterling Bank, First Independent Bank and Sonoma Bank are the same FDIC-insured institution. Deposits held under Sterling Savings Bank or any of its trade names are not separately insured by the FDIC, but are combined to determine whether a depositor has exceeded the federal deposit insurance limit.