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ARTICLE I. ETHICAL PRINCIPLES AND CORPORATE VALUES
The nature of our business requires careful observance of
applicable laws and regulations. High standards of conduct and
personal integrity are essential for us to maintain the
confidence of our stockholders, customers, employees, and the
general public. In order to ensure that we and all of our
Directors, officers and employees embrace and promote sound
ethical business practices, we require that you agree to:
· Act with honesty and integrity, avoiding actual or apparent
conflicts of interest in personal and professional
relationships;
· Comply with rules and regulations of federal, state and
local governments, and other appropriate regulatory agencies;
· Act in good faith, responsibly, and with due care,
competence and diligence, without misrepresenting material facts
or allowing one's independent judgment to be impaired;
· Provide information that is accurate, complete, objective,
relevant, timely and understandable to ensure full, fair,
accurate, timely, and understandable disclosure in reports and
documents; and
· Promptly report to our President or Chief Financial Officer
or a member of the Audit Committee of our Board of Directors any
conduct that you believe to be a violation of law or business
ethics or of any provision of this Code, including any
transaction or relationship that reasonably could be expected to
give rise to a conflict of interest.
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ARTICLE II.
CONFLICTS OF INTERESTA conflict of interest exists
whenever you (or a member of your immediate family) has a
personal interest in any entity or matter that may influence a
decision or cloud your judgment in the discharge of your
responsibilities to us. It is your duty to avoid situations from
which you (or an immediate family member) might benefit
personally, directly or indirectly, or that give the perception
that you (or an immediate family member) is benefiting
personally, from business decisions, use of our facilities or
from relationships with our customers, vendors or contacts.
If a business opportunity relating to our lines of business
becomes available to or is made known to you, it must first be
made available to GS Financial Corp., Guaranty Savings Bank or
our subsidiaries before being acted upon by you, by your
immediate family or by any other Director, officer or employee.
Employees are prohibited from making loans to companies in
which the employee has a substantial interest as an owner,
director, officer, or partner, or to companies in which a member
of his or her immediate family has such an interest, or to a
member of his or her immediate family. Such loans must be
directed to another loan officer. When that is not possible, the
application may be taken and processed, but must be reviewed and
approved by another loan officer.
Employees should avoid any relationship that would cause a
conflict of interest with their duties and responsibilities at
GS Financial Corp. or Guaranty Savings Bank. Employees are
expected to disclose any situations that may involve
inappropriate or improper conflicts of interests affecting them
personally or affecting other employees or those with whom we do
business. Waivers of conflicts of interest involving executive
officers require the approval of the Board of Directors or an
appropriate committee.
To avoid conflicts of interest, Directors are expected to
disclose to their fellow Directors any personal interest they
may have in a transaction upon which the Board passes and to
recuse themselves from participation in any decision in which
there is a conflict between their personal interests and the
interests of GS Financial Corp., Guaranty Savings Bank or our
subsidiaries.
A. Compensation and Gifts.
The Bank Bribery Act prohibits you or any agent of us or
attorney representing us from offering or receiving anything of
value where the item of value is offered with the intent of
influencing the Director, officer or employee, agent or attorney
or a business transaction. This law is broad and carries civil
and criminal penalties, including fines and/or imprisonment.
Gifts or awards given in recognition of your service or
accomplishment in civic, charitable, educational, or religious
organizations are not prohibited by this Code.
1. General Prohibitions:
Except as provided below, you are prohibited from soliciting or
receiving anything of value in any amount in connection with our
business, including but not limited to money, goods, or
services. This prohibition applies whether such was obtained as
a gratuity/gift or as a "quid pro quo" exchange (something
received or given as a reward for preferential action or service
rendered by you). Additionally, this prohibition includes
receiving compensation of any kind from any source for rendering
services of a type that are performed or offered by us. A
Director or employee may not do indirectly what he or she is
prohibited from doing directly; for example, arrange to have a
prohibited gift made to a member of his or her immediate family.
Similarly, you may not give gifts, meals, or entertainment
(including a quid pro quo exchange) which are intended to
influence, or that might give the appearance of influencing,
another Director, officer or employee or a business contact in a
business decision. Any action by you perceived to compromise
another's judgment is prohibited.
Example: An employee may not solicit or receive any sort of
personal compensation in return for making a loan to a customer.
Example: A Director who is in a position, whether directly or
indirectly, to sell goods or services to us may not give gifts
to the department responsible for making such purchasing
decisions.
2. Permissible Gifts: Any
Director, officer or employee may accept anything of value from
customers only if it:
a. Is valued at $200.00 or less, AND
b. Is not intended to influence any decision by the Director,
officer or employee; AND
c. Is unsolicited; AND
d. Is infrequent; AND
e. Is not a quid pro quo.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, under no circumstances shall
you accept money as a gift from any customer.
Examples of Permissible Gifts: Gifts which are likely to meet
these guidelines are: advertising or promotional materials such
as pens, pencils, key rings, calendars and similar items valued
under $200.00.
Additionally, you may accept gifts from individuals who have
both a personal relationship with you and a business
relationship with us, for such commonly recognized events or
occasions such as a promotion, wedding, birthday, retirement, or
religious observance, if valued at less than $200.00.
Generally, there is no threat of a violation of the Bank
Bribery Act if acceptance of a gift or benefit is based on an
immediate family or personal relationship, which exists
independent of any business with us or if the gift or benefit is
made available to the general public under the same conditions
on which it is made available to you. If you are offered or
receive something of value in excess of the above-stated amounts
which you believe may be impermissible under this Code, you must
disclose the matter to the Audit Committee and seek a
determination that the item of value may be accepted or must be
returned. The reviewer will give due consideration to the
criteria for permissible gifts and whether receipt poses a
threat to our integrity.
B. Business Gratuities.
Payments for travel, lodging, meals and entertainment are
normally permissible if they (i) are reasonable in amount; (ii)
are expended in the course of a legitimate business meeting or
an event intended to foster better business relations; (iii)
would be paid by us as a business expense if not paid for by the
outside source; and (iv) are unsolicited.
If you are offered payments of the type which you believe may
be impermissible, you must disclose the matter to the Audit
Committee and seek a determination that the offer may be
accepted or must be rejected. The reviewer will give due
consideration to the criteria for permissible payments and
whether receipt poses a threat to our integrity.
Example: It is not a prohibited business gratuity to accept a
vendor's offer to pay lodging and meals for an employee's
attendance at a conference sponsored in whole or in part by the
vendor so long as the employee's attendance has a business
purpose.
C. Transactions with
Insiders.
From time to time we may purchase or lease real or personal
property or goods or services from you, a member of your
immediate family, or from business entities in which you or in
which a member of your immediate family is an officer, director
and/or controlling stockholder.
It is our policy that any transaction involving insiders must
be conducted at arm's length and that any consideration paid or
received by us in connection with such a transaction shall be on
terms no less favorable than terms available to an unaffiliated
third party under the same or similar circumstances. In
accordance with Regulation O, the Director's or officer's
interest in any such transactions requiring Board action shall
be disclosed to the Board prior to any action being taken, and
any such transactions not requiring Board approval shall be
reported to the Board quarterly.
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ARTICLE III.
CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION
A.
Confidential Information Regarding Customers and Others.
You must take all reasonable measures to protect the
confidentiality of non-public information about us or our
subsidiaries and our customers, stockholders and suppliers
obtained or created in connection with your activities and to
prevent the unauthorized disclosure of such information unless
required by applicable law or regulation or legal or regulatory
process.
B.
Permissible Dissemination of Confidential Information.
Dissemination of confidential customer information among our
subsidiaries is permissible. Notwithstanding the foregoing, all
queries of a legal nature that involve confidential information
relating to our customers must be directed to outside counsel.
C.
Confidential Information Regarding Current or Former Directors
and Employees.
All requests for information regarding current or former
Directors or employees must be referred to our Personnel
Department. Our internal procedures and applicable laws limit
the amount of information our Personnel Department may provide.
D.
Company Resources; Proprietary Information.
You are prohibited from selling, disclosing, or otherwise
using our physical resources or proprietary information for
personal benefit or for the benefit of any other party. The
definition of our "physical resources or proprietary
information" includes all of our intellectual property,
including but not limited to any written materials, any computer
or network-based information, data, any other types of
information or data developed for us by an employee or a vendor,
supplier or other contractor.
Example: Employees are prohibited from using our marketing
research for a personal venture or disclosing proprietary
information to a competitor.
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ARTICLE
IV. PERSONAL INVESTMENTS AND FINANCES
A. Insider Trading.
In the course of your duties, you may become privy to
"insider information" within the meanings of state or federal
laws. This means material, non-public information that might
have an effect on our stock price if the information were
publicly known. You should also be aware that the same
prohibition against insider trading applies to trading in the
stock of our customers, suppliers or any other company if you
have inside information about them. Employees are strictly
prohibited from providing inside information to other persons as
this information might influence their trading activities or
financial transactions.
Examples of such "inside information" may include: expansion
plans, major management changes, future dividend rates,
declaration of stock spilt or offerings of additional
securities, current or future earnings projections, new contract
or projects, mergers, acquisitions or divestitures or other such
material matters. It should be noted that either positive or
negative information may be material.
You are also prohibited from trading in put options or in
short selling or in any other trade which would gain from a
decrease in our stock price. It is your responsibility to
understand laws and policies that may apply to you. Further
information on blackout periods, pre-clearance and other matters
related to insider trading are contained in the Statement of
Policy and Procedures Governing Trading in Shares of GS
Financial Corp.
B. Personal Investments.
Directors must disclose to the Chairman of the Board and
employees must disclose to their direct supervisor when they
know of any ownership or beneficial interest which they or
members of their immediate families have with our customers or
suppliers if they have responsibility for the account
relationship. You and your immediate families are prohibited
from investing in securities of customers or suppliers if they
hold or share any responsibility for the account relationship,
unless the securities are listed on an exchange and the purchase
or sale is based upon information available to the general
public, or unless approval is granted by a majority vote of the
Board of Directors. In those instances where a personal
investment in a given customer has been approved, you must avoid
participation in any decisions concerning that customer.
Example: An employee who is the account officer for or deals
with the loan account of ABC Company (a customer) may not invest
personally in ABC Company without receiving prior approval of
the Board of Directors. (See also Section IV (D) "Loans" below).
C. Purchase of
Company Owned Property.
Purchase of company owned or subsidiary owned property (real
or personal) by you or members of your immediate families
requires the approval of the Board of Directors and must be at
fair market value.
D. Loans.
Loans by us are available to Directors and designated
Regulation O Officers on the same terms and conditions,
including interest rates and collateral, as those prevailing for
comparable loans with other customers; provided, however, that
discounted consumer and residential loans which are offered as a
benefit to all other employees may be extended to Directors and
Regulation O Officers on the same terms ("Regulation O Loans").
Such loans must not involve more than the normal risk of
repayment or present other unfavorable features.
The Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the
"Exchange Act"), makes it unlawful for us, directly or
indirectly, including through any subsidiary, to extend or
maintain credit, arrange for the extension of credit or renew
the extension of credit in the form of a personal loan to or for
any of its Directors or executive officers. Regulation O Loans
are exempt from this prohibition set forth in the Exchange Act.
You are prohibited from lending personal funds to persons
known to you as our customers, except if the customer is an
immediate family member. You may not borrow from a customer
unless the customer is a recognized lending institution.
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ARTICLE V. BUSINESS
CONDUCTA.
Business and Accounting Practices.
1. None of our funds or assets shall be used for unlawful
purposes.
2. No unrecorded fund or asset shall be established or
maintained for any purpose.
3. No false or misleading entries shall be made in our books
and records for any purpose. All items of income or expense
shall be appropriately recorded.
4. No payment by us shall be made with the intent or
understanding that all or any part of such payment be used for
any purpose other than that described in the books and records.
5. No payment on our behalf shall be approved without
adequate supporting documentation or with the intention or
understanding that all or any part of such payment is to be used
for any purpose other than that described by the documents
supporting the payment.
6. Compliance is required with generally accepted accounting
principles and procedures and with established internal
accounting controls and procedures.
7. We may require submission by Directors and employees of
reports or statements in compliance with this section, at such
time or from time to time and in such form as we may specify.
B.
Political Contributions; Expenditures for Political Purposes.
1. None of our funds or assets are to be used to make any
unlawful political contribution. For purposes of this section,
the term "political contribution" includes not only the direct
or indirect delivery of our cash or property to a political
party, candidate, committee or organization but also includes:
(a) the reimbursement by us to any Director, officer or employee
or any other person, for a political contribution made or to be
made by such Director, officer or employee or other person; or
(b) the provision of services or the use of property or the
making of a loan, to a political party, candidate, committee or
organization by us, except in the ordinary course of our
business and on customary commercial terms. Purchases of tickets
to political dinners or other similar events or of
advertisements in political publications are considered to be
political contributions and are not reimbursable.
2. Neither we nor you acting on our behalf shall establish
any program to solicit, collect or distribute political
contributions from a Director, officer or employee.
3. You shall not be under any obligation of any kind to us or
to any other Director, officer or employee, to utilize any of
your compensation to make political contributions and no
Director, officer or employee or any other person acting on our
behalf, shall seek to create or enforce any such obligation.
Nothing contained in this section is intended to discourage you
from active personal involvement in the political process,
including the making of personal political contributions, or to
otherwise limit the rights and obligations of Directors,
officers or employees as responsible citizens. Notwithstanding
the foregoing, this Code (i) requires that before you seek or
accept a nomination or appointment to any public office, whether
paid or unpaid, that you must obtain our approval and (ii)
prohibits political campaigning, wearing and/or displaying
political campaign slogans, distributing political literature,
and/or soliciting campaign funds at or in the work place.
C.
Information Security - Use of Company Owned Computers, Networks,
Hardware and Software.
The unauthorized use or duplication of computer software
owned by us is strictly prohibited. The use of computer software
owned personally by employees on computer equipment owned by us
is strictly prohibited.
D. Outside Business
Interests.
Prior approval must be obtained in situations where you or
your immediate family members may profit from a relationship
with a company or other entity with which you deal with in the
course of your company duties.
E. Management Interlocks.
You should be aware of the various statutes and regulations
either prohibiting or restricting dual service by you in the
following areas:
1. Service as a director, officer or employee of any other
commercial bank, banking association, trust company, savings
bank, savings and loan association, or credit union;
2. Service in an organization primarily engaged in the issue,
underwriting, public sale or distribution of stocks, bonds or
other securities;
3. Service as an officer or director of a public utility or a
registered public utility holding company or subsidiary; or
4. Service as a director, officer, partner, employee,
appointee or representative of any obligor of securities for
which our subsidiary with which he or she is affiliated is the
indenture (corporate) trustee.
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ARTICLE VI. SPECIAL ETHICS OBLIGATIONS FOR EMPLOYEES
WITH FINANCIAL REPORTING RESPONSIBILITIES
As a public company, it is critical that GS Financial Corp.
filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission be accurate
and timely. Depending on your position with us, you may be
called upon to provide information to assure that our public
reports are complete, fair and understandable. We expect you to
take this responsibility seriously and to provide prompt and
accurate answers to inquiries related to our public disclosure
requirements.
All Directors, officers and employees bear a special
responsibility for promoting our integrity. The CEO, the CFO,
the Treasurer, the Controller, and all those persons acting in a
similar capacity have a special role both to adhere to these
principles and also to ensure that our corporate culture ensures
the fair and timely reporting of our financial results and
condition.
Because of this special role, our CEO, CFO, Treasurer,
Controller, and all those persons acting in a similar capacity
are bound by the following Financial Officer Code of Ethics, and
by signing the Certificate of Compliance attached to this Code,
each agrees that he or she will:
· Act with honesty and integrity, avoiding actual or apparent
conflicts of interest in personal and professional
relationships;
· Provide information that is accurate, complete, objective,
relevant, timely and understandable to ensure full, fair,
accurate, timely, and understandable disclosure in reports and
documents that we file with, or submit to, government agencies
and in other public communications made by us;
· Comply with rules and regulations of federal, state and
local governments, and other appropriate regulatory agencies;
· Act in good faith, responsibly, and with due care,
competence and diligence, without misrepresenting material facts
or allowing one's independent judgment to be impaired; and
· Promptly report to the Audit Committee of our Board of
Directors any conduct that the individual believes to be a
violation of law or business ethics or of any provision of the
Code of Conduct, including any transaction or relationship that
reasonably could be expected to give rise to a conflict of
interest.
Violations of this Financial Officer Code of Ethics,
including failures to report potential violations by others, are
a serious matter that may result in disciplinary action,
including termination of employment. If you believe that a
violation of the Financial Officer Code of Ethics has occurred,
you should contact the Audit Committee of the Board of
Directors.
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ARTICLE VII.
REPORTING VIOLATIONSThe procedures for handling concerns
and complaints regarding questionable accounting or auditing
matters as adopted by the Audit Committee from time to time are
attached to this Code as Exhibit A.
Anyone who seeks advice, raises a concern or reports
misconduct or a violation of this Code is following the
requirements of this Code and the desires of our Board of
Directors. We encourage such action. The procedures for handling
reports of illegal or unethical behavior are also set forth in
Exhibit A. Retaliation against anyone who makes a good faith
report of misconduct is illegal and will not be tolerated.
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ARTICLE VIII. CONCLUSION
We conduct ourselves and our business dealings so as to
comply with all applicable laws and regulations. Where the
requirements of such laws and regulations are unclear, the
advice of the Audit Committee or outside counsel must be sought
to secure interpretation and to ensure compliance. You must
understand our internal policies and procedures and the legal
and regulatory framework within which we operate and must take
those steps necessary to ensure that any persons working with or
under your supervision understand them. You are urged to reread
this Code from time to time to refresh your recollection of the
statutory and regulatory matters and the policies outlined
herein.
This Code may be amended or modified by our Board of
Directors. Waivers of this Code may only be granted by the Board
of Directors or a committee of the Board with specific delegated
authority. Waivers will be disclosed to shareholders as required
by the Exchange Act and the rules thereunder and the applicable
rules of the Nasdaq Stock Market.
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Exhibit A
GS FINANCIAL CORP.
Guaranty Savings Bank
WHISTLEBLOWER PROCEDURES
Procedures for Reporting Illegal or Unethical Behavior
A. Reporting Illegal or Unethical Behavior
If you suspect or know of violations of this Code or illegal
or unethical business or workplace conduct by employees,
officers or Directors then you have an obligation to contact
your supervisor or superiors. If the individuals to whom such
information is conveyed are not responsive, or if there is a
reason to believe that reporting to such individuals is
inappropriate in particular cases, then you may contact the
President/C.E.O. Such communications will be kept confidential
to the extent feasible. If you are still not satisfied with the
response, then you may contact the Audit Committee of the Board
of Directors at Albert J. Zahn, Jr.
2111 N Causeway Blvd., #201 Mandeville, La 70471. If concerns or
complaints require confidentiality, then this confidentiality
will be protected to the extent feasible, subject to applicable
law.
B. Accounting Complaints
Our policy is to comply with all applicable financial
reporting and accounting regulations. If any Director, officer
or employee has unresolved concerns or complaints regarding
questionable accounting or auditing matters, then you are
encouraged to submit those concerns or complaints (anonymously,
confidentially or otherwise) to the Audit Committee. Subject to
its legal duties, the Audit Committee and the Board will treat
such submissions confidentially. Such submissions may be
directed to the attention of the Audit Committee, Albert J. Zahn,
Jr.
2111 N. Causeway Blvd #201 Mandeville, La. 70471.
C. Non-Retaliation
We prohibit retaliation of any kind against individuals who
have made good faith reports or complaints of violations of this
Code or other known or suspected illegal or unethical conduct.
Adopted 2/17/04
Amended 6/15/06 |