| | fourth quarter of 2023 contained a net credit of $342,000 for bonus expense accruals, while the fourth quarter of 2024 contained a net charge of $3.6 million. |
The net credit during the fourth quarter of 2023 adjusted the liability for accrued bonuses to be in-line with lower expected payouts related to the 2023 calendar year. Conversely, the higher net charge during the fourth quarter of 2024 adjusted the liability for accrued bonuses to be in-line with greater payouts related to the 2024 calendar year as the Company’s second half results allowed it to reach higher full-year 2024 payout targets than previously projected earlier in the year.
Republic Processing Group(3)
RPG reported net income of $1.4 million for the fourth quarter of 2024, a $2.4 million decrease from the $3.8 million for the fourth quarter of 2023. RPG’s performance for the fourth quarter of 2024 compared to the fourth quarter of 2023, by operating segment, was as follows:
Tax Refund Solutions
TRS experienced a net loss of $6.4 million during the fourth quarter of 2024 compared to a net loss of $3.6 million for the fourth quarter of 2023. The higher net loss at TRS for the fourth quarter of 2024 was primarily driven by a higher estimated Provision expense compared to the fourth quarter of 2023 for ERAs.
Altogether, TRS originated $139 million of ERAs during the fourth quarter of 2024 compared to $103 million originated during the fourth quarter of 2023. The Company applied an estimated loss rate of approximately 7.07% of total ERAs originated during the fourth quarter of 2024 and an estimated loss rate of 3.81% of total ERAs originated during the fourth quarter of 2023. The higher Provision rate applied to ERAs during the fourth quarter of 2024 was based on a higher final loss rate realized during 2024 for the ERAs that were originated during the fourth quarter of 2023. The higher Provision for the quarter was partially offset by a $1.4 million increase in loan fee income for the ERA product comparing the fourth quarter of 2024 to the fourth quarter of 2023.
Republic Payment Solutions
Net income at RPS was $1.7 million for the fourth quarter of 2024, a $1.5 million decrease from the fourth quarter of 2023. Driving this decrease, RPS earned a lower yield of 4.39% for its $357 million average of prepaid program balances for the fourth quarter of 2024 compared to a yield of 5.10% for the $342 million in average prepaid card balances for the fourth quarter of 2023. In addition, net interest income at RPS was also negatively impacted by a $1.1 million charge to interest expense for a revenue sharing arrangement that began in January 2024.
Republic Credit Solutions
Net income at RCS increased $1.9 million, or 44%, from $4.2 million for the fourth quarter of 2023 to $6.1 million for the fourth quarter of 2024. The increase in RCS net income was primarily due to an 18% growth in the average balances of its two higher-yielding small dollar loan products, which contributed $1.9 million of additional net interest income to the overall segment. In addition, Provision expense for these two products declined $1.2 million for the same periods primarily related to formula reserves tied to spot balance growth for the quarters.
Republic Bancorp, Inc. (the “Company”) is the parent company of Republic Bank & Trust Company (the “Bank”). The Bank currently has 47 banking centers in communities within five metropolitan statistical areas (“MSAs”) across five states: 22 banking centers located within the Louisville MSA in Louisville, Prospect, Shelbyville, and Shepherdsville in Kentucky, and Floyds Knobs, Jeffersonville, and New Albany in Indiana; six banking centers within the Lexington MSA in Georgetown and Lexington in Kentucky; eight banking centers within the Cincinnati MSA in Cincinnati and West Chester in Ohio, and Bellevue, Covington, Crestview Hills, and Florence in Kentucky; seven banking centers within the Tampa MSA in Largo, New Port Richey, St. Petersburg, Seminole, and Tampa in Florida; and four banking centers within the