FIRST BUSEY CORP /NV/

Busey believes that making sound and profitable loans is a necessary and desirable means of employing funds available for investment. Busey maintains lending policies and procedures designed to focus lending efforts on the types, locations, and duration of loans most appropriate for its business model and markets. While not specifically limited, Busey attempts to focus its lending on short to intermediate-term loans (0-10 years) in states where Busey maintains lending offices. Busey attempts to utilize government-assisted lending programs, such as the SBA and U.S. Department of Agriculture lending programs, when prudent. Generally, loans are collateralized by assets, primarily real estate, and guaranteed by individuals. Loans are expected to be repaid primarily from cash flows of the borrowers or from proceeds from the sale of selected assets of the borrowers.

Management reviews and approves Busey Bank’s lending policies and procedures on a regular basis. Management routinely—at least quarterly—reviews the ACL in conjunction with reports related to loan production, loan quality, concentrations of credit, loan delinquencies, non-performing loans, and potential problem loans. Busey’s underwriting standards are designed to encourage relationship banking rather than transactional banking. Relationship banking implies a primary banking relationship with the borrower that includes, at a minimum, an active deposit banking relationship in addition to the lending relationship. Significant underwriting factors in addition to location, duration, a sound and profitable cash flow basis, and the borrower’s character, include the quality of the borrower’s financial history, the liquidity of the underlying collateral, and the reliability of the valuation of the underlying collateral.

First Busey Corporation(BUSE) | 2026 Q3 — 84

At no time is a borrower’s total borrowing relationship permitted to exceed Busey Bank’s regulatory lending limit. Busey generally limits such relationships to amounts substantially less than the regulatory limit. Loans to related parties, including loans to Busey’s executive officers and directors, are reviewed for compliance with regulatory guidelines.

Busey maintains an independent loan review department that reviews loans for compliance with Busey’s loan policy on a periodic basis. In addition, the loan review department reviews risk assessments made by Busey’s credit department, lenders, and loan committees. Results of these reviews are presented to management and the audit committee at least quarterly.

Busey Bank’s lending can be summarized into five primary lending activities, which can be further categorized as either commercial or retail lending. Commercial lending activities consist of C&I and other commercial loans, CRE loans, and real estate construction loans while retail lending activities consist of retail real estate loans and retail other loans. A description of each of the five primary lending activities can be found in“Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Portfolio Loans” of Busey’s 2025 Annual Report.