8-K

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT

PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF

THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

Date of Report (Date of Earliest Event Reported): October 7, 2024

Columbia Financial, Inc.

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)

Delaware	001-38456	22-3504946
(State or other jurisdiction	(Commission	(IRS Employer
of incorporation)	File Number)	Identification Number)

19-01 Route 208 North, Fair Lawn, New Jersey 07410

(Address of principal executive offices)

(800) 522-4167

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:

☐ Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

☐ Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

☐ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

☐ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

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

Title of each class	Trading symbol(s)	Name of each exchange on which registered
Common stock, $0.01 par value per share	CLBK	The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).

Emerging growth company ☐

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. ☐

Item 8.01 Other Events

    On October 7, 2024, Columbia Financial, Inc. (the "Company"), the mid-tier holding company for Columbia Bank, issued a press release announcing the completion of the merger of Freehold Bank with and into Columbia Bank, effective as of October 5, 2024. Prior to the bank merger, Freehold Bank and Columbia Bank were held and operated as separate subsidiaries of the Company.

In connection with the completion of the bank merger, James H. Wainwright, President and Chief Executive Officer of Freehold Bank, was appointed to the Board of Directors of Columbia Bank.

A copy of the press release is attached as Exhibit 99.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K and is incorporated by reference herein.

Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits

        (d) Exhibits

Exhibit Number	Description
99.1	Press release dated October 7, 2024
104	Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the Inline XBRL document)

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SIGNATURE

    Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunder duly authorized.

Date:	October 7, 2024	/s/Dennis E. Gibney
		Dennis E. Gibney
		Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

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EX-99.1

COLUMBIA FINANCIAL, INC.

ANNOUNCES COMPLETION OF MERGER OF

FREEHOLD BANK INTO COLUMBIA BANK

Fair Lawn, New Jersey, October 7, 2024 — Columbia Financial, Inc. (Nasdaq: CLBK) (the “Company”), the mid-tier holding company for Columbia Bank, announced today the completion of the merger of Freehold Bank with and into Columbia Bank, effective as of October 5, 2024. Prior to the bank merger, Freehold Bank and Columbia Bank were held and operated as separate subsidiaries of the Company.

In connection with the completion of the bank merger, James H. Wainwright, President and Chief Executive Officer of Freehold Bank, was appointed to the Board of Directors of Columbia Bank.

About Columbia Financial, Inc.

Columbia Financial, Inc. is a Delaware corporation organized as Columbia Bank's mid-tier stock holding company. Columbia Financial, Inc. is a majority-owned subsidiary of Columbia Bank, MHC. Columbia Bank is a federally chartered savings bank headquartered in Fair Lawn, New Jersey that operates 68 full-service banking offices and offers traditional financial services to consumers and businesses in its market area.

XML

Cover Page Cover Page	Jul. 29, 2020
Cover [Abstract]
Document Type	8-K
Document Period End Date	Oct. 07, 2024
Entity Registrant Name	Columbia Financial, Inc.
Entity Incorporation, State or Country Code	DE
Entity File Number	001-38456
Entity Tax Identification Number	22-3504946
Entity Address, Address Line One	19-01 Route 208 North
Entity Address, City or Town	Fair Lawn
Entity Address, State or Province	NJ
Entity Address, Postal Zip Code	07410
City Area Code	800
Local Phone Number	522-4167
Written Communications	false
Soliciting Material	false
Pre-commencement Tender Offer	false
Pre-commencement Issuer Tender Offer	false
Title of 12(b) Security	Common stock, $0.01 par value per share
Trading Symbol	CLBK
Security Exchange Name	NASDAQ
Entity Emerging Growth Company	false
Amendment Flag	false
Entity Central Index Key	0001723596