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 9, 2020 TrustCo Corp NY (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

New York 0-10592 14-1630287 State or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation or Commission File No. I.R.S. Employer Identification Number Organization

5 SARNOWSKI DRIVE, GLENVILLE, 12302 (Address of principal executive offices)

(518) 377-3311 (Registrant’s Telephone Number, Including Area Code)

NOT APPLICABLE (Former Name or Former Address, if Changed Since Last Report)

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, $1.00 par value TRST Global Select Market

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. ☐ TrustCo Bank Corp NY

Item 8.01. Other Events

A press release was issued on October 9, 2020 announcing that TrustCo Bank Corp NY would be releasing third quarter 2020 financial results on October 21, 2020 and holding a conference call to discuss the results on October 22, 2020. Attached is a copy of the press release labeled as Exhibit 99(a).

Item 9.01. Financial Statements and Exhibits

(c) Exhibits

Reg S-K Exhibit No. Description

99(a) Press release dated October 9, 2020 announcing that TrustCo Bank Corp NY would be releasing third quarter 2020 financial results on October 21, 2020 and holding a conference call to discuss the results on October 22, 2020.

104 Cover Page Interactive Data File – the cover page XBRL tags are embedded within the Inline XBRL document.

-2- SIGNATURES

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

Dated: October 9, 2020

TrustCo Bank Corp NY (Registrant)

By: /s/ Michael M. Ozimek Michael M. Ozimek Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

-3- Exhibit 99(a)

News Release

5 Sarnowski Drive, Glenville, New York, 12302

Subsidiary: Trustco Bank NASDAQ -- TRST

Contact: Robert Leonard Executive Vice President and Chief Risk Officer (518) 381-3693

TrustCo to Release Third Quarter 2020 Results on October 21, 2020; Conference Call on October 22, 2020

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Glenville, New York – October 9, 2020

TrustCo Bank Corp NY (TrustCo, Nasdaq: TRST) today announced that it will release third quarter 2020 results after the market close on October 21, 2020. Results are released on the 21st of the reporting months (January, April, July and October), or on the next day that equity markets are open if the 21st falls on a Friday, weekend or holiday. A conference call to discuss the results will be held at 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time on October 22, 2020. Those wishing to participate in the call may dial toll-free 1-888-339-0764. International callers must dial 1-412-902-4195. Please ask to be joined into the TrustCo Bank Corp NY / TRST call. A replay of the call will be available for thirty days by dialing 1-877-344-7529 (1-412-317-0088 for international callers), Conference Number 10149050.

The call will also be audio webcast at https://services.choruscall.com/links/trst201022.html, and will be available for one year. The earnings press release will be posted on the Company’s Investor Relations website at: http://www.snl.com/irweblinkx/corporateprofile.aspx?iid=100465. Other information, including the Company’s most recent annual report, proxy statement and filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission can also be found at this website.

TrustCo Bank Corp NY is a $5.7 billion savings and holding company and through its subsidiary, Trustco Bank, operates 148 offices in New York, , , , and . For more information, visit www.trustcobank.com.

In addition, the Bank’s Department offers a full range of investment services, retirement planning and trust and estate administration services. The common shares of TrustCo are traded on The NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol TRST.

Safe Harbor Statement

All statements in this news release that are not historical are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Forward-looking statements can be identified by words such as "anticipate," "intend," "plan," "goal," "seek," "believe," "project," "estimate," "expect," "strategy," "future," "likely," "may," "should," "will" and similar references to future periods. Examples of forward-looking statements include, among others, statements we make regarding our expectations for our performance during current and future periods and for the growth of and deposits throughout our branch network, our ability to capitalize on economic changes in the areas in which we operate and the extent to which higher expenses to fulfill operating and regulatory requirements recur or diminish over time. Such forward-looking statements are subject to factors that could cause actual results to differ materially for TrustCo from those discussed. TrustCo wishes to caution readers not to place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. The following important factors, among others, in some cases have affected and in the future could affect TrustCo’s actual results and could cause TrustCo’s actual financial performance to differ materially from that expressed in any forward-looking statement: the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on our business, financial condition, liquidity and results of operations; our ability to continue to originate a significant volume of one-to-four family mortgage loans in our market areas; our ability to continue to maintain noninterest expense and other overhead costs at reasonable levels relative to income; our ability to comply with the supervisory agreement entered into with Trustco Bank’s regulator and potential regulatory actions if we fail to comply; restrictions or conditions imposed by our regulators on our operations that may make it more difficult for us to achieve our goals; the future earnings and capital levels of Trustco Bank and the continued ability of Trustco Bank under regulatory rules and the supervisory agreement to distribute capital to TrustCo, which could affect our ability to pay ; results of examinations of Trustco Bank and TrustCo by our respective regulators; our ability to make accurate assumptions and judgments regarding the credit risks associated with lending and investing activities; the effect of changes in financial services laws and regulations and the impact of other governmental initiatives affecting the financial services industry; the effects of, and changes in, trade, monetary and fiscal policies and laws, including interest rate policies of the Federal Reserve Board, inflation, interest rates, market and monetary fluctuations; the perceived overall value of our products and services by users, including in comparison to competitors’ products and services and the willingness of current and prospective customers to substitute competitors’ products and services for our products and services; real estate and collateral values; changes in accounting policies and practices, as may be adopted by the bank regulatory agencies, the FASB or PCAOB; changes in local market areas and general business and economic trends, as well as changes in consumer spending and saving habits; our success at managing the risks involved in the foregoing and managing our business; and other risks and uncertainties under the heading “Risk Factors” in our most recent annual report on Form 10-K and in our subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q or other securities filings.