Predictions regarding the 2023 CRA Rule and Section 1071 and how to prepare for expected developments
How to estimate how your performance will look under the new CRA
2024 Regulatory Hot Topics
The Coming Perfect Storm
The Importance of Assessment Areas
Consumer Finance Monitor Podcast Episode: Community Reinvestment Act Reform: A Close Look at the Final Rule
Keeping up with all the new regulations
What’s behind the increase in CRA Exam failures?
The Community Reinvestment Act (CRA): Recap and What to Expect in 2014
In the first 3 articles in this series (1, 2, 3), we identified fatal flaws in the 2023 CRA rule. In Parts 4a – 4c we propose the regulators consider potential improvements to the rule when they publish the Notice of Proposed...more
In the previous 3 articles of this 4-part series I identified and explained three types of fatal flaws in the 2023 CRA rule: 1. The unreliable and sometimes misleading performance ratings based on unrealistic assessment...more
What Happened? The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”), Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (“Federal Reserve”) and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (“OCC”), (collectively, “federal...more
Len & Dean examine how the 2023 CRA rule and Section 1071 could impose unrealistic standards on banks through rigid assessment areas, urging the industry to engage in the rulemaking process and prepare for regulatory changes...more
As federal agencies pull back on consumer protection regulations under the Trump administration, California is stepping up to fill the void. This shift was forecasted in January, when the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau...more
In light of ongoing litigation and the Trump administration’s new policy approach, federal banking agencies intend to rescind the 2023 CRA final rule and revert to pre-2023 standards....more
To keep you informed of recent activities, below are several of the most significant federal and state events that have influenced the Consumer Financial Services industry over the past week....more
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC"), Federal Reserve Board (“FRB”), and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (“OCC”) (collectively, “the Agencies”) announced, that they intend to issue a proposal to...more
On March 28, the Federal Reserve, FDIC, and OCC jointly announced plans to rescind 2023 revisions to the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) regulations. The agencies stated they would return to the previous regulatory framework...more
On March 28, the FDIC, the Fed, and the OCC announced their intention to issue a proposal to rescind the CRA final rule that was issued in October 2023 (covered by InfoBytes here). According to the prudential regulators, this...more
When the new CRA rule was published in late 2023 it contained some very serious flaws that need to be corrected. In fact, some of those flaws are so bad that they left the Trump Administration with only 2 choices,...more
On March 28, the Federal Reserve Board, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) (together, the federal banking agencies) announced their intent to rescind the...more
Yesterday, as I was writing this article the news broke about the regulators deciding they intend to rescind the 2023 CRA rule. My first reaction was to toss this article in the “trash” folder. But upon further reflection I...more
The federal banking agencies have announced their intent to issue a proposal to rescind the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) final rule originally issued in October 2023. In their announcement on March 28, the agencies also...more
Today, March 28, the regulators announced what many have been anticipating. The Agencies issued a press release indicating they intend to rescind the 2023 CRA rule....more
When the new CRA rule was published in late 2023 it contained some very serious flaws that need to be corrected. Fixing the flawed CRA rule should be a high priority for the Trump Administration because the new rule is...more
As all CRA officers know by now on December 19, 2024, the agencies announced the new size thresholds to determine what asset size qualifies as a “small bank”, “intermediate-small bank”, and “large bank” for CRA purposes. The...more
Recently, the OCC released data on small business, small farm, and community development lending during 2023, compiled by the FFIEC. The 2023 data, reported by 721 lenders, revealed a slight increase in reporting institutions...more
On January 2, the OCC released its CRA performance evaluations that became public during the month of December. The OCC evaluated 16 entities, including national banks, federal savings associations, and insured federal...more
Alex Barrage, a partner with Troutman Pepper Locke, was quoted in the January 9, 2025 American Banker article, “CFPB Rules, M&A Standards Most Likely CRA Repeal Targets.”...more
In 2024, the U.S. federal bank regulators were extremely active, with initiatives ranging from antitrust and capital to proposals regarding controlling shareholders and incentive-based compensation. Climate issues and...more
On December 2, the OCC released its CRA performance evaluations that became public during the month of November. The OCC evaluated 19 entities, including national banks, federal savings associations, and insured federal...more
During the Biden-Harris Administration, the relationship between financial institutions and their regulators chilled considerably. The financial services industry works daily with its regulators—especially through the...more
While the coming weeks and months will provide more clarity, we already can anticipate some indications of what is in store for bank regulation, supervision, and enforcement in a second Trump Administration. To help navigate...more
When the new 2023 CRA Rule was approved by regulators FDIC Chairman Martin Gruenberg indicated one of the goals was to “raise the bar” for CRA performance ratings. Now that the final 2023 CRA performance ratings are in it...more