§__.23(e) – 1
Q: When applying the four performance criteria of 12 CFR__.23(e), may an examiner distinguish among qualified investments based on how much of the investment actually supports the underlying community development purpose?
A1. Yes. By applying all the criteria, a qualified investment of a lower dollar amount may be weighed more heavily under the investment test than a qualified investment with a higher dollar amount that has fewer qualitative enhancements. The criteria permit an examiner to qualitatively weight certain investments differently or to make other appropriate distinctions when evaluating an institution’s record of making qualified investments. For instance, an examiner should take into account that a targeted mortgage-backed security that qualifies as an affordable housing issue that has only 60 percent of its face value supported by loans to low- or moderate-income borrowers would not provide as much affordable housing for low- and moderate-income individuals as a targeted mortgage-backed security with 100 percent of its face value supported by affordable housing loans to low- and moderate-income borrowers. The examiner should describe any differential weighting (or other adjustment), and its basis in the Performance Evaluation. See also Q&A §__.12(t) – 8 for a discussion about the qualitative consideration of prior-period investments.
Source: Interagency Questions & Answers Regarding Community Reinvestment | July 2016