OCC: CRA Evaluation Schedule for First and Second Quarters 2026 Issued
The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) today released its schedule of Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) evaluations to be conducted in the first and second quarters of 2026. The OCC encourages public comment on the CRA-related activities of the national banks and federal savings associations (collectively, banks) scheduled to be evaluated under the…
Agencies Issue Final Rule to Modify Certain Regulatory Capital Standards
The federal bank regulatory agencies today jointly issued a final rule that modifies certain regulatory capital standards to reduce disincentives a banking organization may have to engage in lower-risk activities, such as intermediating in U.S. Treasury markets. The final rule is substantially similar to the proposal issued in June, with changes at the depository institution level. Like…
Agencies Issue Proposal to Enhance Community Banks’ Ability to Serve Their Communities While Maintaining Strong Capital Requirements
The federal bank regulatory agencies today invited public comment on a proposal that would implement changes to the community bank leverage ratio framework in accordance with statutory authority. By incorporating these changes, the revisions would reduce regulatory burden and provide community banks with greater flexibility and optionality in their capital management approach. The proposal reflects…
OCC: Request for Information Issued on Community Banks’ Engagement with Core Service Providers and Other Essential Third-Party Service Providers
Today the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) released a request for information (RFI) on community banks’ engagement with their core service providers and other essential third-party service providers. Note for Community Banks This request for information applies to all banks that may want to comment on the matters in the RFI. Highlights…
OCC: Agency Confirms Bank Authority to Hold Certain Crypto-Assets as Principal for Purposes of Paying Crypto-Asset Network Fees
The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) today confirmed permissible bank activities related to paying crypto-asset network fees. The OCC published Interpretive Letter 1186 confirming that a national bank may pay network fees, sometimes referred to as “gas fees,” on blockchain networks to facilitate otherwise permissible activities and hold, as principal, amounts of…
Federal Bank Regulatory Agencies Release 2024 Small Business, Small Farm, and Community Development Lending Data
The federal bank regulatory agencies, as members of the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council (FFIEC), today released data on small business, small farm, and community development lending during 2024. The Community Reinvestment Act regulations require the agencies to annually disclose these data. The FFIEC also prepared aggregate reports of small business and small farm lending…
ICBA: ICBA Urges OCC to Deny Coinbase’s Application for a National Bank Charter
The Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA) urged the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) to reject Coinbase’s application for a national trust bank charter for its subsidiary, Coinbase National Trust Co. (CNTC). In a letter to the OCC, ICBA outlined serious concerns with the application, stating it failed to meet requirements of the National…
OCC: Comments Requested on Proposed Rescission of Its Recovery Planning Guidelines
The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) today requested comment on a proposal to rescind its recovery planning guidelines for certain large insured national banks, federal savings associations, and federal branches (banks). Under the proposal, the recovery planning guidelines that went into effect January 1, 2025, and applied to banks with at least…
Agencies Announce Withdrawal of Principles for Climate-Related Financial Risk Management
The federal bank regulatory agencies today announced the withdrawal of interagency Principles for Climate-Related Financial Risk Management for Large Financial Institutions. The agencies do not believe principles for managing climate-related financial risk are necessary because the agencies’ existing safety and soundness standards require all supervised institutions to have effective risk management commensurate with their size,…