Skip to quick links of this areaSkip to main contentOCC Logo Comptroller of the Currency, Administrator of national Banks

| | | | | |

Community Reinvestment Act Information


Search this Site:

Search Tips

What's New
About the OCC
Banker Education
Careers at the OCC
Community Affairs
Corporate Applications
CRA Information
  • CRA Regulation
  • CRA Interpretations
  • Interagency CRA Q&A
  • CRA Eval. Search
  • CRA Eval. Coming Due
  • Wholesale/Limited Purpose
           Banks
  • CRA Exam Procedures
  • CRA Exam Procedures --
           Small Banks
  • CRA Eval. Monthly List
  • National Banks - Strategic
           Plans
  • Skip to main content
    Consumer Complaints
    and Assistance
    Electronic Banking
    FOIA
    Issuances
    Legal and Regulatory
    News Releases
    Publications
    Public Information
    Related Sites
    Speeches
    Treasury Homepage
    National BankNet for Chartered National Banks
    FirstGov

    End of Left Navigation links group


     The Act (CRA)

    The CRA was enacted in 1977 to prevent redlining and to encourage banks and thrifts to help meet the credit needs of all segments of their communities, including low- and moderate-income neighborhoods. It extends and clarifies the longstanding expectation that banks will serve the convenience and needs of their local communities. The CRA and its implementing regulations require federal financial institution regulators to assess the record of each bank and thrift in helping to fulfill their obligations to the community and to consider that record in evaluating applications for charters or for approval of bank mergers, acquisitions, and branch openings. The federal financial institution regulators are: Office of the Comptroller of the Currency; Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System; Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation; and Office of Thrift Supervision.

    The law provides a framework for depository institutions and community organizations to work together to promote the availability of credit and other banking services to underserved communities. Under its impetus, banks and thrifts have opened new branches, provided expanded services, adopted more flexible credit underwriting standards, and made substantial commitments to state and local governments or community development organizations to increase lending to underserved segments of local economies and populations.

    CRA Institutions

    CRA applies to federally insured depository institutions, national banks, thrifts, and state-chartered commercial and savings banks.

    OCC’s CRA Responsibilities

    The CRA’s implementing regulation (12 CFR 25, et seq.) requires the OCC to assess a national bank’s record of helping to meet the credit needs of its entire community, including low- and moderate-income neighborhoods, consistent with safe and sound operations. It also mandates that the agency consider that record in its evaluation of a bank’s application for new branches or relocation of an existing branch, bank mergers and consolidations, and other corporate activities. In general, the OCC conducts a CRA examination of a national bank every three years. However, the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act mandates an extended examination cycle for smaller banks. CRA examinations for banks with an overall CRA rating of outstanding and aggregate assets of $250 million or less can be started no sooner than 60 months after the most recent CRA examination. Similarly, CRA examinations for banks with an overall CRA rating of satisfactory and aggregate assets of $250 million or less can be started no sooner than 48 months after the most recent CRA examination. Banks may be removed from this extended CRA examination cycle for reasonable cause or in connection with an application for a depository facility. The OCC publishes an advance notice of scheduled CRA examinations quarterly. A written performance evaluation of the bank’s CRA activities, including a CRA rating, is prepared at the end of each CRA examination and made available to the general public. The OCC encourages community and civic organizations, government, and other members of the public to express their views about a bank’s CRA performance to the bank and the OCC at the earliest possible time. This allows the bank to address any concerns and the OCC to take the public’s views into account in evaluating the bank’s CRA record and reaching conclusions about its performance ratings. If those comments are sent to the OCC, the OCC will also consider them when reviewing applications covered by the CRA.

    Additional Information

    If you are interested in obtaining additional information about CRA, visit our website at http://www.occ.treas.gov or contact:

    Office of the Comptroller of the Currency
    Compliance Division
    250 E Street, SW - Mail Stop 6-7
    Washington, DC 20219

    Telephone: (202) 874-4428
    Fax: (202) 874-5221
    This page may contain PDF documents
    Download Adobe Acrobat Reader 5.0

    You are entering an official United States government system, which may be used only for authorized purposes. Unauthorized modification of any information stored on this system may result in criminal prosecution.