Supervision is a daily fact of life for bank boards and management. Below, we offer strategies for how both board members and members of management can ensure that the supervisory process goes as smoothly as possible....more
A recent bipartisan bill, if enacted, would particularly benefit small lenders and bank/fintech partnerships by promoting transparency, appellate rights and examiner accountability. On Dec. 14, 2023, a bipartisan group of...more
On September 27, 2023, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) issued Version 2.0 of the Lease Financing booklet of the OCC’s Comptroller Handbook, which replaced Version 1.0 published in August 2014 and updated...more
A recent bipartisan bill, if enacted, would particularly benefit small lenders and bank-fintech partnerships by promoting transparency, appellate rights, and examiner accountability. On December 14, 2023, a bipartisan...more
On December 21, the Office of Inspector General (OIG) of the FDIC issued its audit memorandum on the FDIC’s Regional Service Provider (RSP) Examination Program. The OIG’s objective was to assess the effectiveness of the...more
On June 28, the American Bankers Association, Consumer Bankers Association, Independent Community Bankers of America, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce affirmed in a letter to CFPB Director Rohit Chopra that the CFPB should...more
In This Issue. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) is seeking information and comment regarding the FDIC’s supervisory approach to examinations during the pandemic; the FDIC’s tech lab, FIDTECH, announced a “tech...more
In This Issue. The U.S. Department of the Treasury (Treasury) and the Small Business Administration (SBA) released an interim final rule to reflect changes made by H.R. 7010, the Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act,...more
A January proposal to give banks compliance slack floated by a high-ranking Federal Reserve Board (“FRB”) official has not yet gained the traction its supporters had hoped for. In remarks before the American Bar Association...more
Last month the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) and the federal bank regulators issued a Joint Statement aimed at improving transparency into their risk-focused examination and supervision of banks’ compliance...more
FDIC Approves 3-Year Phase-In for Adverse Effects on Capital from CECL - The FDIC has approved a final rule that will provide banks with the option to phase in over a three-year period the day-one adverse effects on...more
Federal Banking Agencies Issue Joint Statement on the Role of Supervisory Guidance - The federal banking agencies, along with the CFPB and the NCUA, have issued a joint statement clarifying the role of supervisory...more
On September 12, 2018, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (the “OCC“) released its first update to the “Deposit-Related Credit” booklet of the Comptroller’s Handbook (the “DRC Booklet“) since its March 2015...more
Headlines - ...OCC to Begin Accepting Applications for Bank Charters for Fintech Companies ...Agencies Issue Rules Implementing 18-Month Exam Cycles for Community Banks...more
The Wall Street Journal recently reported that the management component of the CAMELS rating for Wells Fargo Bank, NA had been downgraded to a “3” during 2017. A “3” rating of management means that the capabilities of...more
The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency has issued a new bulletin (2017-21) containing fourteen frequently asked questions to supplement OCC Bulletin 2013-29 entitled “Third-Party Relationships: Risk Management...more
With changing federal regulations, all eyes naturally focus on the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s (CFPB) latest activity. However, the CFPB will conduct less than 30 origination examinations by the end of this year,...more
On February 19, federal banking agencies increased the number of small banks and savings associations eligible for an 18-month examination cycle rather than a 12-month cycle. The changes are intended to reduce regulatory...more
Cybersecurity has been a focus as part of bank exams for years. Now the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. (FDIC) is increasing its scrutiny of banks’ cybersecurity practices to ensure that the issue is getting appropriate...more
On October 13, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (Board) issued guidance that applies to insured depository institutions that are seeking to become state chartered member banks of the Federal Reserve System...more
On December 10, 2014, Superintendent Benjamin Lawsky of the New York Department of Financial Services (the “DFS”) announced a “New Cyber Security Examination Process” (the “New Examination Process”) for New York-chartered and...more
The Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council (FFIEC) has released its revised Bank Secrecy Act/Anti-Money Laundering (BSA/AML) Examination Manual. The revisions clarify supervisory expectations and incorporate...more
Last week, the CFPB’s Ombudsman’s Office issued its third annual report covering the Office’s activities during fiscal year 2014 (October 1, 2013 through September 30, 2014). The role of the Ombudsman’s Office is to assist in...more
As we have been reporting, the CFPB has made the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) a major focus and instructs its examiners to look at SCRA compliance during examinations. The OCC has also stepped up its focus on SCRA...more
On January 16, 2014, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) released a proposal seeking comment on guidelines that would establish minimum standards of governance, risk management and board independence for...more