Federal Reserve

Federal Reserve: Applications Open for Community Advisory Council

The Federal Reserve Board announced on Monday that it is accepting applications from individuals who wish to be considered for membership on the Community Advisory Council (CAC). The CAC was formed in 2015. It advises the Board on issues affecting consumers and communities and complements two of the Board’s other advisory councils whose members represent…

Agencies Extend Applicability Date of Certain Provision of the CRA Final Rule

Federal bank regulatory agencies today jointly issued an interim final rule that extends the applicability date of certain provisions in their Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) final rule issued in October 2023. The agencies also requested comment on the extension. To promote clarity and consistency, the agencies extended the applicability date of the facility-based assessment areas…

Agencies Take Temporary Action on Appraisal Requirements in Area Affected by Hawaii Wildfires

To help facilitate recovery efforts from wildfires in Hawaii last year, four federal financial institution regulatory agencies today temporarily paused certain appraisal requirements for real estate-related transactions in Maui County. This temporary action is expected to allow banks and credit unions to work with families and businesses without obtaining an appraisal. Banks and credit unions…

Agencies Host 2024 National Interagency Community Reinvestment Conference

The federal bank regulatory agencies and the Federal Reserve Banks of San Francisco and Chicago will host the 2024 National Interagency Community Reinvestment Conference in Portland, Oregon, March 4 to 7. The biennial conference offers participants the opportunity to learn about the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) and to discuss best practices, innovations, and emerging challenges…

Agencies Issue 2023 Shared National Credit Program Report

Federal bank regulatory agencies today reported in the 2023 Shared National Credit (SNC) report that credit quality associated with large, syndicated bank loans remains moderate. However, the agencies noted declining credit quality trends due to the pressure of higher interest rates on leveraged borrowers and compressed operating margins in some industry sectors. Risks in leveraged…

Federal Reserve: New Paper Reexamines the Role of the CRA in Mortgage Supply and the U.S. Housing Boom

Abstract: Concerns have lingered since the 2007 subprime crisis that government housing policies promote risky mortgage lending. The first peer-reviewed evidence of a causal effect was published by the Review of Financial Studies in a paper (Saadi, 2020) linking the crisis to changes in the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) in 1995. A review of that…

Federal Bank Regulatory Agencies Seek Comment on Interagency Effort to Reduce Regulatory Burden

The federal bank regulatory agencies today published their first of a series of requests for comment to reduce regulatory burden. The Economic Growth and Regulatory Paperwork Reduction Act of 1996 requires the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council and federal bank regulatory agencies to review their regulations every 10 years to identify any outdated or otherwise…

ABA: Trade Associations Sue Regulators for Exceeding Statutory Authority in New Community Reinvestment Act Rules

Groups ask court to vacate new CRA rules and will seek preliminary injunction to block implementation until case is decided. The American Bankers Association, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Independent Community Bankers of America, Texas Bankers Association, Independent Bankers Association of Texas, Amarillo Chamber of Commerce and Longview Chamber of Commerce today filed a lawsuit in the…

Federal Reseve: Bank Term Funding Program Will Cease Making New Loans on March 11th

The Federal Reserve Board on Wednesday announced that the Bank Term Funding Program (BTFP) will cease making new loans as scheduled on March 11. The program will continue to make loans until that time and is available as an additional source of liquidity for eligible institutions. During a period of stress last spring, the Bank…

Federal Reserve: Five New Members of Community Advisory Council Announced

The Federal Reserve Board on Monday announced five new members of its Community Advisory Council, or CAC. The CAC is composed of a diverse group of experts and representatives of consumer, workforce, and community development organizations and interests. CAC members provide information, advice, and recommendations to the Board on relevant policy matters and emerging issues…