The OCC has removed “reputational risk” from its handbooks and guidance and the FDIC is moving to do the same.

The OCC’s decision supports “the OCC’s mission and its supervisory objectives to ensure that banks have appropriate and strong risk management processes for their business activities, treat customers fairly, and comply with applicable laws and regulations,” the agency said, in announcing the move.… Continue Reading

Republicans on the House Financial Services Committee have sent letters to financial regulators asking them to rescind a variety of measures the regulators issued during the Biden Administration.

“These letters highlight the rules and guidance issued under the previous Administration that reduce competition and innovation and must be rescinded or significantly modified,” the GOP members said in a joint letter to the regulators.… Continue Reading

On March 7, 2025, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (“OCC”) released Interpretive Letter 1183, marking a pivotal change in regulatory guidance for national banks and federal savings associations engaging in cryptocurrency activities. This recent directive, issued under Acting Comptroller Rodney Hood, rescinds the requirements set by Interpretive Letter 1179 from November 2021.… Continue Reading

The Bank Policy Institute (“BPI”) has issued its comment on the Federal Functional Regulators’ (the OCC, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, the FDIC, and the National Credit Union Administration) notice of proposed rulemaking (“NPRM”) to modernize financial institutions’ anti-money laundering and countering terrorist financing (“AML/CFT”) programs (“Comment”).… Continue Reading

The CFPB, Fed, and OCC have announced that they are increasing exemption thresholds that are subject to annual inflation adjustments.  Effective January 1, 2025 through December 31, 2025, these exemption thresholds are increased as follows:

  • The 2025 threshold for higher-priced mortgage loans that are subject to special appraisal requirements will increase from $32,400 to $33,500.
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On July 25, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (collectively, the agencies) issued a “Joint Statement on Banks’ Arrangements with Third Parties to Deliver Bank Deposit Products and Services” to “note potential risks related to arrangements between banks and third parties to deliver bank deposit products and services to end users”.… Continue Reading

The FDIC, the OCC and the Justice Department earlier this month issued updated standards for bank mergers. The three agencies acted separately, although officials noted that they had worked with the other agencies involved.

“Continued engagement with our fellow regulators is vitally important, especially as it relates to evaluating the competitive effects of mergers,” FDIC Chairman Martin Gruenberg said.… Continue Reading

On August 2, 2024, the CFPB, the OCC, the Federal Reserve Board, the FDIC, the NCUA, the FHFA, the CFTC, the SEC and the Treasury Department proposed a joint rule intended to establish standards to promote the ability of each of the agencies to exchange and use the data that the other agencies collect (referred to as the “interoperability” of financial data across the agencies).… Continue Reading

On July 19, we blogged about comments Acting Comptroller Hsu made before the Exchequer Club on July 17 particularly his decision to review prior OCC preemption determinations in light of the Supreme Court’s recent opinion in Cantero v. Bank of America reversing the Second Circuit’s holding that a New York State law which requires the payment of 2% interest on mortgage escrow accounts is preempted because such law exercises control over a federal power, regardless of the magnitude of its effects.… Continue Reading

The federal banking regulators are seeking comment to better understand the relationship between financial institutions and third parties that work for them.

The OCC, Federal Reserve and FDIC “seek public comment to build on their understanding of these arrangements, including with respect to roles, risks, costs, and revenue allocation,” the agencies said.… Continue Reading