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Making Sense of the Current Economy – What to Expect

Between Covid-19, multiple hurricanes, social unrest, and Murder Hornets, the year 2020 has been strange, if not bizarre, to say the least.  The year has also been “interesting” when it comes to the economy.  Today we will discuss where we are and what we might expect in the coming months. Defining Terms The National Bureau […]

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Cutting Through the Murkiness: Fundamentals of the Comparative Review for Fair Lending

Fair lending concerns are one of the dominant risks lenders face in regard to their business operations. Although larger lenders typically have significant resources in place to mitigate these risks, and there has been an emphasis in the last decade on quantitative methods for fair lending evaluation, there remains a great deal of subjectivity in […]

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Technological Innovation in the Community Bank Space

The banking industry is entering a new chapter as the use of technology shifts from optional to mandatory in order to remain relevant in the current global and economic environment. As of July 20, 2020, the FDIC has released a request for information as part of its initiative to promote the efficient and effective adoption […]

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Public HMDA 2019 Overview and What Lenders Should Know

Below, we provide a summary of the recently released 2019 HMDA data, and keys for understanding the importance of these data. The Basics Enacted by Congress in 1975, and implemented by Regulation C, the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) is considered “the most comprehensive, publicly available information on mortgage market activity.”  Its purpose is to […]

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The Final CRA Rule: Differences in the Proposed and the Final Rule

As of May 20th, 2020, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency has finalized a new rule to “strengthen and modernize” its regulations for the Community Reinvestment Act (“CRA”). This final rule is designed to “increase bank CRA-related lending, investment, and services in low- and moderate-income communities where there is significant need for credit, […]

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Making Sense of COVID-19 Numbers: 5 Keys to Data Interpretation

Making Sense of COVID-19 Numbers: 5 Keys to Data Interpretation

We have discussed in previous posts reliance on data and how technology and the instant access to information has been transformative in society.  Technology and quick access to data continues to expand as does reliance on it.  With such a deluge of various sources, both in terms of raw numbers and “processed” or interpreted information, […]

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FFIEC Announces Release of 2019 Public HMDA Data & OCC Finalizes Community Reinvestment Act Rule

2019 Public HMDA Data On Wednesday, the FFIEC announced availability of the 2019 public HMDA data: The Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council (FFIEC) today announced the availability of data on 2019 mortgage lending transactions at 5,508 U.S. financial institutions covered by the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA). Covered institutions include banks, savings associations, credit unions, […]

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Challenges in Fair Lending Analysis, or Why You Don’t Have to Avoid Swimming Pools When Nicolas Cage is Working

The term “Information Age” probably pre-dates many who are reading this post, possibly originating as early as the 1970’s with the proliferation of computer technology.  From the mainframe era, to PC’s, laptops, personal devices and smart phones, technology continues to shape our world at a seemingly ever increasing rate.  This is all augmented by the […]

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CRA, The Regulatory Exam Process, & The Need For Change

On May 20th, FDIC Chairman Jelena McWilliams announced that the agency would not finalize the proposed rulemaking to modernize the Community Reinvestment Act at this time.  The joint proposal also included the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) support.  The Federal Reserve has not signed on to the proposal.  There was not a […]

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CECL, Loan Losses, and the Pandemic

The Current Expected Credit Losses standards (CECL) have once again been delayed for an undetermined period of time due to the Coronavirus Pandemic. Despite CECL implementation being pushed down the road again, forecasting credit losses is again front and center. This stems from the uncertainty created by the Pandemic and the nation’s corresponding response. The […]

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