In Brief: OTS Holding 'Town Meetings' on Reg Relief

Jonathan Fiechter, acting director of the Office of Thrift Supervision, is starting a new round of town meetings this week to solicit advice on regulatory relief.

The agency invited thrift executives to gather at meetings in Philadelphia and Baltimore.

"As we have moved out of the crisis mode of the late '80s and early '90s and the thrift industry is much healther, we need to review our current regulations," said Mr. Fiechter.

The agency is particularly interested in suggestions on how it might review, line by line, all its rules, Mr. Fiechter said.

But the hot topic at these meetings is likely to be bank and thrift deposit insurance premiums, which are scheduled to diverge sharply later this year.

Thrift executives also are expected to discuss final Community Reinvestment Act rules, which came out this week.

These two-hour gatherings kick off a second series of powwows for the OTS. Last year, the agency held five meetings in the cities where it has regional offices.

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