Capital Briefs: FDIC Sees Scant Change in Underwriting

Bank underwriting practices held steady at 90% of 1,277 banks and thrifts examined by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. during the six months ending March 31, the agency reported Wednesday.

In its twice-yearly survey, the FDIC said roughly 10% of the state- chartered, nonmember banks examined made loans with "above-average" risk. However, the agency noted "most of those banks adjusted their loan prices to compensate for the higher risk."

The overall upbeat report, included several concerns: 13% of the banks had trouble managing the loan process; 6% had high concentrations of loans to one borrower or industry; and 22% of the 593 active construction lenders regularly funded speculative projects.