CRA

If the agency hadn’t revised the 1977 law now, nothing would be done for communities in need that are struggling even more in the coronavirus pandemic, writes Faith Bautista, CEO of the National Diversity Coalition.

If Democrats retake both the White House and Senate in the 2020 election, analysts see threats to the industry from the appointment of new regulators and possible reversal of Trump-era deregulation. But legislation imposing new rules on financial institutions would face long odds.

The National Community Reinvestment Coalition, California Reinvestment Coalition and Democracy Forward accuse the agency of “unlawfully gutting” the historic anti-redlining law.

Joseph Otting will step down May 29 as head of the OCC and turn the reins over to Brooks, a former financial services industry executive who worked with Otting at OneWest.

The FHFA says the two government-sponsored enterprises need at least $240 billion of capital before they can go private; Transunion says more than 3% of consumer loans it tracks are in financial hardship.

The comptroller of the currency, who is stepping down after two and a half years on the job, ruffled feathers and won some fans in pushing through CRA reform, cutting costs and trying to reshape the agency’s examiner culture.

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency watered down numeric metrics that some groups blasted and allowed more institutions to opt out of the new regime. But whether the agency has won over any detractors remains to be seen.

Comptroller of the Currency Joseph Otting’s regulation reforming the Community Reinvestment Act lacks performance metrics criticized in an earlier proposal. But neither the FDIC nor the Fed is supporting the final plan.

One of the biggest subprime auto lenders agreed to pay $550 million to settle predatory lending charges; the bank regulator has largely completed his goal of overhauling the Community Reinvestment Act.

Comptroller of the Currency Joseph Otting says the revised Community Reinvestment Act will provide more credit access to communities in need and won't, as some had feared, create new thresholds for grading banks.