Promoting a safe, sound, and stable banking and financial system, and fair and transparent financial services
Publications
First Glance 12L
Fourth Quarter 2020: On the Eve of Additional Stimulus
The 4Q20 issue of First Glance 12L notes that Paycheck Protection Program loan forgiveness boosted quarterly bank profits but eroded loan growth. Surging winter virus activity hurt employment, but by early 2021, easing case counts, vaccine rollout, and new federal stimulus brightened the outlook. In the “Spotlight” feature this quarter: municipal government fiscal challenges.
First Glance 12L
Third Quarter 2020: Not Yet Out of the Woods
The 3Q20 issue of First Glance 12L notes that federal stimulus, low interest rates, and loan modifications continued to blunt the effects of COVID-19 on the economy and banks. However, resurging virus transmission has left the recovery vulnerable. The report highlights banking risks on our radar and recaps selected pandemic impacts.
First Glance 12L
Second Quarter 2020: In the Eye of the Storm
The 2Q20 issue of First Glance 12L notes that Paycheck Protection Program activity swelled bank balance sheets, distorting several financial metrics. Growth and borrower accommodations held delinquency ratios at bay; however, performance will likely deteriorate once stimulus and forbearance efforts fade. In addition to various hot topics, the report spotlights disparities in household financial stress.
Supervision in Brief
Examination Activity During COVID-19
We are ready to restart examination activity and have issued interagency guidance for safety and soundness (SR 20-15). This guidance recognizes that external events such as COVID-19 can have an adverse impact on a financial institution’s condition that may not be reflective of management’s efforts to mitigate these risks. The interagency guidance instructs examiners to consider the unique, evolving, and potential long-term nature of the issues confronting institutions.
First Glance 12L
First Quarter 2020: COVID-19: From Headwind to Hurricane
The 1Q20 issue of First Glance 12L charts the sudden and dramatic toll of the COVID-19 pandemic. Federal stimulus and borrower relief blunted some of the economic and banking damage, but the path of the recovery remains uncertain. The report highlights various hot topics, including the small business credit landscape.
Pacific Exchanges Podcast
Greta Bull Puts Financial Inclusion Into Context
In episode two of our series Financial Inclusion & Beyond, we spoke with Greta Bull, the chief executive officer of CGAP, an expert in development finance, primarily focused on small and medium enterprise finance, microfinance, and digital financial services. We discuss the history of financial inclusion efforts around the world and the evolution of the financial inclusion movement, the micro and macro effects of inclusion, and lessons learned from various efforts around the globe.
