Examination Activity During COVID-19

July 10, 2020

As you know, the Federal Reserve has taken actions, including a pause on our onsite exam work and a pivot to enhanced monitoring, to help support financial institutions during these challenging times. After nearly four months, 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 and to exercise appropriate flexibility in their supervisory response.