External Links

The Q3/Q4 2014 issue of Community Banking Connections discusses lessons learned from the bank failure epidemic in the Atlanta Fed’s District, provides views on recruiting and retaining community bank directors, assesses the role of minority depository institutions in the U.S., and reviews effective practices for loan policies, outsourcing, and cybersecurity.

On December 4, 2014, the Federal Reserve will host its annual Compliance Hot Topics webinar to recap recent regulatory changes, highlight various Federal Reserve and interagency guidance, discuss a number of current hot topics, and provide a glimpse of regulatory changes expected in the future.

On November 18, 2014, the Federal Reserve is hosting the fourth in a series of discussions on the TILA-RESPA Integrated Disclosures rule. This session will focus on issues related to completing the Closing Disclosure by addressing specific questions related to rule interpretation and implementation challenges.

On October 22, 2014, the Federal Reserve is hosting its annual interagency fair lending hot topics webinar. The event will focus on a variety of emerging fair lending issues and hot topics, including mortgage pricing risks, auto lending enforcement, maternity leave discrimination, and bank-owned foreclosed properties.

This issue discusses some of the changes to the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) since its enactment, suggestions for institutions in setting CRA strategy and goals, ways to monitor CRA performance, and common concerns and best practices for effective compliance management programs. Recent consumer compliance regulatory updates are also featured.

This bulletin discusses five factors that examiners have found associated with successful new product development: the repeatable process; strategic fit; risks and mitigants; regulatory compliance; and, financial costs and benefits. FedLinks is specifically designed for community banks and bank holding companies with total assets of less than $10 billion.

This bulletin briefly describes the underlying principles of a sound contingency funding plan (CFP), including seven critical elements of a CFP. It also covers examiner expectations and frequent recommendations. FedLinks is a single-topic bulletin prepared specifically for community banks and bank holding companies with total assets of less than $10 billion.

On October 1, the Federal Reserve is hosting a webcast by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Frequently Asked Questions on the TILA-RESPA Integrated Disclosures Rule. The event will address specific questions related to interpretation and implementation challenges and focus on questions about how to complete the loan estimate and closing document.

This issue of Consumer Compliance Outlook discusses our risk-focused supervision program for community banks, including responses to questions received and consumer compliance considerations for usage of social media. Recent consumer compliance-related regulatory updates are also featured.

This issue of Community Banking Connections discusses Federal Reserve Board staff perspectives on community bank supervision, emerging risks related to municipal lending, the unique risks of bank-owned life insurance, the application of accounting guidance as credit trends improve, and the Federal Reserve’s plans to conduct more off-site credit reviews.