Bank
Regulatory News
March 2006
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March 31, 2006 - NCUA - St. John Baptist FCU Closes - United
Financial Services Federal Credit Union to serve St. John Baptist
Credit Union Members - The National Credit Union Administration
yesterday liquidated St. John Baptist Federal Credit Union, Scotch
Plains, New Jersey, and transferred its 180 members' accounts to
United Financial Services Federal Credit Union in Scotch Plains.
www.ncua.gov/news/press_releases/2006/NR06-0331.htm
March 31, 2006 - OCC Reports Derivatives Volume Tops $100 Trillion -
The notional amount of derivatives held by U.S. commercial banks
increased by $2.7 trillion in the fourth quarter of 2005, to a
record $101.5 trillion, the Office of the Comptroller of the
Currency reported today in its quarterly Bank Derivatives Report.
www.occ.treas.gov/toolkit/newsrelease.aspx?Doc=GQAKB1NZ.xml
March 31, 2006 - FDIC Makes Public February Enforcement Actions - No
Administrative Hearing Scheduled - The Federal Deposit Insurance
Corporation today released a list of orders of administrative
enforcement actions taken against banks and individuals in February.
No administrative hearing is scheduled for April.
www.fdic.gov/news/news/press/2006/pr06034.html
March 31, 2006 - Report Issued on Improving Financial Privacy
Notices for Consumers - Federal regulators today released Evolution
of a Prototype Financial Privacy Notice, a report by Kleimann
Communication Group summarizing consumer research commissioned by
the regulators as part of their ongoing efforts to develop improved
financial privacy notices.
Press Release:
www.federalreserve.gov/boarddocs/press/bcreg/2006/20060331/default.htm
Press Release:
www.fdic.gov/news/news/press/2006/pr06033.html
Press Release:
www.occ.treas.gov/ftp/release/2006-42.htm
Attachment:
www.occ.treas.gov/toolkit/newsrelease.aspx?Doc=IE0ALTNO.xml
Press Release:
www.ots.treas.gov/docs/7/776016.html
Press Release:
www.ncua.gov/news/press_releases/2006/JR06-0331.pdf
March 31, 2006 - Governor Susan Schmidt Bies - An Update on
Regulatory Issues - At the Banking Institute, Charlotte, North
Carolina.
www.federalreserve.gov/boarddocs/speeches/2006/200603312/default.htm
March 31, 2006 - Vice Chairman Roger W. Ferguson, Jr. - Financial
Regulation: Seeking the Middle Way - At the Institute of
International Finance Spring 2006 Membership Meeting, Zurich,
Switzerland.
www.federalreserve.gov/boarddocs/speeches/2006/20060331/default.htm
March 30, 2006 - The Federal Reserve Board on Thursday approved
action by the Board of Directors of the Federal Reserve Bank of
Kansas City, increasing the discount rate at the Bank from 5-1/2
percent to 5-3/4 percent, effective immediately.
www.federalreserve.gov/boarddocs/press/monetary/2006/20060330/default.htm
___________________March 30, 2006 - Retirement account protection increases April 1 -
Insurance protection on retirement accounts in federally insured credit
unions increases April 1, 2006, to $250,000, while coverage on all other
types of share accounts remains $100,000 in compliance with an interim final
rule NCUA issued amending insurance protection and implementing changes
required by recent Congressional reform.
www.ncua.gov/news/press_releases/2006/NR06-0330-2.htm
March 30, 2006 - NCUA Extends Application Deadline for Disaster Relief
Grants - National Credit Union Administration Chairman JoAnn Johnson
announced the extension of the application deadline for the Community
Development Revolving Loan Fund's disaster relief grants from March 31, 2006
to September 30, 2006. Qualifying credit unions in areas affected by the
Gulf Coast hurricanes may apply for up to $2,500 for assistance in resuming
operations.
www.ncua.gov/news/press_releases/2006/NR06-0330.htm
March 30, 2006 - Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography and
Marketing Act of 2003 - This bulletin transmits Examination Procedures,
including a Worksheet, to test financial institutions for compliance with
regulations implementing the CAN-SPAM Act of 2003.
Press Release:
www.occ.treas.gov/ftp/bulletin/2006-14.txt
Attachment:
www.occ.treas.gov/ftp/bulletin/2006-14a.pdf
Attachment:
www.occ.treas.gov/ftp/bulletin/2006-14b.pdf
March 30, 2006 - Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) and the Junk Fax
Protection Act - This bulletin transmits Examination Procedures, including a
Worksheet, to test financial institutions for compliance with regulations
implementing the Telephone Consumer Protection Act.
Press Release:
www.occ.treas.gov/ftp/bulletin/2006-15.txt
Attachment:
www.occ.treas.gov/ftp/bulletin/2006-15a.pdf
Attachment:
www.occ.treas.gov/ftp/bulletin/2006-15b.pdf
March 30, 2006 - OCC Chief Counsel Highlights Need For Improved Consumer
Financial Disclosures - Chief Counsel and First Senior Deputy Comptroller
Julie L. Williams called for more effective "consumer-oriented disclosures
in the financial services business" as a vital part of consumer protection
in a speech to the 2006 Banking Institute, today.
www.occ.treas.gov/toolkit/newsrelease.aspx?Doc=NIH4QPG.xml
March 30, 2006 - Notice of proposed rulemaking to implement Basel II
risk-based capital requirements in the United States for large,
internationally active banking organizations.
www.federalreserve.gov/boarddocs/press/bcreg/2006/20060330/default.htm
March 30, 2006 - The Federal Reserve Board on Thursday announced the
approval of the application of Caja de Ahorros del Mediterráneo, Alicante,
Spain, to establish an agency in Miami, Florida.
www.federalreserve.gov/boarddocs/press/orders/2006/200603302/default.htm
March 30, 2006 - The Federal Reserve Board on Thursday announced its
approval of the proposal by New York Community Bancorp, Inc. and New York
Community Newco, Inc., both of Westbury, to acquire Atlantic Bank of New
York, New York, all in New York.
www.federalreserve.gov/boarddocs/press/orders/2006/20060330/default.htm
March 30, 2006 - NCUA - Hood Shares Strategies for Serving the Underserved
at Iowa Summit - NCUA Vice Chairman Rodney Hood told a group of 100 credit
union leaders March 28, 2006, in Des Moines attending the Iowa Credit Union
Foundation Summit that lifting the rate of home ownership for the
underserved has never been more important.
www.ncua.gov/news/press_releases/2006/NR06-0329.htm
March 30, 2006 - Bank Secrecy Act - Commercial Bank of Syria - Designation
of Primary Money Laundering Concern - The Department of the Treasury has
designated Commercial Bank of Syria, including its subsidiary, Syrian
Lebanese Commercial Bank, as a financial institution of primary money
laundering concern and has issued the attached final rule restricting
domestic financial institutions' banking relationships with this entity.
www.fdic.gov/news/news/financial/2006/fil06028.html
March 29, 2006 - Unauthorized Banking: Current List of OCC Alerts on
Unauthorized Banking - This OCC listing (PDF) of unauthorized offshore and
domestic banking activities named in OCC alerts from the year 1996 to date
is intended to aid in the search for problem entities.
www.occ.treas.gov/ftp/alert/2006-16a.pdf
March 29, 2006 - OCC Focuses on Commercial Lending in Indian Country - The
Office of the Comptroller of the Currency today released a Community
Developments Insights report, "Commercial Lending in Indian Country:
Potential Opportunities in an Untapped Market," which highlights best
practices for banks making commercial loans on tribal trust lands as well as
to tribes and tribal enterprises.
www.occ.treas.gov/toolkit/newsrelease.aspx?Doc=1MN5VYLR.xml
March 29, 2006 - Incentives and Prices for Motor Vehicles: What Has Been
Happening in Recent Years? Carol Corrado, Wendy Dunn, and Maria Otoo - We
address the construction of price indexes for consumer vehicles using data
collected from a national sample of dealerships. The dataset contains highly
disaggregate data on actual sales prices and quantities, along with
information on customer cash rebates, financing terms, and much more.
www.federalreserve.gov/pubs/feds/2006/200609/index.html
March 29, 2006 - Real-time Model Uncertainty in the United States: The Fed
from 1996-2003 Robert J. Tetlow and Brian Ironside 2006-8 - We study 30
vintages of FRB/US, the principal macro model used by the Federal Reserve
Board staff for forecasting and policy analysis. To do this, we exploit
archives of the model code, coefficients, baseline databases and stochastic
shock sets stored after each FOMC meeting from the model's inception in July
1996 until November 2003.
www.federalreserve.gov/pubs/feds/2006/200608/index.html
March 29, 2006 - Governor Susan Schmidt Bies - Sound Capital and Risk
Management At the OpRisk USA 2006 Conference, New York, New York.
www.federalreserve.gov/boarddocs/speeches/2006/20060329/default.htm
March 28, 2006 - NCUA - The April 2006 NCUA newsletter is available.
www.ncua.gov/news/newsletter/NCUA/06April.pdf
March 28, 2006 - GAO Report Provides Positive Assessment of OCC Consumer
Assistance - Comptroller of the Currency John C. Dugan said today he was
pleased with a report by the Government Accountability Office on the
agency's consumer assistance services and said the OCC will implement three
recommendations in the report.
www.occ.treas.gov/toolkit/newsrelease.aspx?Doc=AO53UXEW.xml
March 28, 2006 - Deposit Insurance Coverage Changes to FDIC Rules for
Deposit Insurance Coverage - The FDIC Board of Directors has adopted the
attached interim final rules to implement provisions of the Federal Deposit
Insurance Reform Act of 2005 pertaining to deposit insurance coverage. These
rules take effect on April 1, 2006. The attached "Changes in Deposit
Insurance Coverage" provides details about the insurance coverage changes
implemented by the rules; information about official FDIC signage for banks
and savings associations in light of the coverage changes; information about
a special bulletin and statement stuffers that institutions can distribute
to their employees and customers; and the FDIC's plans to update its
insurance coverage resources.
www.fdic.gov/news/news/financial/2006/fil06027.html
March 28, 2006 - FRB Statistical Release - G.20 Finance Companies - Owned
And Managed Receivables Outstanding 2 - Seasonally adjusted.
www.federalreserve.gov/Releases/g20/current/default.htm
March 28, 2006 - FOMC statement and Board approval of discount rate requests
of the Federal Reserve Banks of Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Cleveland,
Richmond, Atlanta, Chicago, St. Louis, Minneapolis, Dallas, and San
Francisco.
www.federalreserve.gov/boarddocs/press/monetary/2006/20060328/default.htm
March 28, 2006 - NCUA General Counsel Opinion 06-0318 - Change in Number of
FCU Directors.
www.ncua.gov/RegulationsOpinionsLaws/opinion_letters/2006/06-0318.pdf
March 27, 2006 - The Federal Reserve Board on Monday launched a new kids web
page designed to educate middle school students about the Board of Governors
of the Federal Reserve System. The new web page is designed in a
user-friendly, question-and-answer format to ensure easy navigation and the
ability to learn basic information about the Fed.
www.federalreserve.gov/boarddocs/press/other/2006/20060327/default.htm
March 27, 2006 - The Federal Reserve Board on Monday announced the approval
of the application of Banco Latinoamericano de Exportaciones S.A., Panama
City, Republic of Panama, to establish a representative office in Miami,
Florida.
www.federalreserve.gov/boarddocs/press/orders/2006/200603272/default.htm
March 27, 2006 - The Federal Reserve Board on Monday announced its approval
of the application and notice under sections 3 and 4 of the Bank Holding
Company Act by BB&T Corporation, Winston Salem, North Carolina, to effect
the following transactions: (1) to acquire Main Street Banks, Inc. ("Main
Street"), Atlanta, and its subsidiary bank, Main Street Bank, Covington,
both of Georgia; and (2) to acquire Main Street's subsidiary, MSB Payroll
Solutions, LLC, Alpharetta, Georgia, and thereby engage in permissible data
processing activities.
www.federalreserve.gov/boarddocs/press/orders/2006/20060327/default.htm
March 27, 2006 - NCUA - Grant Applications are Available for Building
Internal Capacity Initiative, Outreach and Partnering Initiative and
Volunteer Income Tax Assistance
www.ncua.gov/CreditUnionDevelopment/Programs/FinanceGrants.htm
March 24, 2006 - The fourth conference organized by the International
Research Forum on Monetary Policy will be held at the Federal Reserve Board
on December 1-2, 2006.
www.federalreserve.gov/events/conferences/2006/20061201/default.htm
March 24, 2006 - NCUA Board Member Hyland Visits Low-Income Credit Unions -
National Credit Union Administration Board Member Gigi Hyland spoke to the
New York State Credit Union League's Metropolitan Chapter of Credit Unions
in Manhattan, and in conjunction with her speech, visited Lower East Side
People's Federal Credit Union in Manhattan, and Bethex Federal Credit Union
in the Bronx.
www.ncua.gov/news/press_releases/2006/NR06-0324.htm
_______________
March 23, 2006 - OTS Promotes Customer Education Program On Identity
Theft - The Office of Thrift Supervision is encouraging savings institutions
to take advantage of a new Treasury Department program to educate their
customers on identity theft prevention and remedies.
www.ots.treas.gov/docs/7/776015.html
March 23, 2006 - Investing in Low-Income Housing Tax Credits: A Sound
Opportunity for Community Banks - The Office of the Comptroller of the
Currency today published the Spring 2006 edition of Community Developments
Investments focusing on Low-Income Housing Tax Credits, an investment that
many banks do not know is available to them.
www.occ.treas.gov/toolkit/newsrelease.aspx?Doc=EYKR8OR4.xml
March 23, 2006 - Kevin M. Warsh and Randall S. Kroszner were formally sworn
in as members of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System at a
ceremony Thursday in the atrium of the Board's main building in Washington.
www.federalreserve.gov/boarddocs/press/other/2006/20060323/default.htm
March 23, 2006 - NCUA - Anne-Marie Kelley To Join NCUA's Office of Public
and Congressional Affairs - National Credit Union Administration (NCUA)
Chairman JoAnn Johnson today announced that Anne-Marie Kelley has been
appointed Special Assistant for Legislative Affairs effective March 27th.
www.ncua.gov/news/press_releases/2006/NR06-0322.htm
March 23, 2006 - The Federal Reserve Board on Thursday announced the
approval of the application of National City Corporation, Cleveland, Ohio,
to acquire Forbes First Financial Corporation, St. Louis, and its subsidiary
bank, Pioneer Bank and Trust Company, Maplewood, both in Missouri.
www.federalreserve.gov/boarddocs/press/orders/2006/20060323/default.htm
March 23, 2006 - The Federal Reserve Board on Thursday announced the
issuance of a Final Decision and Order of Prohibition against Oyeacholem
Moseri, a former employee of First North American National Bank, Kenneshaw,
Georgia. The Order, the result of an action brought by the Office of the
Comptroller of the Currency, prohibits Mr. Moseri from participating in the
conduct of the affairs of any financial institution or holding company.
www.federalreserve.gov/boarddocs/press/Enforcement/2006/20060323/default.htm
March 22, 2006 - NCUA - Letter to Credit Unions 06-CU-06 - Influenza
Pandemic Preparedness.
www.ncua.gov/letters/2006/CU/06-CU-06-ENCL.pdf
March 22, 2006 - Should We Expect Significant Out-of-Sample Results When
Predicting Stock Returns? - Erik Hjalmarsson - Using Monte Carlo
simulations, I show that typical out-of-sample forecast exercises for stock
returns are unlikely to produce any evidence of predictability, even when
there is in fact predictability and the correct model is estimated.
www.federalreserve.gov/Pubs/ifdp/2006/855/ifdp855.htm
March 22, 2006 - Fully Modified Estimation With Nearly Integrated Regressors
- Erik Hjalmarsson - I show that the test procedure derived by Campbell and
Yogo (2005, Journal of Financial Economics, forthcoming) for regressions
with nearly integrated variables can be interpreted as the natural t-test
resulting from a fully modified estimation with near-unit-root regressors.
www.federalreserve.gov/Pubs/ifdp/2006/854/ifdp854.htm
March 22, 2006 - New Methods for Inference in Long-Run Predictive
Regressions - Erik Hjalmarsson - I develop new asymptotic results for
long-horizon regressions with overlapping observations. I show that rather
than using auto-correlation robust standard errors, the standard t-statistic
can simply be divided by the square root of the forecasting horizon to
correct for the effects of the overlap in the data.
www.federalreserve.gov/Pubs/ifdp/2006/853/ifdp853.htm
March 22, 2006 - Estimation of Average Local-to-Unity Roots in Heterogenous
Panels - Erik Hjalmarsson - This paper considers the estimation of average
autoregressive roots-near-unity in panels where the time-series have
heterogenous local-to-unity parameters. The pooled estimator is shown to
have a potentially severe bias and a robust median based procedure is
proposed instead. This median estimator has a small asymptotic bias that can
be eliminated almost completely by a bias correction procedure. The
asymptotic normality of the estimator is proved. The methods proposed in the
paper provide a useful way of summarizing the persistence in a panel data
set, as well as a complement to more traditional panel unit root tests.
www.federalreserve.gov/Pubs/ifdp/2006/852/ifdp852.htm
March 22, 2006 - Federal Reserve Bulletin: Legal Developments - Fourth
Quarter, 2005.
www.federalreserve.gov/pubs/bulletin/2006/legal06-1.pdf
March 22, 2006 - Agencies Seek Public Comment on Issues Related to the
Accuracy of Consumer Credit Reports and the Reinvestigation of Disputes -
The federal financial institution regulatory agencies and the Federal Trade
Commission have jointly issued for comment an Advance Notice of Proposed
Rulemaking on section 312 of the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act.
Press Release:
www.federalreserve.gov/boarddocs/press/bcreg/2006/20060322/default.htm
Press Release:
www.occ.treas.gov/toolkit/newsrelease.aspx?JNR=1&Doc=A8LXRAJI.xml
Press Release:
www.fdic.gov/news/news/press/2006/pr06032.html
Press Release:
www.ots.treas.gov/docs/7/776014.html
Press Release:
www.ncua.gov/news/press_releases/2006/JR06-0322.pdf
March 21, 2006 - Comptroller of the Currency Hosts Community Bank Directors
Workshops in Columbus, Ohio - The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency
will host workshops for national community bank directors at the Westin
Great Southern Hotel, Columbus, Ohio, on April 25-26.
www.occ.treas.gov/toolkit/newsrelease.aspx?Doc=M754AN3.xml
March 21, 2006 - FRB Statistical Release - E.2 Survey of Terms of Business
Lending.
www.federalreserve.gov/Releases/E2/Current/default.htm
March 21, 2006 - Amendments to Regulation K to include Bank Secrecy Act
compliance program requirement - On March 20, 2006 the Federal Reserve
published in the Federal Register a final rule that amends Regulation K,
International Banking Operations . The final rule requires Edge and
agreement corporations and U.S. branches, agencies, and representative
offices of foreign banks supervised by the Federal Reserve to establish and
maintain procedures reasonably designed to ensure and monitor compliance
with the Bank Secrecy Act and related regulations.
www.federalreserve.gov/BoardDocs/SRLetters/2006/SR0607.htm
March 20, 2006 - Chairman Ben S. Bernanke - Reflections on the Yield Curve
and Monetary Policy - Before the Economic Club of New York, New York, New
York.
www.federalreserve.gov/boarddocs/speeches/2006/20060320/default.htm
March 20, 2006 - NCUA issues interim rule amending share insurance coverage
- Retirement account coverage increases to $250,000; standard share account
coverage remains $100,000.
www.ncua.gov/news/press_releases/2006/NR06-0320.htm
March 20, 2006 - NCUA - The National Credit Union Administration Executive
Director Len Skiles announced the selection of Chrisanthy J. Loizos as
Director of Equal Opportunity Programs. Prior to her selection, Ms. Loizos
had been serving as Acting Director since January of 2006.
www.ncua.gov/news/press_releases/2006/NR06-0320-2.htm
March 20, 2006 - Wal-Mart Bank's Application for Federal Deposit Insurance -
A draft agenda for the April public hearings on the proposed Wal-Mart Bank's
application for federal deposit insurance is now available on the FDIC's Web
site, www.fdic.gov. The agenda includes the names of parties who are
currently scheduled to give oral presentations, as well as the speaking
times and the locations where the parties are scheduled to speak. The final
agenda will be posted to the FDIC's Web site no later than April 5, 2006.
www.fdic.gov/news/news/press/2006/pr06031.html
March 20, 2006 - The Federal Reserve Board on Monday announced the approval
of an application by Caja de Ahorros de Galicia, Caixa Galicia, A Coruña,
Spain, to establish an agency in Miami, Florida.
www.federalreserve.gov/boarddocs/press/orders/2006/20060320/default.htm
March 20, 2006 - Reports of Condition and Income for First Quarter 2006 -
The enclosed materials pertain to the Reports of Condition and Income for
the March 31, 2006, report date. Please plan to complete the preparation,
editing, review, and submission of your Call Report data to the agencies'
Central Data Repository as early as possible.
www.fdic.gov/news/news/financial/2006/fil06026.html
March 20, 2006 - Rich Spillenkothen, the director of the Division of Banking
Supervision and Regulation, will retire on June 30 after thirty years of
service with the Federal Reserve Board, including nearly fifteen years as
the director of the division.
www.federalreserve.gov/boarddocs/press/other/2006/20060320/default.htm
March 17, 2006 - OCC Announces New Electronic Interpretations and Actions -
March 2006.
www.occ.treas.gov/interp/mar06/intmar06.htm
March 17, 2006 - The Federal Reserve Board on Friday announced the approval
of policy changes that seek to reduce the overuse of Federal Reserve Bank
cash-processing services by providing incentives for depository institutions
to recirculate currency among their customers. The Reserve Banks estimate
that the changes to the cash services policy could affect approximately 150
to 225 depository institutions with high-volume currency operations.
www.federalreserve.gov/boarddocs/press/other/2006/20060317/default.htm
March 17, 2006 - NCUA - Letter to Credit Unions 06-CU-05 - Share Insurance
Coverage (Deposit Insurance Reform)
www.ncua.gov/letters/2006/CU/06-CU-05.pdf
March 17, 2006 - OCC Clarifies Community Development Investment Authority
For Investments in Minority Owned Banks and Thrifts - The Office of the
Comptroller of the Currency announced a new interpretive "Question and
Answer" which will clarify the criteria under which a national bank may make
an investment in a minority-owned bank or thrift under the Part 24 community
development investment authority.
www.occ.treas.gov/toolkit/newsrelease.aspx?Doc=BYTOJQ74.xml
March 17, 2006 - Banking Structure - Financial Holding Companies - Under the
Bank Holding Company Act, bank holding companies may elect to be financial
holding companies. Following is a list of those companies whose elections to
become or be treated as financial holding companies are effective. The list
includes only the top-tier company in each organization.
www.federalreserve.gov/GeneralInfo/FHC/default.htm
March 17, 2006 - The Yield Curve and Predicting Recessions - Jonathan H.
Wright - The slope of the Treasury yield curve has often been cited as a
leading economic indicator, with inversion of the curve being thought of as
a harbinger of a recession. In this paper, I consider a number of probit
models using the yield curve to forecast recessions. Models that use both
the level of the federal funds rate and the term spread give better
in-sample fit, and better out-of-sample predictive performance, than models
with the term spread alone.
www.federalreserve.gov/Pubs/FEDS/2006/200607/200607pap.pdf
March 17, 2006 - Statistical Release G.17 Industrial Production - Industrial
production increased 0.7 percent in February after a decrease of 0.3 percent
in January. The output of utilities jumped 7.9 percent in February, as the
weather moved closer to seasonal norms after January's warm temperatures.
Mining output decreased 0.5 percent in February, and manufacturing
production was unchanged after a gain of 0.8 percent in January.
www.federalreserve.gov/Releases/g17/current/default.htm
March 17, 2006 - The Federal Reserve Board on Friday announced the issuance
of a consent Cease and Desist Order against Doral Financial Corporation, San
Juan, Puerto Rico, a registered bank holding company that owns and controls
Doral Bank, San Juan, Puerto Rico, a state nonmember bank, and indirectly
owns and controls Doral Bank, FSB, New York, New York, a federal savings
bank.
www.federalreserve.gov/boarddocs/press/Enforcement/2006/20060317/default.htm
March 17, 2006 - The Federal Reserve Board on Friday announced the issuance
of a consent Cease and Desist Order against First BanCorp, Santurce, Puerto
Rico, a registered bank holding company that owns and controls FirstBank
Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico, a state nonmember bank, and indirectly
owns and controls FirstBank Florida, Miami, Florida, a federal savings and
loan association.
www.federalreserve.gov/boarddocs/press/Enforcement/2006/200603172/default.htm
March 17, 2006 - The Federal Reserve Board on Friday announced the issuance
of a consent Cease and Desist Order against R&G Financial Corporation, Hato
Rey, San Juan, Puerto Rico, a registered bank holding company that owns and
controls R-G Premier Bank of Puerto Rico.
www.federalreserve.gov/boarddocs/press/Enforcement/2006/200603173/default.htm
_______________
March 16, 2006 - Availability of Funds and Collection of Checks
(Regulation CC) and Collection of Checks and Other Items by Federal
Reserve Banks and Funds Transfers through Fedwire (Regulation J):
Amendment to Regulation CC and J Addressing Remotely Created Checks.
Press Release :
www.occ.treas.gov/ftp/bulletin/2006-13.txt
Attachment:
www.occ.treas.gov/fr/fedregister/70fr71218.pdf
March 16, 2006 - OCC Releases CRA Evaluations For 18 National Banks
- The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency today released a
list of Community Reinvestment Act performance evaluations that
became public during the period of February 15, 2005 through March
14, 2006.
www.occ.treas.gov/toolkit/newsrelease.aspx?Doc=23MC9Z93.xml
March 16, 2006 - Federal Reserve Bulletin Article - Industrial
Production and Capacity Utilization: The 2005 Annual Revision.
www.federalreserve.gov/pubs/bulletin/2006/ip06.pdf
March 16, 2006 - NCUA Board Action Bulletin for 3/16/2006 is
available - A Summary of Actions Taken at NCUA Board Meetings.
www.ncua.gov/NCUABoard/board_reports/board_reports.html
March 16, 2006 - NCUA General Counsel Opinion 05-0915 - World
Council of Credit Unions "International Shared Branching" Pilot
Project with Ecuador.
www.ncua.gov/RegulationsOpinionsLaws/opinion_letters/2005/05-0915.pdf
March 16, 2006 - Imposition of Special Measures against Commercial
Bank of Syria - The Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System
is issuing this SR letter to advise banking organizations under its
supervision of new obligations relating to Commercial Bank of Syria
imposed by the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Financial Crimes
Enforcement Network.
www.federalreserve.gov/boarddocs/SRLETTERS/2006/SR0606.htm
March 16, 2006 - Governor Donald L. Kohn - Monetary policy and asset
prices At "Monetary Policy: A Journey from Theory to Practice," a
European Central Bank Colloquium held in honor of Otmar Issing,
Frankfurt, Germany.
www.federalreserve.gov/boarddocs/speeches/2006/20060316/default.htm
March 15, 2006 - OTS Approves H&R Block, Inc. Application To
Organize A Federal Savings Bank - The Office of Thrift Supervision
announced today the approval of an application from H&R Block, Inc.
to organize a de novo federal stock savings bank to be known as H&R
Block Bank, which will be located in Kansas City, Missouri.
www.ots.treas.gov/docs/7/776013.html
March 15, 2006 - OCC Enforcement Actions - The Office of the
Comptroller of the Currency today released new enforcement actions
taken against national banks and individuals currently and formerly
affiliated with national banks and terminations of existing
enforcement actions.
www.occ.treas.gov/ftp/release/2006-32.htm
March 15, 2006 - Influenza Pandemic Preparedness Interagency
Advisory - The FDIC, the Federal Reserve Board, the Office of the
Comptroller of the Currency, and the Office of Thrift Supervision
are issuing the attached interagency advisory to raise awareness
about the threats of a pandemic influenza outbreak and similar
events, and their potential impact on the delivery of critical
financial services.
Press Release:
www.fdic.gov/news/news/financial/2006/fil06025.html
Press Release:
www.ots.treas.gov/docs/7/776012.html
Press Release:
www.federalreserve.gov/BoardDocs/srletters/2006/SR0605.htm
March 15, 2006 - Beige Book - Informal review by the Federal Reserve
Banks of current economic conditions in their Districts.
www.federalreserve.gov/FOMC/BeigeBook/2006/20060315/
March 15, 2006 - FRB Statistical Supplement to the Federal Reserve
Bulletin February 2006.
www.federalreserve.gov/Pubs/supplement/2006/02/default.htm
March 15, 2006 - The Federal Reserve Board on Wednesday announced
its approval of a final rule to amend Regulation K to require Edge
and Agreement corporations and U.S. branches, agencies, and other
offices of foreign banks supervised by the Board to establish and
maintain procedures reasonably designed to ensure and monitor
compliance with the Bank Secrecy Act and related regulations.
www.federalreserve.gov/boarddocs/press/bcreg/2006/200603152/default.htm
March 15, 2006 - The Federal Reserve Board on Wednesday announced
its approval of the notice under section 4 of the Bank Holding
Company Act by Société Générale, Paris, France, to engage in
physical commodity trading activities on a limited basis as an
activity that is complementary to the financial activity of engaging
regularly as a principal in commodity derivatives.
www.federalreserve.gov/boarddocs/press/orders/2006/20060315/default.htm
March 15, 2006 - NCUA - Grants and Financial Information - The
National Credit Union Administration's Community Development
Revolving Loan Fund was established by Congress to support credit
unions that serve low-income communities by making loans and
Technical Assistance Grants available to qualifying institutions.
www.ncua.gov/CreditUnionDevelopment/Programs/FinanceGrants.htm
March 15, 2006 - NCUA - Credit Union Group is Placed into
Conservatorship by the Kansas Department of Credit Unions.
www.ncua.gov/news/press_releases/2006/NR06-0315.htm
March 15, 2006 - Bank and Thrift Agencies Issue Advisory on
Influenza Pandemic Preparedness - The federal bank and thrift
regulatory agencies today issued an interagency advisory to
financial institutions and their technology service providers that
is intended to raise awareness of the threat of a pandemic influenza
outbreak and its potential impact on the delivery of critical
financial services.
Press Release:
www.federalreserve.gov/boarddocs/press/bcreg/2006/20060315/default.htm
Press Release:
www.fdic.gov/news/news/press/2006/pr06030.html
Press Release:
www.occ.treas.gov/toolkit/newsrelease.aspx?JNR=1&Doc=LP48X3Q9.xml
Press Release:
www.ots.treas.gov/docs/7/776012.html
March 14, 2006 - FDIC Insurance for Retirement Accounts Increased to
$250,000 Higher coverage takes effect April 1; Basic insurance limit
for other accounts stays at $100,000 - The Federal Deposit Insurance
Corporation Board of Directors today approved final rules that will
raise the deposit insurance coverage on certain retirement accounts
at a bank or savings institution to $250,000 from $100,000. The
increase, the result of a new law boosting federal deposit insurance
coverage for the first time in more than 25 years, will become
effective on April 1. The basic insurance coverage for other deposit
accounts, however, will remain at $100,000.
www.fdic.gov/news/news/press/2006/pr06029.html
March 14, 2006 - Sites Chosen for FDIC's Public Hearings on the
Proposed Wal-Mart Bank's Application for Federal Deposit Insurance
The hearings will be held in April in the Washington, D.C., and
Kansas City, Missouri, areas - The first hearing, scheduled for
Monday and Tuesday, April 10 and 11, will be held at the FDIC's
Virginia Square auditorium (Building C), located at 3501 Fairfax
Drive, Arlington, Virginia. The second hearing, scheduled for
Tuesday and Wednesday, April 25 and 26, will be held at the Overland
Park Convention Center (Courtyard Rooms four and five), 6000 College
Boulevard, Overland Park, Kansas.
www.fdic.gov/news/news/press/2006/pr06028.html
March 14, 2006 - Bank Holding Company Supervision Manual - Provides
guidance for conducting inspections of bank holding companies and
their nonbank subsidiaries. The supervisory objectives of the
inspection program are to ascertain whether the financial strength
of the bank holding company is being maintained on an ongoing basis
and to determine the effects or consequences of transactions between
a holding company or its nonbanking subsidiaries and its subsidiary
banks.
www.federalreserve.gov/boarddocs/supmanual/bhc/bhc0106.pdf
March 14, 2006 - Taxation with Representation: Intergovernmental
Grants in a Plebiscite Democracy - Byron F. Lutz - Economic theory
predicts that unconditional intergovernmental grant income and
private income are perfectly fungible. Despite this prediction, the
literature on fiscal federalism documents that grant and private
income are empirically non-equivalent.
www.federalreserve.gov/pubs/feds/2006/200606/index.html
March 13, 2006 - Revised safety and soundness booklet in the
Comptroller's Handbook guides banks in managing the risks of
transacting business with insiders - officers, directors, employees,
and controlling shareholders.
www.occ.treas.gov/handbook/insider.pdf
March 13, 2006 - Comptroller Dugan Says Basel II Transition Should
Move Forward, But with Significant Safeguards to Protect Banking
System - Comptroller of the Currency John C. Dugan told a conference
of international bankers today that the continued safety and
soundness of the banking system demands that regulators move away
from the simplistic risk-based capital system now in use for
internationally active banks to one that substantially enhances risk
management and more closely aligns capital with risk.
Press Release:
www.occ.treas.gov/toolkit/newsrelease.aspx?Doc=GYZ3OTOQ.xml
Attachment:
www.occ.treas.gov/ftp/release/2006-30a.pdf
March 13, 2006 - Community Reinvestment Act - New Interagency
Questions and Answers -The FDIC, the Federal Reserve Board, and the
Office of the Comptroller of the Currency have published the
attached informal staff guidance on community reinvestment in the
form of questions and answers. The agencies proposed the guidance
for comment on November 10, 2005.
www.fdic.gov/news/news/financial/2006/fil06023.html
March 13, 2006 - Bank Secrecy Act - Suspicious Activity Report Form
- The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network and the federal bank,
thrift and credit union regulatory agencies are soliciting comments
on the attached proposed changes to the Suspicious Activity Report
form.
www.fdic.gov/news/news/financial/2006/fil06024.html
March 13, 2006 - FRB Statistical Release - U.S. Reserve Assets;
Foreign Official Assets Held at Federal Reserve Banks.
www.federalreserve.gov/Releases/bulletin/0206assets.htm
March 13, 2006 - Proposals for Comment - Interagency request for
comment on the Suspicious Activity Report by Depository
Institutions.
www.federalreserve.gov/generalinfo/foia/proposedregs.cfm
March 13, 2006 - Proposals for Comment - Proposal to approve the
implementation of the following collection of information: Studies
to Develop and Test Consumer Regulatory Disclosures.
www.federalreserve.gov/generalinfo/foia/proposedregs.cfm
March 13, 2006 - The Federal Reserve Board on Monday announced its
approval of the application under section 3 of the Bank Holding
Company Act by Marshall & Ilsley Corporation, Milwaukee, Wisconsin,
to acquire Trustcorp Financial, Inc., St. Louis, and its subsidiary
bank, Missouri State Bank and Trust Company, Clayton, both of
Missouri.
www.federalreserve.gov/boarddocs/press/orders/2006/200603132/default.htm
March 13, 2006 - The Federal Reserve Board on Monday announced its
approval of the application and notice under sections 3 and 4 of the
Bank Holding Company Act by Marshall & Ilsley Corporation,
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to acquire Gold Banc, Inc. and its subsidiary
bank, Gold Bank, both in Leawood, Kansas.
www.federalreserve.gov/boarddocs/press/orders/2006/20060313/default.htm
March 13, 2006 - Governor Mark W. Olson - Are Banks Still Special? -
At the Annual Washington Conference of the Institute of
International Bankers, Washington, D.C.
www.federalreserve.gov/boarddocs/speeches/2006/20060313/default.htm
March 10, 2006 - NCUA - Letter to Credit Unions 06-CU-04 - Financial
Trends Report for 2005.
www.ncua.gov/letters/2006/CU/06-CU-04.pdf
March 10, 2006 - Community Reinvestment Act New Interagency
Questions and Answers - The FDIC, the Federal Reserve Board, and the
Office of the Comptroller of the Currency have published the
attached informal staff guidance on community reinvestment in the
form of questions and answers. The agencies proposed the guidance
for comment on November 10, 2005. After considering the comments,
the agencies have adopted all of the proposed Q&As as they were
proposed or with revisions in response to the comments.
www.fdic.gov/news/news/financial/2006/fil06023.html
March 10, 2006 - The Federal Reserve Board on Friday announced its
approval of the notice under section 4 of the Bank Holding Company
Act by Bank Hapoalim, B.M. and Arison Holdings (1998) Ltd., both of
Tel Aviv, and Israel Salt Industries Ltd., Atlit, all in Israel, to
acquire all the outstanding shares of Investec (US) Incorporated,
New York, New York.
www.federalreserve.gov/boarddocs/press/orders/2006/20060310/default.htm
March 10, 2006 - Vice Chairman Roger W. Ferguson, Jr. - Remarks To
the Financial Stability Forum, International Accounting Standards
Board, and International Federation of Accountants Roundtable on
Financial Reporting and Auditing, Paris, France.
www.federalreserve.gov/boarddocs/speeches/2006/20060310/default.htm
____________________
March 9, 2006 - Household Debt Service and Financial Obligations
Ratios - The household debt service ratio is an estimate of the ratio of
debt payments to disposable personal income. Debt payments consist of the
estimated required payments on outstanding mortgage and consumer debt.
www.federalreserve.gov/Releases/housedebt/default.htm
March 9, 2006 - Agencies Extend Comment Period on Interagency Guidance On
Concentrations in Commercial Real Estate Lending - The federal financial
regulatory agencies today extended the comment period on the proposed
guidance on Concentrations in Commercial Real Estate Lending, Sound Risk
Management Practices.
Press Release:
www.federalreserve.gov/boarddocs/press/bcreg/2006/20060309/default.htm
Press Release:
www.occ.treas.gov/toolkit/newsrelease.aspx?JNR=1&Doc=3RQD1PBO.xml
Press Release:
www.ots.treas.gov/docs/7/776011.html
March 9, 2006 - Comptroller Speaks to Independent Community Bankers -
Comptroller of the Currency John C. Dugan applauded the work of independent
banks and said America needs community institutions that are strong enough
to help out in times of emergency, but also there in ordinary times to help
people achieve their lives' dreams.
www.occ.treas.gov/toolkit/newsrelease.aspx?Doc=T8QZMQ2M.xml
March 9, 2006 - Consumer Credit Protection Act and Fair Lending -
Prohibition Against Discrimination in Credit Transactions - The FDIC is
reminding institutions that the Equal Credit Opportunity Act and its
implementing regulation prohibit discrimination in credit transactions
against consumers who have, in good faith, exercised any right under the
Consumer Credit Protection Act. The CCPA, which comprises several consumer
protection titles, includes the rights provided to consumers by the Fair
Credit Reporting Act - Title VI of the CCPA.
www.fdic.gov/news/news/financial/2006/fil06022.html
March 9, 2006 - FRB Statistical Release - Z.1 Flow of Funds.
www.federalreserve.gov/Releases/z1/current/default.htm
March 8, 2006 - St. Louis Fed Promotes Nelson to Assistant Vice President -
The Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis has promoted Edward Nelson to
assistant vice president in the Research Division. Nelson joined the Reserve
Bank in 2003 as an officer in Research.
www.stlouisfed.org/news/releases/2006/03_08_06a.htm
March 8, 2006 - Do Homeowners Know Their House Valuse and Mortgage Terms? -
Brian Bucks and Karen Pence - To assess whether homeowners know their house
values and mortgage terms, we compare the distributions of these variables
in the household-reported 2001 Survey of Consumer Finances to the
distributions in lender-reported data.
www.federalreserve.gov/pubs/feds/2006/200603/200603pap.pdf
March 8, 2006 - Paper or Plastic? The Effect of Time on the Use of Check and
Debit Cards at Grocery Stores - Elizabeth Klee - Time is a significant cost
of conducting transactions, and theoretical models predict that transactions
costs significantly affect the type of media of exchange buyers use.
However, there is little empirical work documenting the magnitude of this
effect.
www.federalreserve.gov/pubs/feds/2006/200602/200602pap.pdf
March 8, 2006 - The Federal Reserve Board on Wednesday announced its
approval of the application under section 3 of the Bank Holding Company Act
by Compass Bancshares, Inc., Birmingham, Alabama, to acquire TexasBanc
Holding Co., Weatherford, and TexasBank, Fort Worth, both of Texas.
www.federalreserve.gov/boarddocs/press/orders/2006/20060308/default.htm
March 8, 2006 - Near-Term Forecast for U.S. Housing Sector A "Tough Task":
St. Louis Fed's Poole - Forecasting the near-term prospects for the U.S.
housing sector has been a "tough task" in recent years, said William Poole,
president of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.
www.stlouisfed.org/news/releases/2006/03_08_06.htm
March 8, 2006 - FDIC Makes Public January Enforcement Actions; No
Administrative Hearing Scheduled - The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
today released a list of orders of administrative enforcement actions taken
against banks and individuals in January. No administrative hearings are
scheduled for March.
www.fdic.gov/news/news/press/2006/pr06026.html
March 8, 2006 - Chairman Ben S. Bernanke - Community Banking and Community
Bank Supervision in the Twenty-First Century At the Independent Community
Bankers of America National Convention and Techworld, Las Vegas, Nevada.
www.federalreserve.gov/boarddocs/speeches/2006/20060308/default.htm
March 8, 2006 - The Federal Reserve Board on Wednesday announced the
issuance of a consent Cease and Desist Order against Asian Financial
Corporation, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and its subsidiary bank, Asian
Bank, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
www.federalreserve.gov/boarddocs/press/Enforcement/2006/20060308/default.htm
March 7, 2006 - NCUA Announces Clearance under Paperwork Reduction Act for
Pilot Initiative to Measure Credit Union Service to Members.
www.ncua.gov/news/press_releases/2006/NR06-0307.htm
March 7, 2006 - NCUA - Nicholas Owens Announces Plans to Depart NCUA - After
serving five years as a member of the National Credit Union Administration
Chairman's senior staff, Nicholas N. Owens has announced plans to depart the
agency March 24.
www.ncua.gov/news/press_releases/2006/NR06-0307-2.htm
March 7, 2006 - OTS Finds Local Lending Law Preempted for Federal Savings
Associations - The Office of Thrift Supervision issued a legal opinion today
concluding that federal law preempts the application to federal savings
associations of recent amendments to the Code of Montgomery County,
Maryland.
www.ots.treas.gov/docs/7/776010.html
March 7, 2006 - FRB Statistical Release - G.19 Consumer Credit - Consumer
credit increased at an annual rate of 2-1/4 percent in January. Both
revolving and nonrevolving credit posted small gains.
www.federalreserve.gov/Releases/G19/Current/default.htm
March 7, 2006 - Proposal for Comment - Agency Information Collection
Activities Country Exposure Report and Country Exposure Information Report.
www.federalreserve.gov/generalinfo/foia/proposedregs.cfm
March 7, 2006 - FRB Statistical Release - Large Commercial Banks - Insured
U.S.-Chartered Commercial Banks That Have Consolidated Assets of $300
Million or More, Ranked by Consolidated Assets as December 31, 2005.
www.federalreserve.gov/Releases/lbr/current/default.htm
March 7, 2006 - The Federal Reserve Board announced today that the Consumer
Advisory Council will hold its next meeting on Thursday, March 30. The
meeting will take place in Dining Room E, Terrace level, in the Board's
Martin Building. The session will begin at 9:00 a.m. and is open to the
public.
www.federalreserve.gov/boarddocs/press/other/2006/20060307/default.htm
March 7, 2006 - The Federal Reserve Board on Tuesday announced its approval
of the application by Whitney Holding Corporation, New Orleans, Louisiana,
to acquire First National Bancshares, Inc. and its subsidiary bank, 1st
National Bank & Trust, both of Bradenton, Florida.
www.federalreserve.gov/boarddocs/press/orders/2006/20060307/default.htm
March 7, 2006 - FRB termination of enforcement action against New Asia Bank.
www.federalreserve.gov/boarddocs/press/Enforcement/2006/20060307/default.htm
March 6, 2006 - NCUA Vice Chairman Hood participates in Launch of
Massachusetts Credit Union League's $100 million HLPR Mortgage Initiative.
www.ncua.gov/news/press_releases/2006/NR06-0306.htm
March 6, 2006 - OTS Lists 32 CRA Exams Scheduled For Second Quarter 2006 -
The Office of Thrift Supervision announced today that 32 savings
associations are scheduled for Community Reinvestment Act examinations
during the first quarter of 2006.
www.ots.treas.gov/docs/7/776009.html
March 6, 2006 - NCUA General Counsel Opinion 05-1204 - Permissibility of
CUSO Assisting Credit Union in Providing Payroll Services.
www.ncua.gov/RegulationsOpinionsLaws/opinion_letters/2005/05-1204.pdf
March 6, 2006 - College-Educated Workers Migrating to Bigger Metro Areas
Rather Than Rural Communities: St. Louis Fed Analysis, St. Louis, Mo. - When
it comes to competing for workers, the bigger cities may have the edge on
their rural cousins, at least when it comes to college graduates' decisions
about where they want to live.
www.stlouisfed.org/news/releases/2006/03_06_06.htm
March 6, 2006 - St. Louis Fed's Review: Human Capital Growth in a Cross
Section of U.S. Metropolitan Areas; Entrepreneurship and the Policy
Environment; Macroeconomic News and Real Interest Rates; Using Cyclical
Regimes of Output Growth to Predict Jobless Recoveries.
www.stlouisfed.org/news/releases/2006/03_06_06b.htm
March 3, 2006 - NCUA - Application for Staff, Official, and Board Training
Grant Initiative is available - The National Credit Union Administration's
Community Development Revolving Loan Fund was established by Congress to
support credit unions that serve low-income communities by making loans and
Technical Assistance Grants available to qualifying institutions.
www.ncua.gov/CreditUnionDevelopment/Programs/FinanceGrants.htm
March 3, 2006 - NCUA - Board Member Hyland Participates in Ribbon Cutting
Ceremony to Commemorate the Opening of Shared Branch Office - National
Credit Union Administration Board Member Gigi Hyland participated in a
ribbon cutting ceremony to commemorate the opening of ACCESO, a shared
branch office formed by three credit unions from the greater Washington DC
area.
www.ncua.gov/news/press_releases/2006/NR06-0303.htm
March 3, 2006 - FDIC 2005 Annual Report - Annual Report Now Available on
FDIC Web Site - The FDIC is pleased to announce that its 2005 Annual Report
is now available on the FDIC's Web site.
www.fdic.gov/news/news/financial/2006/fil06021.html
March 3, 2006 - FDIC Reports Year-End 2005 Financial Results for Bank and
Thrift Insurance Funds Unqualified audit opinions on Funds' financial
statements issued by the Government Accountability Office - The Federal
Deposit Insurance Corporation today announced that the Corporation has
received its fourteenth consecutive set of unqualified audit opinions on the
financial statements of the three funds that it manages.
www.fdic.gov/news/news/press/2006/pr06025.html
March 3, 2006 - FDIC Issues List of Banks Examined for CRA Compliance - The
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation today issued its list of state
nonmember banks recently evaluated for compliance with the Community
Reinvestment Act.
www.fdic.gov/news/news/press/2006/pr06024.html
March 3, 2006 - Legal Interpretations - Bank Holding Company/Change in
Control - letter to Debra Barbin in response to a request for an advisory
opinion on behalf of The Bank Holdings, Reno, Nevada.
www.federalreserve.gov/boarddocs/legalint/bhc_changeincontrol/2006/
March 3, 2006 - Vice Chairman Roger W. Ferguson, Jr. - Economic Outlook for
the United States - At the Howard University Economics Forum, Washington,
D.C.
www.federalreserve.gov/boarddocs/speeches/2006/20060303/default.htm
______________
March 2, 2006 - Interagency Community Reinvestment Act Questions
and Answers Reflecting 2005 Regulation Changes - On March 1, 2006, the Board
approved the attached Interagency CRA Questions and Answers that provide
guidance for the CRA regulatory changes published in the Federal Register on
August 2, 2005 (70 Federal Register 44256). 1 These Interagency Questions
and Answers, which will be published in the Federal Register in the near
future, contain informal staff guidance for agency personnel, financial
institutions, and the public.
www.federalreserve.gov/boarddocs/caletters/2006/0607/caltr0607.htm
March 2, 2006 - The Federal Reserve Board on Thursday announced the
termination of the enforcement action against Civitas BankGroup, Inc.,
Franklin, Tenn.
www.federalreserve.gov/boarddocs/press/Enforcement/2006/20060302/default.htm
March 2, 2006 - Comptroller Dugan Says in Speech to Hard-Pressed Gulf
Communities That Regulators 'Are Determined to do Everything We Can to be
Helpful' - Comptroller of the Currency John C. Dugan said today regulators
want to encourage partnerships between local banks and institutions outside
the Gulf Coast region to make a real difference to hard-pressed communities
devastated by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
Press Release:
www.occ.treas.gov/toolkit/newsrelease.aspx?Doc=YZGRN8PS.xml
Attachment:
www.occ.treas.gov/ftp/release/2006-27a.pdf
March 2, 2006 - Interagency Advisory on the Unsafe and Unsound Use of
Limitation of Liability Provisions in External Audit Engagement Letters -
The Federal Reserve and the other financial institutions regulatory agencies
published on February 9, 2006, the attached Advisory to address safety and
soundness concerns that may arise when financial institutions enter into
external audit contracts that limit the auditors' liability for audit
services.
www.federalreserve.gov/boarddocs/srletters/2006/sr0604.htm
March 2, 2006 - Banking Agencies Issue Final Community Reinvestment Guidance
- The federal banking agencies today announced final guidance implementing
the recent changes to their Community Reinvestment Act regulations. The
guidance clarifies, among other things, the availability of CRA
consideration for bank activities that revitalize or stabilize designated
disaster areas.
Press Release:
www.federalreserve.gov/boarddocs/press/bcreg/2006/20060302/default.htm
Press Release:
www.fdic.gov/news/news/press/2006/pr06023.html
Press Release:
www.occ.treas.gov/toolkit/newsrelease.aspx?JNR=1&Doc=QNNWC97R.xml
March 1, 2006 - NCUA - Chairman Johnson's Statement before the Senate
Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee.
www.ncua.gov/news/speeches/2006/Johnson/Senate-03-01-2006.pdf
March 1, 2006 - Director Reich Urges Congress to Move Forward on Regulatory
Burden Relief - Office of Thrift Supervision Director, John M. Reich,
appeared before the Senate Banking Committee today to urge Congress to pass
legislation to reduce unnecessary regulatory burden on the nation's
depository institutions.
www.ots.treas.gov/docs/7/776008.html
March 1, 2006 - OCC releases two publications that provide the latest OCC
interpretations and decisions authorizing activities for national banks and
their operating subsidiaries: Significant Legal, Licensing, and Community
Development Precedents for National Banks: 2005 (annual) and Activities
Permissible for a National Bank.
www.occ.treas.gov/sigpre.pdf
www.occ.treas.gov/corpapps/bankact.pdf
March 1, 2006 - OCC Issues Second Quarter 2006 CRA Examination Schedule -
The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency today released its schedule of
Community Reinvestment Act examinations to be conducted in the second
quarter of 2006.
www.occ.treas.gov/toolkit/newsrelease.aspx?Doc=E7VTLBV6.xml
March 1, 2006 - OCC Chief Counsel Testifies on Regulatory Relief - Julie L.
Williams, chief counsel of the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency,
testified before the Senate Banking Committee today on the subject of
regulatory relief.
www.occ.treas.gov/toolkit/newsrelease.aspx?Doc=PRR7ZI6S.xml
March 1, 2006 - Bank Secrecy ActRegistration and De-registration of Money
Services Businesses - The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network has released
the attached guidance clarifying the registration, renewal and
de-registration requirements of money services businesses.
www.fdic.gov/news/news/financial/2006/fil06020.html
March 1, 2006 - Bank Secrecy Act Foreign Bank Recertifications - The
Financial Crimes Enforcement Network has released the attached guidance to
clarify the date on which certain U.S. financial institutions must complete
recertifications to comply with regulations relating to correspondent
accounts established, maintained, administered or managed in the U.S. for,
or on behalf of, foreign financial institutions.
www.fdic.gov/news/news/financial/2006/fil06019.html
March 1, 2006 - Statistical Release - G.5 Foreign Exchange Rates - The table
below shows the average rates of exchange in February 2006 together with
comparable figures for other months. Averages are based on daily noon buying
rates for cable transfers in New York City certified for customs purposes by
the federal reserve bank of New York.
www.federalreserve.gov/Releases/G5/Current/default.htm
March 1, 2006 - NCUA - 2006 Data for Compliance with the Home Mortgage
Disclosure Act.
www.ncua.gov/reg_alerts/2006/06-RA-03.pdf
March 1, 2006 - NCUA - Chairman Johnson testifies on regulatory relief -
National Credit Union Administration Chairman JoAnn Johnson today presented
recommendations on regulatory relief for credit unions to the Senate
Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee.
www.ncua.gov/news/press_releases/2006/NR06-0301.htm
March 1, 2006 - Bank Secrecy Act/Anti-Money Laundering: FinCEN; Final Rule
and Proposed Rule for Special Due Diligence Programs for Certain Foreign
Accounts.
Press Release:
www.occ.treas.gov/ftp/bulletin/2006-10.txt
Attachment:
www.occ.treas.gov/fr/fedregister/71fr496.pdf
March 1, 2006 - Testimony of Governor Donald L. Kohn - Regulatory relief -
Before the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, United States
Senate March 1, 2006.
www.federalreserve.gov/boarddocs/testimony/2006/20060301/default.htm
March 1, 2006 - Randall S. Kroszner on Wednesday took the oath of office as
a member of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. The oath
was administered by Chairman Bernanke in the Board Room.
www.federalreserve.gov/boarddocs/press/other/2006/20060301/default.htm |