Quick tips, CRA concepts and an occasional deep thought…
CRA Today Blog
How to Build a Successful CRA Strategy and Action Plan for 2022
The new year comes with a lot of exciting possibilities and is a great time to reflect on your CRA program. It’s time to look back at what your program has accomplished in the past year and look forward to what impact you can forge this new year. Creating an annual...
What’s a Capital Stack and How Does it Work?
At some point in your journey as a Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) officer, you will likely find yourself involved in a community-based public-private partnership economic development project. When this happens, your bank may have the opportunity to finance the...
Consumer Loans and the CRA: Weigh Your Options Carefully!
As a CRA officer, you know how important it is to get consideration under the CRA for as many loans, services, and investments as possible. This means that some banks like to include their consumer loans under their lending performance during a CRA exam. While this...
Want a Smooth CRA Exam? Appoint an Exam Liaison
What was your last CRA exam like? Did it run perfectly smoothly? Did you hand your CRA examiners your self-assessment, shake hands, and tell them you’ll see them next exam? Probably not. Chances are it was a hectic week of pulling reports, responding to questions,...
Essential Steps Every CRA Officer Must Address to Ensure a Smooth CRA Exam
In last week’s blog post, we outlined the milestones a regulator goes through during an exam. Now that you have a solid handle on how the examiners approach a CRA examination, it's your turn to anticipate their approach and ensure a smooth review of your CRA program...
The CRA Exam Cycle From a Regulator’s Perspective
Your bank is steadfast in meeting the credit needs of all businesses both large and small in your communities. Your job is making sure you capture and identify all eligible community development activities going into a regulatory exam. But what about your regulator?...