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OCC Bulletin 2020-64 | June 23, 2020

Examinations: Interagency Examiner Guidance for Assessing Safety and Soundness While Considering the Effect of COVID-19 on Institutions

To

Chief Executive Officers of All National Banks, Federal Savings Associations, and Federal Branches and Agencies; Department and Division Heads; All Examining Personnel; and Other Interested Parties

Summary

The four federal financial institution regulatory agencies1 and state bank and credit union regulators today issued examiner guidance to outline the supervisory principles for assessing banks' safety and soundness given the ongoing impact of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.2

Note for Community Banks

The interagency guidance applies to the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency's (OCC) supervision of community banks.

Highlights

The interagency examiner guidance

  • explains that examiners will
    • consider the unique, evolving, and potential long-term nature of the issues confronting banks and will exercise appropriate flexibility in their supervisory response.
    • continue to assign supervisory ratings in accordance with the interagency CAMELS and ROCA rating systems.3
    • consider whether institution management has managed risk appropriately, including taking appropriate actions in response to stresses caused by COVID-19 impacts.
  • includes considerations for assigning composite and component CAMELS and ROCA ratings.

Further Information

Please contact your supervisory office or examiner-in-charge.

 

Grovetta N. Gardineer
Senior Deputy Comptroller for Bank Supervision Policy

Related Link

1 The four federal financial institution regulatory agencies are the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, the OCC, and the National Credit Union Administration.

2 Refer to Proclamation 9994, 85 Fed. Reg. 15337 (March 18, 2020).

3 A bank's composite rating under the Uniform Financial Institutions Rating System, known as CAMELS, integrates ratings from six component areas: capital adequacy, asset quality, management, earnings, liquidity, and sensitivity to market risk. ROCA is the interagency uniform supervisory rating system for federal branches and agencies. ROCA integrates ratings from four component areas: risk management, operational controls, compliance, and asset quality. Refer to the "Bank Supervision Process" booklet of the Comptroller's Handbook for more information about the CAMELS and ROCA rating systems.

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