An official website of the United States government
Parts of this site may be down for maintenance from Thursday, December 19, 9:00 p.m. Sunday, December 22, 9:00 a.m. (Eastern).
Share This Page:
The allowance for loan and lease losses, originally referred to as the reserve for bad debts, is a valuation reserve established and maintained by charges against a bank's operating income. It is an estimate of uncollectible amounts used to reduce the book value of loans and leases to the amount a bank can expect to collect.
Allowance for Loan and Lease Losses (ALLL) (OCC Bulletin 2006-47) | Interagency Statement (PDF) | NR 2006-134 | Questions and Answers (PDF) Covers key concepts and requirements included under ALLL supervisory guidance and generally accepted accounting principles
Allowance for Loan and Lease Losses Methodologies and Documentation (OCC Bulletin 2001-37) | Interagency Statement (PDF) Covers FFIEC policy regarding ALLL methodologies and documentation for banks and savings institutions
Loan Loss Allowance Practices (SEC/Banking Agencies Joint Letter to Financial Institutions) |NR 1998-116 | Joint Interagency Statement (PDF) Describes efforts to provide guidance for methodologies, disclosures, and supporting documentation for loan loss allowances
​