NR 96-134
December 3, 1996

      OCC Waives 1997 Increase for Inflation, Cuts Corporate Fees

WASHINGTON, DC -- The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC)
today announced it will waive a 2.05 percent inflationary adjustment
in national bank assessments for 1997, and will significantly reduce
fees for applications that are eligible for expedited processing under
the OCC's revised Part 5 regulation.  

"This marks the third consecutive year that the OCC will pass its
savings from improved productivity and efficiency on to national
banks," said Comptroller of the Currency Eugene A. Ludwig.  "The
expedited processing adopted in Part 5 will not only result in earlier
decisions on corporate transactions, but will also produce cost
efficiencies, permitting the OCC to cut fees for these applications by
50 percent."

The OCC's revised Part 5 regulation includes a risk-based approach to
corporate applications and national banks' corporate activities, and
considers the risk, novelty and complexity of proposed activities in
setting application fees.  Beginning in 1997, the OCC will expedite
processing and reduce fees for certain types of applications from
healthy banks with satisfactory or better CRA ratings and no
enforcement actions.  Under the new fee structure, rates for the
following application types will be:

Application Type                                       Fee       
New National Bank Charter
     Standard                                          $17,400
     Expedited (for healthy bank holding companies)      8,700
     Low- and Moderate-Income Area                           O   
Conversion to a National Bank
     Standard                                          $ 5,100
     Expedited                                           2,550
Business Combination
     Unaffiliated Business Combination (merger of two banks)                    
         Standard                                      $ 6,200
         Expedited                                       3,100
     Unaffiliated Branch P&A (acquisition of branches) 
        Standard                                       $ 3,800
        Expedited                                        1,900
     Business Reorganization (merger of two banks within holding
     company)       
       Standard                                        $ 4,600
       Expedited                                         2,300
Branches
     Standard                                          $   700
     Expedited                                             350
     Multiple Branches in Single Application    As above + 100
                                         for each add'l branch
     Low- or Moderate-Income Area                            0 
Operating Subsidiary
     Standard                                          $ 2,700
     Expedited                                           1,350
     Multiple Bank                              As above + 100
                                           for each add'l bank
Fiduciary Powers
     Standard                                          $ 1,600
     Expedited                                             800
Bank Service Corporation
     Standard                                          $ 2,000
     Expedited                                           1,000
                         

"We have also eliminated filing fees for applications for new national
bank charters and branches to be located in low- or moderate-income
areas and where no other bank or thrift operates a branch or main
office," Mr. Ludwig said.  As previously announced, the OCC is also
reducing assessment rates by 12 percent for national banks that are
not the largest, or "lead" bank, in a multi-bank holding company.

The OCC's 1997 Corporate Fee Structure and assessment rates are
published in OCC Bulletin 96-66.  The bulletin can be obtained from
the OCC's fax information line by calling (202) 479-0141 and
requesting document number 29666, and it is also posted on the
Internet at http://www.occ.treas.gov.

                                 # # #

The OCC charters, regulates and supervises approximately 2,800 national banks and 66
federal branches and agencies of foreign banks in the U.S., accounting for more than
half the nation's banking assets.  Its mission is to ensure a safe, sound and
competitive national banking system that supports the citizens, communities and
economy of the United States.