• Article Archive
• OCC Update
• Financial Literacy Update
• Fact Sheets
• Insights Reports
• Community Developments Investments
• Community Developments Newsletter
• Community Affairs Year in Review
• Other Community Affairs Publications

Article Archive

The Community Developments Article Archive provides easy access to every community development article published by the OCC. Articles are sorted by category and by state. Visit the article archive.

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OCC Update

This newsletter covers national bank involvement in community development lending, investments and services, small business financing, financial literacy, access to financial services, consumer protection, CRA, HMDA and other consumer compliance issues.

2012 Issues

• August – December 2012 (PDF)
• February - July 2012 (PDF)

2011 Issues

• October 2011 - January 2012 (PDF)
• June - September 2011 (PDF)
• February - May 2011 (PDF)

Archived Issues

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Financial Literacy Update

Learn about upcoming events, initiatives, and education resources related to financial literacy in this bi-monthly newsletter.

• 2013 Issues

  • May - June 2013
  • March - April 2013 (PDF)
  • February 25 - March 1, 2013 (PDF)
  • January - February 2013 (PDF)

• 2012 Issues

  • November - December 2012 (PDF)
  • September - October 2012 (PDF)
  • July - August 2012 (PDF)
  • May - June 2012 (PDF)
  • March - April 2012 (PDF)
  • January - February 2012 (PDF)

  2011 Issues

  • November - December 2011 (PDF)
  • September - October 2011 (PDF)
  • July - August 2011 (PDF)
  • May - June 2011 (PDF)
  • March - April 2011 (PDF)
  • January - February 2011 (PDF)

  Archived Issues

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  Fact Sheets

  Get the key facts on innovative products and services, investment vehicles, and government programs and initiatives related to community development and consumer banking.

  • Bank-Owned Community Development Corporations (PDF)
  • Bank Savings Incentive Programs (PDF)
  • CDFI Certification for National Banks and Federal Savings Associations (PDF)
  • CRA: Community Development Loans, Investments and Services (PDF)
  • CRA: Community Reinvestment Act (PDF)
  • Designated Disaster Areas and CRA (PDF)
  • Federal Home Loan Bank Programs for Community Investments (PDF)
  • FHA's 203(k) Loan Program (PDF)
  • Financial Literacy (PDF)
  • Historic Tax Credit Program (PDF)
  • HUD Section 184 Indian Home Loan Guarantee Program (PDF)
  • Individual Development Accounts (PDF)
  • Leveraging Earned Income Tax Credits to Reach New Bank Customers (PDF)
  • Low Income Housing Tax Credits (PDF)
  • Multi-Bank Partnerships for Community Development Financing (PDF)
  • Neighborhood Stabilization Program (PDF)
  • New Markets Tax Credits (PDF)
  • Office of Indian Energy and Economic Development's Indian Loan Guaranty Program (PDF)
  • Partnering with USDA's Rural Development: The Community Facilities Guaranteed Loan Program (PDF)
  • Partnerships with Minority- and Women-Owned Financial Institutions and Low-Income Credit Unions (PDF)
  • Public Welfare Investment Filings on e-Corp (PDF)
  • Public Welfare Investments (PDF)
  • SBA 7(a) Guaranteed Loan Program (PDF)
  • SBA Certified Development Company/504 Loan Program (PDF)
  • SBA Small Business Development Centers (PDF)
  • SBA’s Small Business Investment Company Program (PDF)
  • SBA Small Loan Advantage and Community Advantage Loan Programs (PDF)
  • School-Based Bank Savings Program (PDF)
  • Solar Energy Investment Tax Credits and Grants (PDF)
  • USDA Rural Development Business and Industry Guaranteed Loans (PDF)
  • USDA Rural Housing Finance Programs (PDF)
    
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  Insights Reports

  Learn about products, services, and initiatives focused on investments, and services aimed at traditionally-underserved markets segments. Each Insights discusses how selected products or initiatives operate, why they might be of interest to other banks, and associated risks or regulatory considerations.

  • Small Business Investment Companies: An Investment Option for Banks (PDF) (September 2012)
    Describes the Small Business Investment Company (SBIC), how banks can use SBICs to expand their small-business finance activities, and what risks and regulatory considerations are involved.
    
    
  • USDA's Business and Industry Guaranteed Loan Program (PDF) (June 2012)
    Provides an overview of the USDA's Business and Industry (B&I) Guaranteed Loan Program, which is used to support business lending in rural areas.
    
    
  • SBA 504 Loan Program: Small Businesses' Window to Wall Street (PDF) (March 2012)
    Provides an overview of the SBA's 504 Loan Program, which is used to finance long-term assets, such as owner-occupied commercial real estate and heavy machinery, at competitive rates.
    
    
  • SBA's and Export-Import Bank's Working Capital Loan Guarantee Programs (PDF) (April 2011)
    Highlighting two federal loan guarantee programs that help lenders and business borrowers finance the export of goods and services.
    
    
  • FHA's 203(k) Loan Program: Helping Banks and Borrowers Revitalize Homes and Neighborhoods (PDF) (July 2009)
    An overview of the risks, benefits, and regulatory considerations associated with this program.
    
    
  • School-Based Bank Savings Programs: Bringing Financial Education to Students (PDF) (April 2009)
    A discussion of how school-based bank savings programs operate.
    
    
  • Property Disposition: Exploring Different Approaches for Preserving Affordable Housing Opportunities (PDF) (March 2009)
    A review of partnership building strategies among key stakeholders working to create affordable housing opportunities and revitalize areas affected by foreclosed properties.

  Archived Issues

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  Community Developments Investments

  This e-zine captures the creative ideas of bankers and community development practitioners investing in community development, and identifies common features that can be applied to other investments. It presents investment opportunities in the OCC Districts, and provides links to related resources, including the OCC's public welfare investment authority (12 CFR 24).

  • Strategies for Leveraging the State Small Business Credit Initiative (February 2013)
    This issue explores how banks can use the SSBCI Program to help meet the needs of small business borrowers.
  • Bank Financing of Healthy-Food Initiatives (August 2012): This issue explores how banks can help finance the growing effort to transform low-income communities lacking grocery stores into thriving markets.
    PDF version (770 KB)
    
  • Ending Homelessness: Financing Permanent Supportive Housing (February 2012): This issue highlights how financial institutions can support community goals to end homelessness by providing financing to developers of permanent supportive housing.
    PDF version (1.3 MB)
  • Investing in Solar Energy Using the Public Welfare Investment Authority (July 2011): This issue highlights the innovative investments national banks have made in solar energy-producing facilities using their public welfare investment authority.
    PDF version (4.3 MB)
    
  • Renewing Economic Growth: Small Business Jobs Act of 2010 (June 2011): This issue explores three main features of the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010, describing the programs and provisions and explaining their requirements.
    PDF version (2.1 MB)
    
  • Charter School Financing Opportunities (Spring 2011): This issue provides background information about charter schools; discusses the availability of federal, state, and local resources to support the financing of charter school facilities; and includes case studies of financing structures provided by banks.
    PDF version (1.0 MB)
    
  • Public Welfare Investments: A Catalyst for Community Development (Fall 2010) The articles in this issue highlight community development investing in the common types of public welfare investments; compare the public welfare investment authority provisions with CRA; and explain the public welfare investment submission process, as well as documentation requirements for public welfare investments.
    PDF version (2.1 MB)
    
  • Road to Recovery: Banks Can Use Recovery Act to Help Pave the Way (Spring 2010) describes how banks and their local partners can help promote economic growth through programs authorized in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and subsequent legislation. The newsletter provides a snapshot of various Recovery Act programs designed to encourage lending, investments and community development services activities and outlines how such activities might help a bank's Community Reinvestment Act performance.
    PDF version (2.0 MB)
    
  • Cultivating Community-based Financial Literacy Initiatives (Spring 2009)
    Highlights roles that banks can play in promoting financial stability through local partnership efforts. Its articles describe four programs that help banks and their community partners reach out to consumers to encourage better money management through savings and checking products.
    PDF version (1.3 MB)
    
  • Multibank CDCs: Pooling Resources to Strengthen Communities (Fall 2008)
    Focuses on the multibank community development corporation and features guidance for establishing one.
    PDF version (880KB)

  • Archived Issues

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    Community Developments Newsletter

    The Newsletter covers timely community development issues, major Federal initiatives, OCC regulatory policies, and innovative lending and investing practices.

    • Neighborhood Stabilization: Local Partnerships Are Rebuilding Communities (Fall 2009)
      PDF version (1.4 MB)
    • Gulf Coast Redevelopment: Pathways to Recovery (Fall 2008)
      PDF version (1.6 MB)
    • Preservation of Affordable Multifamily Housing (Spring 2008)
      PDF version (2.0 MB)

    Archived Issues

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    Community Affairs Year in Review

    The "Year in Review" highlights the Community Affairs Department's national and regional activities to support the OCC's mission. It features events held nationally and in each of the OCC's four districts to promote banker education and community reinvestment.

    • Community Affairs Year in Review 2011 (PDF)
    • Community Affairs Year in Review 2010 (PDF)
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    Other Community Affairs Publications

    • Reaching New Bank Customers Through the Earned Income Tax Credit (PDF 1.9 MB)
      How national banks, other financial institutions, and nonprofit and government partners promote the use of earned income tax credits.
      
      
    • Financial Literacy Update - These periodic updates contain information about upcoming financial literacy events, new initiatives of the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and other organizations in the financial literacy field, and listings of financial literacy and consumer financial education resources.
      
      
    • A Guide to Mortgage Lending in Indian Country (PDF) (2002)
      Covers Indian lands, trust lands, tribal sovereignty, and civil jurisdiction and includes a list of government resources.
      
      
    • Effective Strategies for Community Development Finance (PDF 2.6 MB) (2000)
      Provides information on practices banks use in community development finance and community development resources and tools
      
      
    • Community Development Resource Guide (PDF)
      Provides a wide variety of resources banks can use to quickly identify community development resources and tools.
      
      
    • Providing Financial Services to Native Americans in Indian Country (PDF 1.6 MB) (1997)
      Shows how several banks provide financial services in Indian Country.
      
      
    • The Single-Family Affordable Housing Market: Trends and Innovations (PDF) (1997)
      Captures presentations given at the July 1997 Affordable Housing Symposium sponsored by the OCC.
      
      
    • Small Business Banking Issues: A National Forum Sponsored by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (PDF) (1998)
      Describes programs, techniques, and strategies relevant to small business banking
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