Examiners assign your bank an overall CRA rating based on factors included in the performance standards described above. The table shows how these specific factors contribute to a large bank's overall rating of outstanding, satisfactory, needs to improve, or the lowest rating—substantial noncompliance. A small bank receives one of these four ratings based on its performance under the standards for small banks.
Regardless of whether your bank is large or small, any evidence of discriminatory or illegal credit practices will have a negative effect on examiners' evaluation of your bank's performance and could lower its overall CRA rating.
|
CRA Ratings
|
||||
| Performance Criteria | Outstanding | Satisfactoryb | Needs to Improve | Substantial Noncompliance |
|
Lending c
|
||||
| Responsiveness to credit and community development needs through lending practices, qualified investments, and services | excellent | good or adequate | poor | very poor |
| Percentage of loans made in the assessment area | substantial majority | high or adequate | small | very small |
| Distribution of loans among geographic areas, people of different income levels, and businesses of different sizes | excellent | good or adequate | poor | very poor |
| Quality of service for credit needs of extremely economically disadvantaged areas, low-income individuals, and small businesses | excellent | good or adequate | poor | very poor |
| Use of creative lending practices to address credit needs of low- or moderate-income people or neighborhoods | extensive | limited | little | no |
|
Investment
|
||||
| Level of qualified community development investments and grants, particularly those not routinely provided by private investors | excellent | significant or adequate | poor | few |
| Use of innovative or complex qualified investments to support community development needs | extensive | extensive or occasional | rare | no |
|
Service
|
||||
| Accessibility of services to all geographic areas and people of different income levels | readily accessible | reasonably accessible | unreasonably inaccessibled | unreasonably inaccessibled |
| Way in which openings and closings of branches have affected access to services, particularly for low- or moderate-income areas or individuals | have made more accessible | have not adversely affected | have adversely affected | have significantly adversely affected |
| Way in which services are provided throughout the assessment area for the convenience and needs of customers | services are tailored | services do not vary in a way that inconveniences | services vary in a way that inconveniences | services vary in a way that significantly inconveniences |
a The performance criteria for small banks are simpler. See "Standards for Small Banks."
b Banks receive an underlying rating of "high satisfactory" or "low satisfactory," but the public record reflects only a single rating.
c A bank's lending practices carry nearly twice as much weight as either its investment or service practices in the overall rating.
d Particularly to low- or moderate-income areas or individuals.