Regulatory reporting platforms help financial institutions manage the operational demands of Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s (CFPB) Small Business Lending Rule (SBL)/Section 1071 compliance by supporting coverage analysis, data collection, validation, reporting workflows, audit readiness, and submission preparation. SBL/Section 1071 of the Dodd-Frank Act requires certain financial institutions to collect and report data regarding applications for […]

Qualified investments are one of the broadest and most collaborative areas of Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) compliance. Unlike lending or service activities that may sit within more defined operational functions, qualified investments often require coordination across treasury, capital markets, community development, philanthropy, marketing, and executive leadership. A qualified investment under CRA is generally a lawful […]

Maryland's HB 573, signed into law May 26, 2026 and effective October 1, 2026, may be one of the clearest examples yet of a broader shift occurring in fair lending oversight. While recent federal actions may have narrowed the role of disparate impact theory in some regulatory contexts, Maryland has chosen to codify disparate impact […]

Majority-minority census tracts (MMCTs) and low- and moderate-income (LMI) census tracts are sometimes treated as interchangeable in fair lending and CRA analysis. They are not. MMCTs measure race and ethnicity composition, while LMI tracts measure income levels. Understanding where they overlap and where they do not overlap is fundamental to building a defensible fair lending […]

For many financial institutions, community development (CD) activity is not missed because lending teams lack effort. It is missed because CRA loan identification often depends on fragmented processes, inconsistent escalation practices, and manual recognition late in the lending lifecycle. CRA and CD loan identification is the process institutions use to identify loans that may qualify […]

For many banks, the Community Reinvestment Act is less about statutory language and more about how performance is evaluated, documented, and explained. It includes examination outcomes, public ratings, and regulatory decisions tied to growth activities such as mergers, acquisitions, and branch expansion. This guide is designed to give you a clear understanding of the Community […]

Originally published on November 24, 2025 following the CFPB’s proposed revisions to Section 1071. This article was updated on May 15, 2026 to reflect the finalized rule published in the Federal Register on May 1, 2026. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) finalized revisions to its Section 1071 small business lending rule on May 1, […]

CRA and fair lending compliance in 2026 reflects a possible shift in federal enforcement posture, not a change in a financial institution’s underlying legal and compliance obligations. Executive actions and regulatory updates have altered how federal agencies approach enforcement, but the statutes and good governance principles regarding fair lending and CRA remain in effect. For […]

In its January 5, 2026 release, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) identified 15 institutions rated “Outstanding” among Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) performance evaluations made public in December 2025. Across these evaluations, the OCC most often attributes “Outstanding” ratings to strong lending distribution results, community development activity framed as leadership or responsiveness, […]

On December 17, 2025, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) issued proposed guidance aimed at simplifying the strategic plan process under the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) for community banks. The proposal, accompanied by an 80+-page supplemental guidance document, seeks to clarify expectations for measurable goals and the components required for regulatory approval. […]

Short regulatory comment periods are becoming more common across federal financial regulation. For financial institutions, preparing for short comment periods means having predefined governance, accessible data, and cross-functional coordination in place before a proposal is formally released so that meaningful, evidence-based feedback can be submitted within compressed timelines. When the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) […]

The landscape of fair lending is shifting beneath our feet. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s (CFPB) proposed amendments to the Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA) have reignited the long-standing debate over whether fair lending rules should focus on a lender’s intent, or the resulting impact on protected class groups. The proposal challenges long-held assumptions about […]