The biggest housing law in three decades became law at midnight on July 11. No ceremony, no signature. The President let the constitutional clock run out, and the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act quietly took effect without fanfare. However, as they say sometimes the devil is in the details. Most of the coverage and […]
The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act is now law, and for Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) and community development teams, one change stands out: national banks and state member banks can now hold public-welfare investments equal to as much as 20% of capital and surplus, up from 15%. The higher statutory limit does not apply […]
Opportunity Zones 2.0 will generate significant discussion around tax incentives, tract designations, and economic development. For Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) Officers, the more important question may be different: how will institutions evaluate and document Opportunity Zone activities as part of a broader community development strategy? Opportunity Zones are designated low-income census tracts where qualifying investments […]
On June 30, 2026, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), Federal Reserve Board (FRB), and Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) released the 2026 list of distressed or underserved nonmetropolitan middle-income geographies. For Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) purposes, revitalization or stabilization activities in these designated geographies may be eligible for community development consideration. […]
CRA Module Small Business Tract Penetration Report The Small Business Tract Penetration Report has been added to the CRA Module under Executive reports. This report shows small business lending distribution at the census tract level. Dashboards Customize Multi-Year Chart Title Users can now customize the title of their Multi-Year Charts. File Part Field Users can […]
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 […]
Preliminary modified HMDA Peer Data Update The Preliminary modified HMDA LAR data has been updated in RiskExec as of May 27th. This will be the last update before the CFPB releases the 2025 HMDA Peer National Snapshot. Community Development Module Checkbox Fields Available in File Summary Chart Users can now also choose any checkbox, or […]
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 […]
RiskExec Dashboards Are Now Available to All Users! Dashboards are here! Build customized visual summaries of your compliance data across HMDA, CRA, Community Development, or 1071 SBL, now available to all RiskExec clients.
Webinar: New Features for Community Development, HMDA, and CRA Teams Join us May 12 at 1:00pm ET for a live virtual session covering product updates first demonstrated at The 2026 Forum's Tips & Tricks Session. This includes the Community Development Module, CRA and CD dashboarding capabilities, and Dynamic Import Wizard enhancements for HMDA. Register now! Community […]
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 […]