Agencies release CRA asset-size threshold adjustments

The federal bank regulatory agencies announced on Dec. 31 the annual adjustment to the asset-size thresholds used to define small bank, small savings association, intermediate small bank, and intermediate small savings association under the Community Reinvestment Act regulations.

The annual adjustments are required by the CRA rules. Financial institutions are evaluated under different CRA examination procedures based upon their asset-size classification. Those meeting the small and intermediate small institution asset-size thresholds are not subject to the reporting requirements applicable to large banks and savings associations unless they choose to be evaluated as a large institution.

Annual adjustments to these asset-size thresholds are based on the change in the average of the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers, not seasonally adjusted, for each 12-month period ending in November, with rounding to the nearest million.

As a result of the 1.62 percent increase in the CPI-W for the period ending in November 2019, the definitions of small and intermediate small institutions for CRA examinations will change as follows:

• “Small bank” or “small savings association” means an institution that, as of Dec. 31 of either of the prior two calendar years, had assets of less than $1.305 billion.
• “Intermediate small bank” or “intermediate small savings association” means a small institution with assets of at least $326 million as of Dec. 31 of both of the prior two calendar years and less than $1.305 billion as of Dec. 31 of either of the prior two calendar years.

These asset-size threshold adjustments are effective Jan. 1. The agencies will publish the final rule in the Federal Register. In addition, the agencies will post a list of the current and historical asset-size thresholds on the website of the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council