Forms & Guidance Last update: March 29, 2021

For more information, please refer to the Bank Life Cycle section on Bank Holding Companies.

Board of Directors

• Federal Reserve’s Commercial Bank Examination Manual — Section 5000: This section of the Commercial Bank Examination Manual describes the duties and responsibilities of directors.
• Basics for Bank Directors: Online training for bank directors developed by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. This training introduces bank directors to corporate governance and director duties and responsibilities; covers basic bank financial analysis; and discusses the sources, control, and monitoring of portfolio risks, including credit, liquidity, and market risks.
• Officer/Director Background Checks: Information related to background checks, including fingerprint requirements
• Resources for Bank Directors: Provides resources designed to assist bank directors with their management oversight responsibilities. Developed by the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City.

For more information, please refer to the Bank Life Cycle section on Board of Directors – Profile and Core Characteristics.

Branch Information

• Branch Application: How to submit a branch application
• Interagency Policy Statement on Branch Closings: Closing a branch requires specific notices to both regulators and customers. Please refer to the policy for detailed information.
• Notice of Branch Closure: US Code: Title 12, Notice of Branch Closure

For more information, please refer to the Bank Life Cycle section on Branching.

Capital

• Bank Holding Company Supervision Manual: Nonbank Activities: Section 3000 provides information on permissible nonbank activities.
• Capital Requirements: Frequently Asked Questions to assist Board-regulated banking organizations in complying with the Board's capital requirements with respect to perpetual preferred and nonvoting stock.
• Capital Estimator Tool for Mission-Driven Banks: The following is a link to the FDIC’s public web site and a capital estimator tool for mission-driven banks https://www.fdic.gov/regulations/resources/minority/capital-estimator.xlsm and associated interagency webinar https://youtu.be/Oz6BqoW3Tg4. The Federal Reserve Board does not maintain the capital estimator and webinar provided by the FDIC. The use of the FDIC’s capital estimator is voluntary. The FDIC’s capital estimator is designed to provide estimates of the approximate impact of additional capital on various capital ratios and is not intended to be used for any business or regulatory purposes. Financial institutions that choose to use this capital estimator remain solely responsible for the accuracy of any reporting data produced with the assistance of this capital estimator, as well as for compliance with any applicable regulatory capital requirements (for example, Regulation Q).
• Regulatory Capital Guide for Minority Depository Institutions and Community Development Financial Institution Banking Organizations: The federal banking agencies have developed a guide to provide minority depository institutions and community development financial institutions with an overview of key considerations regarding the effect of capital investments on their regulatory capital requirements under the agencies’ regulatory capital rule.
• Commercial Bank Examination Manual: Assessment of Capital Adequacy: Section 3020.1 provides information on how capital ratios are interpreted under the PCA guidelines of Regulation H, part D.
• Commercial Bank Examination Manual: Bank Premises: Section 2190.1 provides information on limitations on investment in bank premises.
• Community Development Banks: Information on special capital rules for community development banks

For more information, please refer to the Bank Life Cycle section on Capital Requirements.

Consumer Compliance Resources

• Consumer Compliance Outlook: A Federal Reserve System publication dedicated to consumer compliance issues

Credit Risk

• SR Letter 07-01, “Interagency Guidance on Concentrations in Commercial Real Estate”: January 2007 interagency guidance on commercial real estate concentrations

For more information, please refer to the Bank Life Cycle section on Credit Risk.

Demographic Information

• Census Tracts and Block Numbering Areas: Provides guidance on understanding census tracts and block numbering areas, as well as links to resource centers for census data, census tract, and BNA maps.

For more information, please refer to the Bank Life Cycle section on Demographic Analysis.

Funding Sources and Loan Guarantee Programs

• Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) Fund: Provides information on how to obtain a “Certified CDFI” designation, which is required to access CDFI Fund award programs, including the new CDFI Bond Guarantee Program, which provides a 100 percent guarantee by the U.S. Treasury on a minimum of $100 million in bonds or notes issued for CDFI investments in low-income urban and rural areas.
• Minority Bank Deposit Program: The U.S. Treasury Department developed this program to help preserve and strengthen minority-owned institutions. This voluntary program encourages federal agencies, state and local governments, and the private sector to use participants in the Minority Bank Deposit Program as depositaries and financial agents.
• Minority Business Development Agency Financial Assistance: This U.S. Department of Commerce program provides information on loans, grants, bonds, and access to capital for minority business development.
• Search for Loans, Grants, and Financing: This Business.gov site helps small businesses locate government services supporting the nation's small business community.
• Small Business Administration Financial Assistance: This SBA site provides information on SBA-backed loans, surety bonds, equity capital, government contracting opportunities, and access to small business development centers.
• Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization: This U.S. Department of Agriculture program provides information on business development programs and opportunities for small businesses, women-owned businesses, and minority businesses to participate in USDA programs.
• Urban League Economic Empowerment Fund: This National Urban League program provides information on grants, loans, and funding programs for minority businesses and small businesses.

Growth and Market Expansion

• Appendix D of Regulation H: Interagency Guidelines Establishing Standards for Safety and Soundness (scroll down to subpart J)
• Regulation H: Membership of state banking institutions in the Federal Reserve System

For more information, please refer to the Bank Life Cycle section on Market Expansion.

Information Technology

• FFIEC IT Examination Handbook InfoBase: Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council (FFIEC) guidance on 12 information technology topics, a glossary of IT terms, and links to other related resources

For more information, please refer to the Bank Life Cycle section on Outsourcing and Vendor Management.

Market Risk

• Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago: Risk Management: The Chicago Federal Reserve market risk page provides guidance and commentary on market risk conditions.

For more information, please refer to the Bank Life Cycle section on Interest Rate Risk.

Outsourcing

• BAI online: Online newsletter detailing best practices related to strategic and managerial issues in the financial services industry
• “Interagency Policy Statement on the Internal Audit Function and Its Outsourcing”: Guidance issued in March 2003 on guidelines for outsourcing the internal audit function (SR Letter 03-04).
• “Outsourcing Financial Services Activities: Industry Practices to Mitigate Risks”: FRB-New York white paper on outsourcing

For more information, please refer to the Bank Life Cycle section on Outsourcing and Vendor Management.

Regulations

• Federal Reserve link to all regulation: Listings of all Federal Reserve regulations
• Regulation W: Regulation governing transactions between member banks and their affiliates

For more information, please refer to the Bank Life Cycle section on The Supervisory Process and Regulatory Relations.

Regulatory Applications

• Bank Holding Company Application Filing Information: Bank holding company formations and supervision are the responsibility of the Federal Reserve. A separate application is needed to form a holding company. This application can be filed in conjunction with the charter application or at a later date.
• Conference of State Bank Supervisors: Provides details concerning state charter application requirements
• Form 2083 A/B/C: Separate membership application (filed with the Federal Reserve, after preliminary charter approval is granted by the appropriate state chartering agency)
• Interagency Charter and Federal Deposit Insurance Application: Interagency form issued by the OCC, the OTS, and the FDIC. Consolidates the reporting requirements of the above-mentioned regulatory agencies to help eliminate duplicative information.
• Regulation H: Membership of state banking institutions in the Federal Reserve System
• SR Letter 01-13, “Supervisory Guidance Relating to a Change to Permissible Securities Activities of State Member Banks”: Supervisory guidance on permissible securities activities for state member banks
• The Federal Reserve's Application Filing Information: Provides general information about the types of filings required by the Federal Reserve and how they are processed.

For more information, please refer to the Bank Life Cycle section on De Novo Bank Application Process.

Supervisory Guidance

• FRB Supervisory Letters: All Supervision and Regulation letters issued from 1990 to the present
• Investment in Bank Premises: Federal Reserve Act 24A — Investment in Bank Premises or Stock of Corporation Holding Premises
• SR Letter 01-13, “Supervisory Guidance Relating to a Change to Permissible Securities Activities of State Member Banks”: Supervisory guidance on permissible securities activities for state member banks

For more information, please refer to the Bank Life Cycle section on The Supervisory Process and Regulatory Relations.