You've exceeded your PM capacity according to the BOL mail god. So I'll answer your pm here and hope you see it I think you need to go clean up your mail box. I know I do so I feel your pain!

Rubaiyat

Heh heh, so ya like a challenge do you? Congrats on the change

I think there are two sources on CRA that are the most valuable if you have little or no time to deal with CRA but want to do it well.

First is the OCC's examiners workbook. It details the exam process from beginning to end. If you're not OCC, don't worry. They're the toughest and fairest regulators so if you use this as your bible, it will get you through ANY regulators exam:

http://www.occ.treas.gov/ftp/bulletin/2000-35a.pdf

Then there's the Getting it Right book, which is an easy reference book on a day to day basis for CRA data. While the above is a better reference for exams (including data integrity) this is great for the "how" to get the data right:

http://www.ffiec.gov/cra/guide.htm

Both of these books, as well as the call report guidelines, are within arms reach for me at all times. If you read the OCC book first, you'll have a good grasp on the program as a whole though, so I'd recommend that first, then the GIR, then JUST the pages in the call report that pertain to loan definations.

Obviously data integrity is a key area of focus now for you.

Here's my procedures:

I review a 10% sample of all business loans. Note I said business loans, not small business loans. I look at them to see if the reportable deals really are reportable, and then at the non-reportable deals (type 9 etc) to see if they were reportable. I review for the four key fields (Revenue code, Loan Address, Loan Amount and Loan Number) to see if they're right. If any one person or department has error ratios of over 3% in any one of those key fields (for 99% of the banks out there the first two will be your focus) I then review 100% of their loans for accuracy.

I track the reviews and findings to share with senior management, as well as to show the examiners my procedures.

I'd start with these suggestions and move on to the harder stuff later and I'd highly recommend you try to get sent to a real CRA seminar like the PCI Conference or the San Francisco Fed for a quick upgrade on your learning. PCI is in the fall this year, the Fed isn't until 2006. You'll pick up so much it will be worth the time

Whew! My PM box is now as clean as can be so I can get those important PMs again! Sorry for the confusion!

Thanks for the info. This is where I was thinking of starting. But, it is good to have the word of an expert to get me started down the right path.

The next few weeks are going to be interesting and I REALLY appreciate your thoughts on how to start this process. And I am going to lobby for attendance at a conference once the immediate issues are addressed.

Thank you for your help!!!!!!

Dawnie, you are cooler than cool (especially given your location ). I'm not a CRA officer, nor do I want to play one on TV, but I was just saying the other day that I wanted to learn more about this reg. (Don't ask me why. I'm just geeky like that. ) I read (ok, skimmed) the FFIEC book, but didn't think about the manual. I'm gonna have to flip through that one also.

Thank ya muchly! You are the Queen of the BOL!

Well thanks Ed I'm thinking of playing one on TV if anyone is ever interested in watching a show about compliance people....ok maybe it's doubtful!

I think that reading the OCC manual is the best way to learn about the reg frankly. The two together are great, but you really get the gist of the issue by reading the "how to" book of an examiner Enjoy...and I recommend A LOT of coffee as you read those!

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Enjoy...and I recommend A LOT of coffee as you read those!

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But why?!? They are such page turners. I just can't put them down. Yeah right!

On a somewhat related note, a local law firm used to run an ad on TV with the two partners on it. They kind of looked like Penn & Teller. The short geeky one would point to the big knee breaker and say, "He's a pit bull in the courtroom." And the big guy would say, "He reads law books like other people read menus." Sometimes I feel like the second guy.

I would be very interested in attending either or both of the conferences mentioned. Our bank went from small to big and we can use all the information we can get! BTW, BOL is the greatest, better than twinkies and I really like twinkies!