If anyone is using the FFIEC's free downloadable software for HMDA can you tell me if it will work with your loan software to pull over data for your LAR or does everything have to be entered manually?

The Help section of the FFIEC software gives directions on how to import data from an external file.

You system should be able to export a dat file, which is then immported to the FFIEC software.

So do you have to actually download it to get to the help section? I was hoping to just find information about it before downloading but do not see that option.

I believe that most software is built to play nice with the FFIEC software, you may be able to figure out from the help section in yours to figure out how to produce the .dat file.

Our software we currently use is an interface that uploads it from our loan software but it does not create an exportable file for auditors and myself to use to put it in Excel. The FDIC can put it in their FFIEC software but it is not very helpful for us to use for our own analysis...since we have >700 entries on it each year.

I don't think you have a choice about downloading the FFIEC HMDA software.
That's the only way to submit.

I suggest you call your software company to get directions on how to get the .dat file that you just export into the HMDA Data Entry Software.

eta: You and I posted simultaneously. Who's your software provider? I have two choices on mine, either a LAR I can download into EXCEL to pivot or the HMDA .dat file.

We use Census Traks and the .dat is my only option. I've asked the vendor about it and also tried to find out a way at Excel courses and there isn't a way.

Is Census Tracts your interface software or your loan software?

My loan software is the one that gives me two options.
You're saying you cannot print a LAR other than in FFIEC?

You can export the FFIEC as a csv file and open in Excel.

It is our interface software and the one that prints the LAR. We use Laser Pro for our loan software. We do not use FFIEC at all now - just wondering if it would be better to switch to it instead of using our current interface one.

Bingo!
Should have remembered that Kathleen had a fix for this problem last year.

Also, you can take a dat file, and parse it out in Excel without a lot of trouble. The HMDA spec file tells you how long each field is, so you can tell Excel where to put the breaks.

I get people sending me data in all sorts of formats so I have all sorts of ways to deal with it.

Thank you both but to be clear you are saying I still need to use the FFIEC program?

I'm confused as to what your problem is. Do you have a dat file or do you need a dat file? Are you trying to get an Excel file from a dat file?

You can open a dat file in Excel and split out the columns based on field size. The HMDA specs tell you where the column breaks are.

OR you can export the dat file, import to FFIEC, and export a CSV file, which will open in Excel. You will have to add the headers.

I don't use it. My software will create an encrypted file that I use for my submission. There is no reason to use the FFIEC program if yours will allow submission.

The poster seems to be trying to get an export to work with, not submit.

Kathleen, I was referring to Truff's post where she stated: "I don't think you have a choice about downloading the FFIEC HMDA software.
That's the only way to submit."

This thread has my head spinning. Yes, many loan software programs allow you to submit directly without having to download the FFIEC software.

I'm sorry about being so confusing. We do not have any issues submitting at all and we do that from Census Traks. Where I have trouble is if I want to take our HMDA data and do a fair lending analysis with it by importing it into Excel where I can sort, etc. Our external auditors that also come in once a year and like to do a similar process haven't been able to either because Census Traks hasn't given us that option. I've done the dat file and figured out page breaks, etc but not separated by columns, etc.

Okay. Open Excel, then have Excel open your dat file. Select fixed width. From there you set the column breaks by clicking on each end of field, per the HMDA file specs.

You want to put a column break by clicking at each end of field.

http://www.ffiec.gov/hmda/fileformats.htm

That worked! I'm so tickled!! I have called and emailed so many people about there being a way to do this. Thank you!! Now I guess I can't put off doing my HMDA analysis though....

Glad it worked. True, now you have to do the analysis!

COMPLIcated, We also have CTP, I export to excel all the time. I would be happy to help with the export (I have the headers that you need too) and whatever else that I can. Send me a pm with your email.

And for the record, we do not use FFIEC to submit at all.

Most systems can export. I find that banks don't know how to make it happen!