I was recently assigned as the CRA Officer for our Bank. The previous officer did not provide a lot of information in what I should be responsible for. I have updated our Public File. We will have a Fed Exam this fall. We are a small bank (200m asset size) and I would like to ask for some advice regarding what I should do to prepare for the pending exam. Any input would be well appreciated.

You should review determine and analyze your bank's small business/small farm and other lending performance (for significant products/portfolios) for the past few years.

Depending upon how long it has been since your last exam, the regulators may not go back that far but they will definitely look at last 2 years.

You want to determine the ratio of loans booked inside the assessment area vs those outside of the assessment area. You want to compare your performance with some peer banks in your area.

Also look at your community development lending - that will be included in your lending assessment - and if you have any community development services and investments/donations.

Gather information on your loan to deposit ratio.

Go through the small bank exam procedures and do a self assessment

Also, pull out your previous CRA exam and take note of the things they looked at as well as your institution's deficiencies. They will want to see how you've addressed them since the last exam.

I would also pull a few Public Evaluations from similarly-sized banks in your area and study them.

And it wouldn't hurt to find a seminar, live or on-line, to bring you up to date.