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The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency has released a list of Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) performance evaluations that became public during November. The list contains only national banks, federal savings associations, and insured federal branches of foreign banks that have received ratings. The possible ratings are outstanding, satisfactory, needs to improve, and substantial noncompliance. Of the 30 evaluations listed, six are rated outstanding and 24 are rated satisfactory.

The FDIC has released the public list of institutions that it has scheduled for a Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) examination during the first quarter of 2017. This list is required by revised CRA regulations published in May 1995 that require each federal bank and thrift regulator to publish a quarterly CRA examination schedule at least 30 days before the beginning of each quarter.

The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) has published its December 2016 mutual evaluation report of United States anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing (AML/CFT) measures. The report noted the U.S. has a robust anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing regime through which it effectively investigates and prosecutes these crimes. However, the system has serious gaps in the country's legal framework that impede timely access to beneficial ownership information. The report also notes other significant gaps, including minimal coverage of investment advisers, lawyers, accountants, real estate agents, trust and company service providers (other than trust companies).

The Federal Reserve has issued an update reminding eligible borrowers whose loans were serviced by one of the Federal Reserve supervised servicers that reached an agreement to end the Independent Foreclosure Review in 2013 that they have until December 31, 2016, to cash or deposit their checks in order to be paid. To complete the payment distribution process under the Independent Foreclosure Review Payment Agreement, the Federal Reserve has instructed the paying agent, Rust Consulting, Inc. to void all outstanding checks after the December 31 deadline.

The FHA has announced the agency's new schedule of loan limits, and due to an increase in housing prices, most areas in the country will see a slight increase in loan limits in 2017. In high-cost areas, the FHA national loan limit "ceiling" will increase to $636,150 from $625,500. FHA will also increase its "floor" to $275,665 from $271,050. Additionally, the maximum claim amount for FHA-insured Home Equity Conversion Mortgages (HECMs), or reverse mortgages, will increase to $636,150. This amount is 150 percent of the national conforming limit of $424,100. These loan limits are effective for case numbers assigned on or after January 1, 2017, and will remain in effect through the end of the year. [Expands on our 11/29/16 story]

The NCUA has announced the availability of a new five-part series, Understanding Financial Statements, on its YouTube channel. The series discusses the balance sheet and income statement, key line items in each, and the relationship between the documents.

The Federal Reserve System has released the September 2016 G.20 data on finance companies regarding owned and managed receivables outstanding and auto loans credit terms.

The Federal Reserve Board has posted the November 30, 2016, issue of the Beige Book, which summarizes comments received from business and other contacts outside the Federal Reserve System and is not a commentary on the views of Federal Reserve officials. In addition, the Board announced changes that will begin in 2017 in its Beige Book publication. The modifications will standardize specific core topics included in each of the 12 Federal Reserve Bank District reports, provide a more consistent presentation of the national summary, and enhance the design of the publication. The first Beige Book in the new format will be released on January 18, 2017. A template of the new format and an FAQ on the Beige Book were also released.

HUD has announced a new rule that public housing developments in the U.S. will be required to provide a smoke-free environment for their residents. The rule will be effective 60 days after publication in the Federal Register, with implementation required 540 days (roughly 18 months) thereafter. In an address to local public housing officials, residents and public health professionals in Boston, HUD Secretary Castro said HUD's new rule will provide resources and support to more than 3,100 public housing agencies to implement required smoke-free policies over the next 18 months.

UPDATE: Published 12/5/2016 at 81 FR 87430, with an effective date of February 3, 2017, and compliance date of August 3, 2018.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has released its November 2017 complaint snapshot, which highlights consumer complaints about financial services such as debt settlement, check cashing, money orders, and credit repair. The report shows that consumer complaints about these types of financial services generally revolve around issues of fraud or problems with reliable customer service. This month’s report also highlights trends seen in complaints coming from Oklahoma.