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An official website of the United States government

What We Do

The OCC ensures that national banks and federal savings associations operate in a safe and sound manner, provide fair access to financial services, treat customers fairly, and comply with applicable laws and regulations.

We Supervise & Examine

  • The OCC provides high-quality, fair and balanced supervision to the institutions it examines.
  • The OCC sets a risk tolerance for the federal banking system that is focused on its core mission of safety and soundness.
  • The OCC's historic risk-based supervision approach focuses on material financial risks to each financial institution.
  • The OCC's supervisory approach of risk mitigation rather than risk elimination empowers banks to make sound decisions that support their communities and economic development.

We Regulate

  • The OCC is committed to effective, clear and tailored regulatory guidance that is focused on safety and soundness, while ensuring banks continue to innovate, serve their communities and support the U.S. economy.
  • The OCC tailors regulatory requirements to a bank's risk, size and complexity while keeping pace with changes in technology, markets, competition and customer demand.
  • The OCC builds a regulatory framework that is technology-neutral and accounts for emerging technologies to support innovation and a vibrant and inclusive economy.

We Charter & License

  • The OCC ensures that banks have a path to engage in all legally permissible activities to ensure their long-term success so they may better support their communities and economic growth.
  • The OCC encourages new entrants to the federal banking system to ensure banking remains diverse in nature and dynamic in scope of activities.
  • The OCC applies the statutory factors when reviewing charter and licensing applications and renders decisions on a case-by-case basis.

We Protect Consumers & Communities

  • Ensuring fair access and equal treatment to bank customers is a fundamental principle of the U.S. banking system and is part of the OCC's mission.
  • The OCC's supervisory and regulatory framework ensures customers are not debanked or discriminated against on the basis of political or religious beliefs, or lawful business activities.
  • The OCC operates HelpWithMyBank, a website that assists bank customers with common banking questions and lets them file complaints against a national bank or federal savings association.