OCC Report Highlights Risks Facing National Banks and Federal Savings Associations

Summary

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) today reported strategic, credit, operational, and compliance risks remain top concerns for the federal banking system in its Semiannual Risk Perspective for Spring 2017.

Highlights from the report include:

• Strategic risk remains elevated as banks make decisions to expand into new products or services or consider new delivery channels and continue merger and acquisition activity. Banks face competition from nonfinancial firms, including financial technology companies entering the traditional banking industry. This competition is causing changes in the way customers and financial institutions approach banking.
• Credit underwriting standards and practices across commercial and retail portfolios remain an area of OCC emphasis. Over the past two years, commercial and retail credit underwriting has loosened, showing a transition from a conservative to an increasing risk appetite as banks strive to achieve loan growth and maintain or grow market share.
• Operational risk continues to challenge banks because of increasing cyber threats, reliance on concentrations in significant third-party service providers, and the need for sound governance over product service and delivery.
• Compliance risk remains high as banks continue to manage money-laundering risks and implement changes to comply with the amended customer protection requirements under the Military Lending Act and integrated mortgage disclosure rules.

The report covers risks facing national banks and federal savings associations based on data for the 12 months ending December 31, 2016. The report presents data in four main areas: the operating environment, bank performance, trends in key risks, and regulatory actions. It focuses on issues that pose threats to those financial institutions regulated by the OCC and is intended as a resource to the industry, examiners, and the public.