Navigating the complexities of Fair Lending regulations and helping your bank develop and maintain fair and diverse lending practices
We help you measure how well you adhere to Fair Lending laws and regulations and whether your policies, procedures, and practices provide equal and fair access to credit throughout your community.
Fair lending audits are not only a compliance requirement, but they assure you and your community that your lending policies are inclusive and that you treat everyone fairly. They’re essential ingredients in maintaining a solid reputation and enhancing community relations.
Still, banks can inadvertently make mistakes when working with borrowers and vetting their creditworthiness. A blip anywhere in the process can raise the stakes and result in financial penalties, regulatory punishment, and reputational damage.
We guide you in building a program that helps manage the fair lending risk and mitigates even unintentionally disparate treatment.
Our team has extensive experience and insight into Fair Lending laws and understands the finer points of regulatory requirements and changes. That knowledge allows us to help you mitigate risk and better manage your Fair Lending obligations.
We focus on the risk categories outlined within the Interagency Fair Lending Examination Procedures to identify potential violations and vulnerabilities. That includes a review of:
- Fair lending compliance management program
- Comparative loan file
- Policies and procedures established to manage fair lending risk
- Assessment of underwriting guidelines
- Lending pattern identification and data analysis at both the individual borrower characteristics level and the minority tract level
- Demographic makeup of the lending area
- Mapping of lending patterns in the Banks’ defined market area
TCA guides you to A Better Way to comply with Fair Lending regulations and continue providing equal access to credit in your community.
Key deliverables include:
- Evaluating your Fair Lending practices at the Board level and across bank departments
- Providing sophisticated analysis to identify your lending performance, identifying any deficiencies, and making recommendations for preventing discriminatory practices
- Helping you to maintain the bank’s standing in the community.
- Assessing your Fair Lending risk level
Additional Fair Lending Topics
CRA Public File Reminder
It’s no joke, the April 1st deadline is just days away to review your CRA Public File(s) and ensure all required information is accurate and current and present in the file. TCA – A Better Way!
Executive Order on Disparate impact and What a Bank Should Know
On April 23, 2025, an Executive Order regarding Disparate Impact was issued. The Order states: “It is the policy of the United States to eliminate the use of disparate-impact liability in all contexts to the maximum degree possible.” In addition, it requires the assessment of pending investigations and litigation to extend to the Department of […]
What are MDI’s and the benefits of partnering with one?
Do you ever feel hesitant to engage with organizations in your community because you are unsure if the activity will qualify for CRA? You are not alone. Inconsistencies among the agencies as to what qualifies as CRA eligible activity can cause confusion and make discerning worthwhile partnerships from not-so-worthwhile partnerships that much more difficult. In […]
CRA In the Boardroom
As financial institutions face increasing pressure to demonstrate their commitment for economic stability in underserved areas and populations, the responsibility of the Board of Directors under the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) has never been more critical in shaping strategies that serve both community and business interests. You may be thinking “How can the Board become […]
CRA as a Profitable Endeavor
Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) compliance is often considered to be a burden rather than a blessing to many financial institutions. With ever changing, and sometimes ambiguous regulatory requirements, it can be tempting to roll our eyes when it comes time for an evaluation of CRA. Like many things, if we change our mindset to see […]
TCA Compliance Welcomes Sara Kirkpatrick, Enhances its CRA Expertise
With the hiring of Sara Kirkpatrick,TCA Compliance is enhancing the consulting it provides to banks on CRA compliance topics. TCA Compliance is a full-service company that provides A Better Way for banks to manage their compliance obligations. Kirkpatrick brings firsthand knowledge of first-time homebuyers and CRA programs. She initially anticipated working at a non-profit or […]
