WASHINGTON (12/11/15)--The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has updated its list of rural and underserved counties from the list it issued in October. The list is released for the purposes of 2016 regulatory provisions, as some institutions operating in those counties are exempt from certain regulatory requirements. Rural counties are generally defined by using the U.S. Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service’s urban influence codes. Underserved counties are defined by reference to data collected under the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act…

WASHINGTON (12/11/15)--National bank and federal savings association underwriting eased for the third consecutive year, according to a report issued this week by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC). The OCC’s survey showed easing of underwriting standards within commercial and retail loan products of the 95 banks and federal savings associations surveyed, reflecting trends similar to those seen from 2005 through 2007. The survey is a compilation of examiner observations and assessments of the largest entities supervised by the OCC…