OCC Ceases Examinations for Reputation Risk

WASHINGTON—The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) today announced that it will no longer examine its regulated institutions for reputation risk and is removing references to reputation risk from its Comptroller’s Handbook booklets and guidance issuances.

Today’s actions support the OCC’s mission and its supervisory objectives to ensure that banks have appropriate and strong risk management processes for their business activities, treat customers fairly, and comply with applicable laws and regulations.

“The OCC’s examination process has always been rooted in ensuring appropriate risk management processes for bank activities, not casting judgment on how a particular activity may fare with public opinion,” said Acting Comptroller of the Currency Rodney E. Hood. “The OCC has never used reputation risk as a catch-all justification for supervisory action. Focusing future examination activities on more transparent risk areas improves public confidence in the OCC’s supervisory process and makes clear that the OCC has not and does not make business decisions for banks.”

The removal of references to reputation risk from OCC handbooks and guidance issuances does not alter the OCC’s expectation that banks remain diligent and adhere to prudent risk management practices across all other risk areas. The OCC expects to complete its efforts to update its public documents in the coming weeks.