In November 1999, the U.S. Congress asked the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System to conduct a comprehensive study of loans made under the Community Reinvestment Act of 1977. The Board’s study focused on the loans’ delinquency and default rates—their performance—as well as...

A look at how the quantity and source of information flowing to lenders can affect their credit decisions, and an argument that lenders should take advantage of the CRA provisions that allow them to address their obligations through joint-lending programs and qualified investments.

A look at some of the issues associated with reports that minority applicants for home mortgage loans are far more likely than whites to be denied credit. The authors raise the concern that simple comparisons of denial rates are not sufficient for grasping the complexities surrounding...

A discussion of discrepancies in methods of evaluating evidence on mortgage-lending discrimination in minority and low-income areas, outlining fundamental differences between studies that focus mostly on neighborhood characteristics and regulatory-agency compliance examinations that concentrate...