A unique partnership between Unity One Federal Credit Union and Fort Worth's Washington Heights Elementary School created a "Kids Bank" that encourages savings and teaches children valuable financial skills that will benefit them for a lifetime.

The Community Affairs Office of the Dallas Fed has revised A Banker's Quick Reference Guide to CRA. The publication is a tool for quickly accessing information about CRA regulation and examination procedures.

Last fall, the Texas Department of Banking surveyed Texas banks to identify the financial education services and programs they offer. One hundred and fifty-four banks responded to the online survey.

Low-income residents in New Mexico now have more incentive than ever to save for a home, an education or their own business. In the 2006 legislative session, the state provided $1.5 million to fund the Individual Development Account Act that passed in 2003.

As foreclosure and delinquency rates escalate, community organizations, counseling agencies and policymakers need good-quality data to understand foreclosure patterns and mitigate foreclosure losses to individuals and communities. To that end, the Federal Reserve System has aggregated mortgage...

Anecdotal evidence of abusive practices in the home equity lending market led to the enactment of the Home Ownership Equity Protection Act (HOEPA). The act was amended in late 2001, and compliance under the new rules becomes mandatory on Oct. 1, 2002. The rate-based trigger was lowered by 2...

Four federal agencies conduct CRA examinations and enforce CRA regulations. They are the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, Federal Reserve Board of Governors, Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. and Office of Thrift Supervision.

To understand how these amendments affect a typical home equity loan, a loan example has been developed that incorporates the changes in the regulation. The annual percentage rate test and the points and fees test are applied to a loan example.

HOPE Coalition America has activated Project Restore HOPE to assist recent hurricane victims with the short-, medium- and long-term economic and financial challenges they will face in the weeks and months ahead

This article highlights popular Community Reinvestment Act websites of interest to bankers, community groups and others engaged in the CRA.