InfoBytes Blog
FDIC updates Covid-19 FAQs for financial institutions
On April 15, the FDIC released updates to its list of Covid-19 frequently asked questions (FAQs) for financial institutions. The FAQs were originally released on March 19, covering bank operational issues and urging banks to work with borrowers who are experiencing payment difficulties due to Covid-19, as reported by InfoBytes here. New FAQs discuss credit reporting of payment accommodations, reminding lenders to report borrower accounts as current, provided the borrowers continue to observe the terms of the accommodations. The guidance also points financial institutions to a recent CFPB statement (covered here) for guidance on the FCRA under the CARES Act. The FDIC also updated the Troubled Debt Restructurings (TDRs) guidance, emphasizing that financial institutions do not need to classify Covid-19 borrower payment accommodations as TDRs if certain criteria are met, and that examiners “will not criticize prudent efforts to modify the terms on existing loans to affected customers.” Other updates to the FAQs include, among other things: (i) obligations to obtain updated real estate valuation information for Covid-19 related loan modifications; (ii) the use of alternative signatures for Part 363 annual reports and other notices; (iii) real estate loans in excess of loan-to-value percentages for loans refinanced by borrowers impacted by Covid-19; (iv) risk-based capital rules regarding multi-family loan modifications; (v) eligible Community Reinvestment Act activities during the Covid-19 pandemic; and (vi) Bank Secrecy Act issues regarding filing requirements, raising compliance challenges with FinCEN, and whether loans under the Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program are considered new accounts for customer due diligence purposes.