Recommended Links for New England Bankers

FRB Boston’s Financial Institution Relations & Outreach Department (FIRO) has assembled the following list of links to various Banking, Economic Research, Regulatory and Community Development information and publications that available through www.bos.frb.org and www.federalreserve.gov.

Banking

• FedBoston News Update for Bankers: This publication previously provided information relating to Federal Reserve Financial Services. It now provides a broad array of information relating to FRB Boston’s FIRO program, to include regular updates of information considered useful to New England financial institutions, and invitations and reminders about upcoming FIRO and other FRB Boston activities. (Available via FedBoston News)

• Bank Notes: A monthly digest of news items about banks in New England, featuring structural changes and regulatory actions, as well as news relating to the nation’s payments system. www.bos.frb.org/economic/banknote/index.htm.

• Boston Reserve Bank's Discount Window: Institutions with questions about our Discount Window can contact our staff directly at (800) 716-3773, Monday-Friday from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm ET. The Boston Reserve Bank's Discount Window web page is available at: http://www.frbdiscountwindow.org/1st.cfm?hdrID=23&dtlID=62.

• Boston Reserve Account Resources: Detailed information relating to reserve account management, maintenance and reporting, as well as contact information for reserve account inquiries is available at: http://www.bos.frb.org/bankinfo/crm/ram.htm.

• Federal Reserve Financial Services: Link to all Federal Reserve financial services such as Check, FedACH, FedCash and Fedwire can be found at: http://www.frbservices.org.

• Federal Reserve Membership: Any state-chartered bank (mutual or stock-formed) may become a member of the Federal Reserve System. Detailed information relating to Federal Reserve Membership can be found at: http://www.bos.frb.org/bankinfo/members/index.htm

Economic Research

• New England Economic Indicators: A monthly publication of the New England Public Policy Center of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston. It provides current and historical economic data for the six states in the first Federal Reserve District (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont), large metropolitan areas in the region, New England as a whole, and the United States. www.bos.frb.org/economic/neei/neei.htm

• The Beige Book: Publishedeight times per year, this publication summarizes anecdotal information on current economic conditions. http://www.federalreserve.gov/fomc/beigebook/2009/default.htm

• The President's Report to the Board of Directors: This monthly report written by Eric Rosengren, President of the Boston Reserve Bank, to the Bank’s Board of Directors is a summary of current U.S. economic conditions. The report highlights data that has been released since the last monthly Board of Directors’ meeting and summarizes this data’s effect on the overall state of the economy. www.bos.frb.org/economic/national/president/index.htm

• Research Review: Provides an overview of recent research by economists of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston. Included are summaries of scholarly papers, staff briefings, and Bank-sponsored research conferences. www.bos.frb.org/economic/ResearchReview/index.htm

• Information Regarding Recent Federal Reserve Actions: Comprehensive list of links to information related to recent Federal Reserve actions, including links to press releases, Federal Register notices, and other related information. Also provides links to special-purpose Federal Reserve and U.S. Government programs such as TARP, TAF, CPFF, etc. www.federalreserve.gov/newsevents/recentactions.htm

Regulatory

• Federal Reserve Regulations: This summary from the Board of Governors provides a short description of Federal Reserve Regulations A through EE. www.federalreserve.gov/bankinforeg/reglisting.htm

• Guide to Regulations: This guide at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York provides a detailed explanation Federal Reserve Regulations A through EE. www.newyorkfed.org/banking/regulations.html

• Legal Interpretations: These opinion letters of Board of Governors staff address topics relating to such things as bank holding companies, foreign banks/international banking, the Federal Reserve Act, margin requirement, and privacy. www.federalreserve.gov/boarddocs/legalint/
  

• Banking and Consumer Regulatory Policy: This link provides information concerning proposed Federal Reserve regulation changes including relevant background information, comment periods, and how to submit a comment. www.federalreserve.gov/newsevents/press/bcreg/2005bcreg.htm

• Regulatory Reports, Instructions and Guidelines: This provides links to the various Federal Reserve reporting forms and instructions, quarterly reporting forms, and internet form submission guidelines. www.reportingandreserves.org/
  

• Financial Data / Performance Reports: This is a link to the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council’s site, with access to several publications including annual reports, performance reports, financial reports, thrift financial reports, statistical releases, etc. www.ffiec.gov/reports.htm

Community Development

• Publications: The Community Affairs Office (CAO) issues a wide array of publications. CAO publications include a magazine that highlights community reinvestment activities, profiles that assess the credit needs of communities and identify programs that help banks meet those needs, and special publications that cover topics such as fair lending and small business technical assistance. http://www.bos.frb.org/commdev/cdevpubs.htm

• Community Reinvestment Act: The Community Reinvestment Act is intended to encourage depository institutions to help meet the credit needs of the communities in which they operate, including low- and moderate-income neighborhoods, consistent with safe and sound banking operations. It was enacted by the Congress in 1977 (12 U.S.C. 2901) and is implemented by Regulations 12 CFR parts 25, 228, 345, and 563e. http://www.federalreserve.gov/DCCA/CRA/default.htm

• Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act – The Sunshine Provision: Disclosure and Reporting of CRA-Related Agreements Regulation implementing provisions of the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act that require reporting and public disclosure of written agreements between insured depository institutions or their affiliates and nongovernmental entities or persons made in connection with fulfillment of Community Reinvestment Act requirements. Can be found in Regulation G at: http://ecfr.gpoaccess.gov/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=ecfr&sid=635f26c4af3e2fe4327fd25ef4cb5638&tpl=/
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Online Subscription Enrollment

You can use the following links to enroll online to receive many of those publications referenced above.

• FedBoston News Update for Bankers: The FIRO program publication providing updates of information considered useful to NE financial institutions, and invitations and reminders about upcoming FIRO and other FRB Boston activities. http://www.bos.frb.org/bankinfo/firo/subscribe/index.cfm

• Bank Notes: The monthly digest of news items about banks in New England, featuring structural changes and regulatory actions, as well as news relating to the nation’s payments system. http://www.bos.frb.org/economic/banknote/bnsubscribe.htm

• Updates on Economic Research, Community Affairs and Economic Education, and Supervisory and Regulatory Information: Most of those publications relating to these categories. www.bos.frb.org/genpubs/email/index.htm