The CRA Public File is a mandatory disclosure package that FDIC-supervised banks and other CRA-covered institutions must maintain and make available to the public, containing the institution's most recent Community Reinvestment Act performance evaluation, a list of branch locations, and a description of lending, investment, and service activities in their assessment area — required under 12 C.F.R. Part 345 (FDIC CRA regulations, https://www.fdic.gov/regulations/laws/rules/2000-6500.html) and 12 U.S.C. § 2906 (https://www.fdic.gov/regulations/laws/rules/1000-4600.html#fdic1000-4600.4.4.3).
The Community Reinvestment Act (CRA), enacted in 1977 (12 U.S.C. § 2901 et seq.), requires federal banking regulators — the FDIC (for state non-member banks), the OCC (for national banks), and the Federal Reserve (for state member banks) — to assess each bank's record of meeting the credit needs of its entire community, including low- and moderate-income (LMI) neighborhoods. The CRA Public File is the tangible disclosure mechanism through which the public can review a bank's CRA record. Required contents: Under 12 C.F.R. § 345.43 (FDIC), the CRA Public File must include: (1) the bank's most recent CRA performance evaluation (PE) and rating (Outstanding, Satisfactory, Needs to Improve, or Substantial Non-Compliance); (2) a map of each assessment area or a list of the geographies; (3) a description of the bank's efforts to ascertain community credit needs; (4) information on complaint procedures; (5) for large banks — Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) data, small business loan data, and community development loan/investment data. The FDIC's CRA examination procedures guide (https://www.fdic.gov/regulations/applications/cra.html) details examination methodology. Access and public inspection: Banks must make the CRA Public File available at each branch during normal business hours within two business days of a public request. A copy of the CRA Performance Evaluation must be placed in the file within 30 days of receipt from the regulator. The FDIC also maintains a public database of CRA Performance Evaluations at https://www.ffiec.gov/craratings/default.aspx. Small business lending relevance: CRA-rated performance directly affects a bank's ability to open branches, merge, or acquire other institutions — regulators weigh CRA ratings in merger applications under 12 U.S.C. § 2903. Banks with strong CRA performance often offer dedicated small business lending programs, Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) partnerships, and below-market loan products targeted at LMI borrowers and geographies. Small business owners in LMI areas can research their bank's CRA record to identify lending programs the bank is incentivized to make available.
You can request the CRA Public File directly from any branch of the bank — they must provide it within two business days. The bank's most recent CRA Performance Evaluation is also searchable online through the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council (FFIEC) CRA disclosure website at https://www.ffiec.gov/craratings/default.aspx. The FDIC, OCC, and Federal Reserve each maintain their own searchable databases of CRA ratings for the banks they supervise.
No. The CRA applies only to FDIC-insured depository institutions — commercial banks and savings associations. Credit unions are supervised by the NCUA and are not subject to CRA, though they have their own community service obligations under the Federal Credit Union Act. Non-bank lenders (online lenders, MCA providers, factoring companies) are not subject to CRA. Several states have proposed state-level CRA equivalents for non-bank lenders, but no federal analog exists as of 2026.
Yes, materially. Banks with low CRA ratings are motivated to increase LMI lending and community development investment to improve their ratings before their next exam (typically every 1–4 years depending on asset size). This can translate into dedicated small business loan programs, relaxed underwriting for LMI-geography borrowers, below-market rates on SBA loans, and partnerships with CDFIs or SBDCs. Conversely, banks with 'Outstanding' ratings have more latitude in their lending mix and may be less aggressive in LMI outreach. FDIC examination schedules and CRA exam procedures are published at https://www.fdic.gov/regulations/applications/cra.html.