CRA Comment letters submitted during a bank's regular CRA examination. Woodstock Institute regularly comments on bank mergers throughout the Chicago region, and the nation. For information on a specific bank, please contact Woodstock Institute through the comment page.
Comment letter in response to Netbank’s 2002 proposed CRA Strategic Plan. The letter commends Netbank for significantly expanding its CRA assessment area to include the following states in their entirety: Arizona, California, Georgia, Florida, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Texas. This is an improvement over the more limited assessment area that the Bank put forth in its last CRA Strategic Plan.
Comment letter on the proposed 2000 strategic plan filed by Netbank. Argues that the definition of assessment area needs to reflect the changing industry in order to keep in line with the intent and the language of the CRA statute.
Comment letter on the 2002 CRA examination of
Banco Popular NA. The letter discusses Banco Popular’s
basic checking account, which is more expensive and contains more
restrictions than accounts offered by other banks in the area.
The letter also expresses serious concern regarding Banco’s
invisibility in the home purchase and refinance lending markets. An
analysis of Banco Popular’s HMDA data shows the Bank made 2 home
purchase loans and only 1 refinance loan in its Illinois assessment
area in 2001.
Comment letter on the 2000 CRA exam of Chorus Bank. The letter evaluates the bank on lending, services, grants, and investments and suggests that the bank recievee a rating of Substantial Noncompliance or Needs to Improve.
Comment letter on Harris Trust and Savings Bank's 2000 CRA Exam. Although the bank received a Satisfactory rating for its CRA exam in 1998, this letter highlights some shortcomings in Harris Trust and Saving Bank's community development performance.
