Title 12--Banks and Banking

CHAPTER II--FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM

PART 203--HOME MORTGAGE DISCLOSURE (REGULATION C)


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203.1 Authority, scope and purpose.
203.2 Definitions.
203.3 Exempt institutions.
203.4 Compilation of loan data.
203.5 Disclosure and reporting.
203.6 Enforcement.
Appendix A Form and instructions for completion of HMDA loan/application register
Appendix B Form and instructions for data collection on race or national origin and sex.
Supplement I Staff commentary

Sec. 203.1 Authority, scope and purpose.
    

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    (a) Authority. This regulation is issued by the Board of Governors 
of the Federal Reserve System (``Board'') pursuant to the Home Mortgage 
Disclosure Act (12 U.S.C. 2801 et seq.), as amended. The information-
collection requirements have been approved by the U.S. Office of 
Management and Budget under 44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq. and have been 
assigned OMB Numbers 1557-0159, 3064-0046, 1550-0021, and 7100-0247 for 
institutions reporting data to the

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Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, the Federal Deposit Insurance 
Corporation, the Office of Thrift Supervision, and the Federal Reserve 
System, respectively; numbers for the National Credit Union 
Administration and the Department of Housing and Urban Development are 
pending.
    (b) Purpose. (1) This regulation implements the Home Mortgage 
Disclosure Act, which is intended to provide the public with loan data 
that can be used:
    (i) To help determine whether financial institutions are serving the 
housing needs of their communities;
    (ii) To assist public officials in distributing public-sector 
investments so as to attract private investment to areas where it is 
needed; and
    (iii) To assist in identifying possible discriminatory lending 
patterns and enforcing antidiscrimination statutes.
    (2) Neither the act nor this regulation is intended to encourage 
unsound lending practices or the allocation of credit.
    (c) Scope. This regulation applies to certain financial 
institutions, including banks, saving associations, credit unions, and 
other mortgage lending institutions, as defined in Sec. 203.2(e). It 
requires an institution to report data to its supervisory agency about 
home purchase and home improvement loans it originates or purchases, or 
for which it receives applications; and to disclose certain data to the 
public.
    (d) Loan aggregation and central data depositories. Using the loan 
data made available by financial institutions, the Federal Financial 
Institutions Examination Council will prepare disclosure statements and 
will produce various reports for individual institutions for each 
metropolitan statistical area (MSA), showing lending patterns by 
location, age of housing stock, income level, sex, and racial 
characteristics. The disclosure statements and reports will be available 
to the public at central data depositories located in each MSA. A 
listing of central data depositories can be obtained from the Federal 
Financial Institutions Examination Council, Washington, DC 20006.

[Reg. C, 54 FR 51362, Dec. 15, 1989, as amended at 63 FR 52142, Sept. 
30, 1998]

Sec. 203.2 Definitions.
     

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In this regulation:
    (a) Act means the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (12 U.S.C. 2801 et 
seq.), as amended.
    (b) Application means an oral or written request for a home purchase 
or home improvement loan that is made in accordance with procedures 
established by a financial institution for the type of credit requested.
    (c) Branch office means: (1) Any office of a bank, savings 
association, or credit union that is approved as a branch by a federal 
or state supervisory agency, but excludes free-standing electronic 
terminals such as automated teller machines;
    (2) Any office of a mortgage lending institution (other than a bank, 
savings association, or credit union) that takes applications from the 
public for home purchase or home improvement loans. A mortgage lending 
institution is also deemed to have a branch office in an MSA if, in the 
preceding calendar year, it received applications for, originated, or 
purchased five or more home purchase or home improvement loans on 
property located in that MSA.
    (d) Dwelling means a residential structure (whether or not it is 
attached to real property) located in a state of the United States of 
America, the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. 
The term includes an individual condominium unit, cooperative unit, or 
mobile or manufactured home.
    (e) Financial institution means:
    (1) A bank, savings association, or credit union that originated in 
the preceding calendar year a home purchase loan (other than temporary 
financing such as a construction loan), including a refinancing of a 
home purchase loan, secured by a first lien on a one- to four-family 
dwelling if:
    (i) The institution is federally insured or regulated; or
    (ii) The loan is insured, guaranteed, or supplemented by any federal 
agency; or
    (iii) The institution intended to sell the loan to the Federal 
National Mortgage Association or the Federal Home Loan Mortgage 
Corporation;
    (2) A for-profit mortgage lending institution (other than a bank, 
savings

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association, or credit union) whose home purchase loan originations 
(including refinancings of home purchase loans) equaled or exceeded ten 
percent of its loan origination volume, measured in dollars, in the 
preceding calendar year.
    (f) Home improvement loan means any loan that:
    (1) Is for the purpose, in whole or in part, of repairing, 
rehabilitating, remodeling, or improving a dwelling or the real property 
on which it is located; and
    (2) Is classified by the financial institution as a home improvement 
loan.
    (g) Home purchase loan means any loan secured by and made for the 
purpose of purchasing a dwelling.
    (h) Metropolitan statistical area or MSA means a metropolitan 
statistical area or a primary metropolitan statistical area, as defined 
by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget.

[Reg. C, 54 FR 51362, Dec. 15, 1989, as amended at 56 FR 59857, Nov. 26, 
1991; 59 FR 63704, Dec. 9, 1994]

Sec. 203.3 Exempt institutions.
     

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    (a) Exemption based on location, asset size, or number of home 
purchase loans. (1) A bank, savings association, or credit union is 
exempt from the requirements of this part for a given calendar year if 
on the preceding December 31:
    (i) The institution had neither a home office nor a branch office in 
an MSA; or
    (ii) The institution's total assets were at or below the asset 
threshold established by the Board. The asset threshold was adjusted 
from $10 million to $28 million as of December 31, 1996. For subsequent 
years, the Board will adjust the threshold based on the year-to-year 
change in the average of the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners 
and Clerical Workers, not seasonally adjusted, for each twelve-month 
period ending in November, with rounding to the nearest million. The 
Board will publish any adjustment to the asset figure in December in the 
staff commentary.
    (2) A for-profit mortgage lending institution (other than a bank, 
savings association, or credit union) is exempt from the requirements of 
this part for a given calendar year if:
    (i) The institution had neither a home office nor a branch office in 
an MSA on the preceding December 31; or
    (ii) The institution's total assets combined with those of any 
parent corporation were $10 million or less on the preceding December 
31, and the institution originated fewer than 100 home purchase loans 
(including refinancings of home purchase loans) in the preceding 
calendar year.
    (b) Exemption based on state law. (1) A state-chartered or state-
licensed financial institution is exempt from the requirements of this 
regulation if the Board determines that the institution is subject to a 
state disclosure law that contains requirements substantially similar to 
those imposed by this regulation and contains adequate provisions for 
enforcement.
    (2) Any state, state-chartered or state-licensed financial 
institution, or association of such institutions may apply to the Board 
for an exemption under this paragraph.
    (3) An institution that is exempt under this paragraph shall submit 
the data required by the state disclosure law to its state supervisory 
agency for purposes of aggregation.
    (c) Loss of exemption. (1) An institution losing an exemption that 
was based on the criteria set forth in paragraph (a) of this section 
shall comply with this part beginning with the calendar year following 
the year in which it lost its exemption.
    (2) An institution losing an exemption that was based on state law 
under paragraph (b) of this section shall comply with this regulation 
beginning with the calendar year following the year for which it last 
reported loan data under the state disclosure law.

[Reg. C, 54 FR 51362, Dec. 15, 1989, as amended at 57 FR 56965, Dec. 2, 
1992; 62 FR 28623, May 27, 1997; 63 FR 52142, Sept. 30, 1998]
Sec. 203.4 Compilation of loan data.
    

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   (a) Data format and itemization. A financial institution shall 
collect data regarding applications for, and originations and purchases 
of, home purchase and home improvement loans (including refinancings of 
both) for each calendar year. These transactions shall be

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recorded, within thirty calendar days after the end of each calendar 
quarter in which final action is taken (such as origination or purchase 
of a loan, or denial or withdrawal of an application), on a register in 
the format prescribed in Appendix A of this part and shall include the 
following items:
    (1) A number for the loan or loan application, and the date the 
application was received.

    (2) The type and purpose of the loan.
    (3) The owner-occupancy status of the property to which the loan 
relates.

    (4) The amount of the loan or application.

    (5) The type of action taken, and the date.

    (6) The location of the property to which the loan relates, by MSA, 
state, county, and census tract, if the institution has a home or a 
branch office in that MSA.

    (7) The race or national origin and sex of the applicant or 
borrower, and the gross annual income relied upon in processing the 
application.

    (8) The type of entity purchasing a loan that the institution 
originates or purchases and then sells within the same calendar year.

    (b) Collection of data on race or national origin, sex, and income. 
(1) A financial institution shall collect data about the race or 
national origin and sex of the applicant or borrower as prescribed in 
appendix B. If the applicant or borrower chooses not to provide the 
information, the lender shall note the data on the basis of visual 
observation or surname, to the extent possible.

    (2) Race or national origin, sex, and income data may but need not 
be collected for:

    (i) Loans purchased by the financial institution; or

    (ii) Applications received or loans originated by a bank, savings 
association, or credit union with assets on the preceding December 31 of 
$30 million or less.

    (c) Optional data. A financial institution may report the reasons it 
denied a loan application.
    (d) Excluded data. A financial institution shall not report:
    (1) Loans originated or purchased by the financial institution 
acting in a fiduciary capacity (such as trustee);
    (2) Loans on unimproved land;
    (3) Temporary financing (such as bridge or construction loans);
    (4) The purchase of an interest in a pool of loans (such as 
mortgage-participation certificates); or
    (5) The purchase solely of the right to service loans.
    (e) Data reporting under CRA for banks and savings associations with 
total assets of $250 million or more and banks and savings associations 
that are subsidiaries of a holding company whose total banking and 
thrift assets are $1 billion or more. As required by agency regulations 
that implement the Community Reinvestment Act, banks and savings 
associations that had total assets of $250 million or more (or are 
subsidiaries of a holding company with total banking and thrift assets 
of $1 billion or more) as of December 31 for each of the immediately 
preceding two years, shall also collect the location of property located 
outside the MSAs in which the institution has a home or branch office, 
or outside any MSAs.

[54 FR 51362, Dec. 15, 1989; 55 FR 695, Jan. 8, 1990, as amended at 56 
FR 59857, Nov. 26, 1991; 56 FR 66343, Dec. 23, 1991; Reg. C, 59 FR 
63704, Dec. 9, 1994; 60 FR 22225, May 4, 1995]
Sec. 203.5 Disclosure and reporting.
    

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    (a) Reporting to agency. By March 1 following the calendar year for 
which the loan data are compiled, a financial institution shall send its 
complete loan application register to the agency office specified in 
Appendix A of this part, and shall retain a copy for its records for a 
period of not less than three years.
    (b) Public disclosure of statement. (1) A financial institution 
shall make its mortgage loan disclosure statement (to be prepared by the 
Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council) available to the 
public at its home office no later than three business days after 
receiving it from the Examination Council.
    (2) In addition, a financial institution shall either:
    (i) Make its disclosure statement available to the public (within 
ten business days of receiving it) in at

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least one branch office in each additional MSA where the institution has 
offices (the disclosure statement need only contain data relating to the 
MSA where the branch is located); or
    (ii) Post the address for sending written requests for the 
disclosure statement in the lobby of each branch office in an MSA where 
the institution has offices, and mail or deliver a copy of the 
disclosure statement, within fifteen calendar days of receiving a 
written request (the disclosure statement need only contain data 
relating to the MSA for which the request is made). Including the 
address in the general notice required under paragraph (e) of this 
section satisfies this requirement.
    (c) Public disclosure of loan application register. A financial 
institution shall make its loan application register available to the 
public after modifying it in accordance with appendix A. An institution 
shall make its modified register available following the calendar year 
for which the data are compiled, by March 31 for a request received on 
or before March 1, and within 30 days for a request received after March 
1. The modified register need only contain data relating to the MSA for 
which the request is made.
    (d) Availability of data. A financial institution shall make its 
modified register available to the public for a period of three years 
and its disclosure statement available for a period of five years. An 
institution shall make the data available for inspection and copying 
during the hours the office is normally open to the public for business. 
It may impose a reasonable fee for any cost incurred in providing or 
reproducing the data.
    (e) Notice of availability. A financial institution shall post a 
general notice about the availability of its HMDA data in the lobby of 
its home office and of each branch office located in an MSA. It shall 
promptly upon request provide the location of the institution's offices 
where the statement is available for inspection and copying, or it may 
include the location in the notice.

[58 FR 13405, Mar. 11, 1993, as amended at Reg. C, 59 FR 63704, Dec. 9, 
1994; 62 FR 28623, May 27, 1997]
     
Sec. 203.6 Enforcement

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    (a) Administrative enforcement. A violation of the act or this 
regulation is subject to administrative sanctions as provided in section 
305 of the act, including the imposition of civil money penalties, where 
applicable. Compliance is enforced by the agencies listed in appendix A 
of this regulation.
    (b) Bona fide errors. An error in compiling or recording loan data 
is not a violation of the act or this regulation if it was unintentional 
and occurred despite the maintenance of procedures reasonably adapted to 
avoid such errors.

[54 FR 51362, Dec. 15, 1989, as amended at 56 FR 59857, Nov. 26, 1991]

  Appendix A to Part 203--Form and Instructions for Completion of HMDA 
                        Loan/Application Register
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                     Paperwork Reduction Act Notice

    This report is required by law (12 U.S.C. 2801-2810 and 12 CFR part 
203). An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and an organization is not 
required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a 
currently valid OMB Control Number. The OMB Control Numbers for this 
information collection are 1557-0159, 3064-0046, 1550-0021, and 7100-
0247 for institutions reporting data to the Office of the Comptroller of 
the Currency, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Office of 
Thrift Supervision, and the Federal Reserve System, respectively; 
numbers for the National Credit Union Administration and the Department 
of Housing and Urban Development are pending. Send comments regarding 
this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of 
information, including suggestions for reducing the burden, to the 
respective agencies and to the Office of Information and Regulatory 
Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, Washington, D.C. 20503.

                        I. Who Must File a Report

                       A. Depository Institutions

    1. Subject to the exception discussed below, banks, savings 
associations, and credit unions must complete a register listing data 
about loan applications received, loans originated, and loans purchased 
if on the preceding December 31 an institution:
    a. Had assets of more than the asset threshold for coverage as 
published by the Board each year in December, and
    b. Had a home or a branch office in a ``metropolitan statistical 
area'' or a ``primary

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metropolitan statistical area'' (both are referred to in these 
instructions by the term ``MSA'').
    2. The asset threshold was adjusted from $10 million to $28 million 
as of December 31, 1996. Any adjustment to the asset threshold for 
depository institutions will be published by the Board in December in 
the staff commentary.
    3. Example. If on December 31 you had a home or branch office in an 
MSA and your assets exceeded the asset threshold, you must complete a 
register that lists the home-purchase and home-improvement loans that 
you originate or purchase (and also lists applications that did not 
result in an origination) beginning January 1.

                  B. Depository Institutions--Exception

    You need not complete a register--even if you meet the tests for 
asset size and location--if your institution is a bank, savings 
association, or credit union that made no first-lien home purchase loans 
(including refinancings) on one-to-four-family dwellings in the 
preceding calendar year. This exception does not apply in the case of 
nondepository institutions.

                      C. Other Lending Institutions

    Subject to the exception discussed below, for-profit mortgage 
lending institutions (other than banks, savings associations, and credit 
unions) must complete a register listing data about loan applications 
received, loans originated, and loans purchased if the institution had a 
home or branch office in an MSA on the preceding December 31, and
    1. Had assets of more than $10 million (based on the combined assets 
of the institution and any parent corporation) on the preceding December 
31, or
    2. Originated 100 or more home purchase loans (including 
refinancings of such loans) during the preceding calendar year, 
regardless of asset size.

                D. Other Lending Institutions--Exception

    You need not complete a register--even if you meet the tests for 
location and asset size or number of home purchase loans--if your 
institution is a for-profit mortgage lender (other than a bank, savings 
association, or credit union) and home purchase loans that you 
originated in the preceding calendar year (including refinancings) came 
to less than 10 percent of your total loan origination volume, measured 
in dollars.
    E. If you are the subsidiary of a bank or savings association you 
must complete a separate register for your institution. You will submit 
the register, directly or through your parent, to the agency that 
supervises your parent. (See paragraph VI.)
    F. Institutions that are specifically exempted by the Federal 
Reserve Board from complying with the federal Home Mortgage Disclosure 
Act because they are covered by a similar state law on mortgage loan 
disclosures must use the disclosure form required by their state law and 
submit the data to their state supervisory agency.

              II. Required Format and Reporting Procedures

    A. Institutions must submit data to their supervisory agencies in an 
automated, machine-readable form. The format must conform exactly to 
that of form FR HMDA-LAR, including the order of columns, column 
headings, etc. Contact your federal supervisory agency for information 
regarding procedures and technical specifications for automated data 
submission; in some cases, agencies also make software for automated 
data submission available to institutions. The data must be edited 
before submission, using the edits included in the agency-supplied 
software or equivalent edits in software available from vendors or 
developed in-house. (Institutions that report 25 or fewer entries on 
their HMDA-LAR may collect and report the data in paper form. An 
institution that submits its register in nonautomated form must send two 
copies that are typed or computer printed, and must use the format of 
form FR HMDA-LAR (but need not use the form itself). Each page must be 
numbered, and the total number of pages must be given (for example, 
``Page 1 of 3'').)
    B. The required data are to be entered in the register for each loan 
origination, each application acted on, and each loan purchased during 
the calendar year. Your institution should decide on the procedure it 
wants to follow--for example, whether to begin entering the required 
data when an application is received, or to wait until final action is 
taken (such as when a loan goes to closing or an application is denied). 
Keep in mind that an application is to be reported in the calendar year 
when final action is taken. Report loan originations in the year they go 
to closing; if an application has been approved but has not yet gone to 
closing at year-end, report it the following year.
    C. Your institution may collect the data on separate registers at 
different branches, or on separate registers for different loan types 
(such as for home purchase or home improvement loans, or for loans on 
multifamily dwellings). But make sure the application or loan numbers 
(discussed under paragraph V.A.1., below) are unique.
    D. Entries need not be grouped on your register by MSA, or 
chronologically, or by census tract numbers, or in any other particular 
order.
    E. Applications and loans must be recorded on your register within 
thirty calendar days after the end of the calendar quarter in which 
final action (such as origination or purchase of a loan, or denial or 
withdrawal

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of an application) is taken. The type of purchaser for loans sold need 
not be included in these quarterly updates.

         III. Submission of HMDA-LAR and Public Release of Data

    A. You must submit the data for your institution to the office 
specified by your supervisory agency no later than March 1 following the 
calendar year for which the data are compiled. A list of the agencies 
appears at the end of these instructions.
    B. You must submit all required data to your supervisory agency in 
one complete package, with the prescribed transmittal sheet. An officer 
of your institution must certify to the accuracy of the data. Any 
additional data submissions that become necessary (for example, because 
you discover that data were omitted from the initial submission, or 
because revisions are called for) also must be accompanied by a 
transmittal sheet.
    C. The transmittal sheet must state the total number of line entries 
contained in the accompanying data submission. If the data submission 
involves revisions or deletions of previously submitted data, state the 
total of all line entries contained in that submission, including both 
those representing revisions or deletions of previously submitted 
entries, and those that are being resubmitted unchanged or are being 
submitted for the first time. If you are a depository institution, you 
also are asked to provide a list of the MSAs where you have a home or 
branch office.
    D. Availability of disclosure statement. 1. The Federal Financial 
Institutions Examination Council (FFIEC) will prepare a disclosure 
statement from the data you submit. Your disclosure statement will be 
returned to the name and address indicated on the transmittal sheet. 
Within three business days of receiving the disclosure statement, you 
must make a copy available at your home office for inspection by the 
public. For these purposes a business day is any calendar day other than 
a Saturday, Sunday, or legal public holiday. You also must either:
    a. Make your disclosure statement available to the public, within 
ten business days of receiving it from the FFIEC, in at least one branch 
office in each additional MSA where you have offices (the disclosure 
statement need only contain data relating to properties in the MSA where 
the branch office is located); or
    b. Post in the lobby of each branch office in an MSA the address 
where a written request for the disclosure statement may be sent, and 
mail or deliver a copy of the statement to any person requesting it, 
within fifteen calendar days of receiving a written request. The 
disclosure statement need only contain data relating to the MSA for 
which the request is made.
    2. You may make the disclosure statement available in paper form or, 
if the person requesting the data agrees, in automated form (such as by 
PC diskette or computer tape).
    E. Availability of modified loan application register.
    1. To protect the privacy of applicants and borrowers, an 
institution must modify its loan application register by removing the 
following information before releasing it to the public: the application 
or loan number, date application received, and date of action taken.
    2. You may make the modified register available in paper or 
automated form (such as by PC diskette or computer tape). Although you 
are not required to make the modified loan application register 
available in census-tract order, you are strongly encouraged to do so in 
order to enhance its utility to users.
    3. You must make your modified register available following the 
calendar year for which the data are complied, by March 31 for a request 
received on or before March 1, and within 30 days for a request received 
after March 1. You are not required to prepare a modified loan 
application register in advance of receiving a request from the public 
for this information, but must be able to respond to a request within 30 
days. A modified register need only reflect data relating to the MSA for 
which the request is made.
    F. Posters.
    1.Suggested language. Some of the agencies provide HMDA posters that 
you can use to inform the public of the availability of your HMDA data, 
or you may create your own posters. If you print your own, the following 
language is suggested but is not required:

                   Home Mortgage Disclosure Act Notice

    The HMDA data about our residential mortgage lending are available 
for review. The data show geographic distribution of loans and 
applications; race, gender, and income of applicants and borrowers; and 
information about loan approvals and denials. Inquire at this office 
regarding the locations where HMDA data may be inspected.
    2. Additional language for institutions making the disclosure 
statement available upon request. For an institution that makes its 
disclosure statement available upon request instead of at branch offices 
must post a notice informing the public of the address to which a 
request should be sent. For example, the institution could include the 
following sentence in its general notice: ``To receive a copy of these 
data send a written request to [address].''

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    IV. Types of Loans and Applications Covered and Excluded by HMDA

            A. Types of Loans and Applications to be Reported

    1. Report the data on home purchase and home improvement loans that 
you originated (that is, loans that were closed in your name) and loans 
that you purchased during the calendar year covered by the report. 
Report these data even if the loans were subsequently sold by your 
institution. Include refinancings of home purchase and home improvement 
loans.
    2. Report the data for applications for home purchase and home 
improvement loans that did not result in originations--for example, 
applications that your institution denied or that the applicant withdrew 
during the calendar year covered by the report.
    3. In the case of brokered loan applications or applications 
forwarded to you through a correspondent, report as originations loans 
that you approved and subsequently acquired according to a pre-closing 
arrangement (whether or not they closed in your institution's name). 
Additionally, report the data for all applications that did not result 
in originations--for example, applications that your institution denied 
or that the applicant withdrew during the calendar year covered by the 
report (whether or not they would have closed in your institution's 
name). For all of these loans and applications, report the race or 
national origin, sex, and income information, unless your institution is 
a bank, savings association, or credit union with assets of $30 million 
or less on the preceding December 31.
    4. Originations are to be reported only once. If you are the loan 
broker or correspondent, do not report as originations loans that you 
forwarded to another lender for approval prior to closing, and that were 
approved and subsequently acquired by that lender (whether or not they 
closed in your name).
    5. Report applications that were received in the previous calendar 
year but were acted upon during the calendar year covered by the current 
register.

                         B. Data To Be Excluded

    Do not report loans or applications for loans of the following 
types:
    1. Loans that, although secured by real estate, are made for 
purposes other than home purchase, home improvement, or refinancing (for 
example, do not report a loan secured by residential real property for 
purposes of financing college tuition, a vacation, or goods for business 
inventory).
    2. Loans made in a fiduciary capacity (for example, by your trust 
department).
    3. Loans on unimproved land.
    4. Construction or bridge loans and other temporary financing.
    5. The purchase of an interest in a pool of loans (such as mortgage-
participation certificates).
    6. The purchase solely of the right to service loans.

       V. Instructions for Completion of Loan/Application Register

                   A. Application or Loan Information

                      1. Application or Loan Number

    Enter an identifying number that can be used later to retrieve the 
loan or application file. It can be any number of your choosing (not 
exceeding 25 characters). You may use letters, numerals, or a 
combination of both.
    Make sure that all numbers are unique within your institution. If 
your register contains data for branch offices, for example, you could 
use a letter or a numerical code to identify the loans or applications 
of different branches, or could assign a certain series of numbers to 
particular branches to avoid duplicate numbers. You are strongly 
encouraged not to use the applicant's or borrower's name or social 
security number, for privacy reasons.
    2. Date application received. For paper submissions only, enter the 
date the loan application was received by your institution by month, 
day, and year, using numerals in the form MM/DD/CCYY (for example, 01/
15/1999). For institutions submitting data in electronic form, the 
proper format is CCYYMMDD. If your institution normally records the date 
shown on the application form, you may use that date instead. Enter 
``NA'' for loans purchased by your institution.
    3. Type. Indicate the type of loan or application by entering the 
applicable code from the following:

1--Conventional (any loan other than FHA, VA, FSA, or RHS loans)
2--FHA-insured (Federal Housing Administration)
3--VA-guaranteed (Veterans Administration)
4--FSA/RHS-guaranteed (Farm Service Agency or Rural Housing Service)

                               4. Purpose

    Indicate the purpose of the loan or application by entering the 
applicable code from the following:

1--Home purchase (one-to-four family)
2--Home improvement (one-to-four family)
3--Refinancing (home purchase or home improvement, one-to-four family)
4--Multifamily dwelling (home purchase, home improvement, and 
refinancings)

                     5. Explanation of Purpose Codes

    Code 1: Home purchase.

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    a. This code applies to loans and applications made for the purpose 
of purchasing a residential dwelling for one to four families, if the 
loan is to be secured by the dwelling being purchased or by another 
dwelling.
    b. At your option, you may use code 1 for loans that are made for 
home improvement purposes but are secured by a first lien, if you 
normally classify such first-lien loans as home purchase loans.
    Code 2: Home improvement.
    a. Code 2 applies to loans and applications for loans if (i) a 
portion of the proceeds is to be used for repairing, rehabilitating, 
remodeling, or improving a one- to four-family residential dwelling, or 
the real property upon which it is located, and (ii) the loan is 
classified as a home improvement loan.
    b. Report both secured and unsecured loans.
    c. At your option, you may report data about home-equity lines of 
credit--even if the credit line is not classified as a home improvement 
loan. If you choose to do so, you may report a home-equity line of 
credit as a home improvement loan if some portion of the proceeds will 
be used for home improvement. (See Paragraph 8. ``Loan amount.'') If you 
report originations of home-equity lines of credit, you must also report 
applications for such loans that did not result in originations.
    Code 3: Refinancings.
    a. Use this code for refinancings (and applications for 
refinancings) of loans secured by one- to four-family residential 
dwellings. A refinancing involves the satisfaction of an existing 
obligation that is replaced by a new obligation undertaken by the same 
borrower. But do not report a refinancing if, under the loan agreement, 
you are unconditionally obligated to refinance the obligation, or you 
are obligated to refinance the obligation subject to conditions within 
the borrower's control.
    b. Use this code whether or not you were the original creditor on 
the loan being refinanced, and whether or not the refinancing involves 
an increase in the outstanding principal.
    c. You may report all refinancings of loans secured by one- to four-
family residential dwellings, regardless of the purpose of or amount 
outstanding on the original loan, and regardless of the amount of new 
money (if any) that is for home purchase or home improvement purposes.
    Code 4: Multifamily dwelling.
    a. Use this code for loans and loan applications on dwellings for 
five or more families, including home purchase loans, refinancings, and 
loans for repairing, rehabilitation, and remodeling purposes.
    b. Do not use this code for loans on individual condominium or 
cooperative units; use codes 1, 2, or 3 for such loans, as applicable.

                           6. Owner Occupancy

    Indicate whether the property to which the loan or loan application 
relates is to be owner-occupied as a principal dwelling by entering the 
applicable code from the following:

1--Owner-occupied as a principal dwelling
2--Not owner-occupied
3--Not applicable

                         7. Explanation of Codes

    a. Use code 2 for second homes or vacation homes, as well as rental 
properties.
    b. Use code 2 only for nonoccupant loans, or applications for 
nonoccupant loans, related to one-to-four family dwellings (including 
individual condominium or cooperative units).
    c. Use code 3 if the property to which the loan relates is a 
multifamily dwelling; is not located in an MSA; or is located in an MSA 
in which your institution has neither a home nor a branch office.
    d. For purchased loans, you may assume that the property will be 
owner-occupied as a principal dwelling (code 1) unless the loan 
documents or application contain information to the contrary.

                             8. Loan Amount

    Enter the amount of the loan or application. Do not report loans 
below $500. Show the amount in thousands rounding to the nearest 
thousand ($500 should be rounded up to the next $1,000). For example, a 
loan for $167,300 should be entered as 167 and one for $15,500 as 16.
    a. For home purchase loans that you originate, enter the principal 
amount of the loan as the loan amount. For home purchase loans that you 
purchase, enter the unpaid principal balance of the loan at the time of 
purchase as the loan amount.
    b. For home improvement loans (both originations and purchases), you 
may include unpaid finance charges in the loan amount if that is how you 
record such loans on your books. For a multiple purpose loan classified 
by you as a home improvement loan because it involves a home improvement 
purpose, enter the full amount of the loan, not just the amount 
specified for home improvement.
    c. For home-equity lines of credit (if you have chosen to report 
them), enter as the loan amount only that portion of the line that is 
for home improvement purposes. Report the loan amount for applications 
that did not result in originations in the same manner. Report only in 
the year the line is established.
    d. For refinancings of dwelling-secured loans, indicate the total 
amount of the refinancing, including the amount outstanding on the 
original loan and the amount of new money (if any).

[[Page 79]]

    e. For a loan application that was denied or withdrawn, enter the 
amount applied for.
    f. If you make a counteroffer for an amount different from the 
amount initially applied for, and the counteroffer is accepted by the 
applicant, report it as an origination for the amount of the loan 
actually granted. If the applicant turns down the counteroffer or fails 
to respond, report it as a denial for the amount initially requested.

                             B. Action Taken

    1. Type of action. Indicate the type of action taken on the 
application or loan by using one of the following codes. Do not report 
any loan application still pending at the end of the calendar year; you 
will report that application on your register for the year in which 
final action is taken.

1--Loan originated
2--Application approved but not accepted
3--Application denied
4--Application withdrawn
5--File closed for incompleteness
6--Loan purchased by your institution

                         2. Explanation of Codes

    a. Use code 1 for a loan that is originated, including one resulting 
from a counteroffer (your offer to the applicant to make the loan on 
different terms or in a different amount than initially applied for) 
that the applicant accepts.
    b. Use code 2 when an application is approved but the applicant (or 
a loan broker or correspondent) fails to respond to your notification of 
approval or your commitment letter within the specified time.
    c. Use code 3 when an application is denied. This includes the 
situation when an applicant turns down or fails to respond to your 
counteroffer. Do not report as a withdrawn application or as an 
application that was approved but not accepted.
    d. Use code 4 only when an application is expressly withdrawn by the 
applicant before a credit decision was made.
    e. Use code 5 if you sent a written notice of incompleteness under 
Sec. 202.9(c)(2) of Regulation B (Equal Credit Opportunity) and the 
applicant failed to respond to your request for additional information 
within the period of time specified in your notice.

                            3. Date of Action

     For paper submissions only, enter the date by month, day, and year, 
using numerals in the form MM/DD/CCYY (for example, 02/22/1999). For 
institutions submitting data in electronic form, the proper format is 
CCYYMMDD.
    a. For loans originated, enter the settlement or closing date. For 
loans purchased, enter the date of purchase by your institution.
    b. For applications denied, applications approved but not accepted 
by the applicant, and files closed for incompleteness, enter the date 
that the action was taken by your institution or the date the notice was 
sent to the applicant.
    c. For applications withdrawn, enter the date you received the 
applicant's express withdrawal; or you may enter the date shown on the 
notification from the applicant, in the case of a written withdrawal.

                          C. Property Location

    In these columns enter the applicable codes for the MSA, state, 
county, and census tract for the property to which a loan relates. For 
home purchase loans secured by one dwelling, but made for the purpose of 
purchasing another dwelling, report the property location for the 
property in which the security interest is to be taken. If the home 
purchase loan is secured by more than one property, report the location 
data for the property being purchased. (See paragraphs 5., 6., and 7. of 
paragraph V.C. of this appendix for treatment of loans on property 
outside the MSAs in which you have offices.)

                                 1. MSA

    For each loan or loan application, indicate the location of the 
property by the MSA number. Enter only the MSA number, not the MSA name. 
MSA boundaries are defined by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget; 
use the boundaries that were in effect on January 1 of the calendar year 
for which you are reporting. A listing of MSAs is available from your 
regional supervisory agency or the FFIEC. (In these instructions, the 
term MSA refers to both metropolitan statistical area and primary 
metropolitan statistical area.)

                           2. State and County

    You must use the Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) two-
digit numerical code for the state and the three-digit numerical code 
for the county. These codes are available from your regional supervisory 
agency or the FFIEC. Do not use the letter abbreviations used by the 
U.S. Postal Service.

                             3. Census Tract

    Indicate the census tract where the property is located.
    a. Enter the code ``NA'' if the property is located in an area not 
divided into census tracts on the U.S. Census Bureau's census-tract 
outline maps (see paragraph 4. below).
    b. If the property is located in a county with a population of 
30,000 or less in the 1990 census (as determined by the Census Bureau's 
1990 CPH-2 population series), enter ``NA'' (even if the population has 
increased above 30,000 since 1990), or you may enter the census tract 
number.

[[Page 80]]

                         4. Census Tract Number

    For the census tract number, consult the U.S. Census Bureau's Census 
Tract/Street Index for 1990, and for addresses not listed in the index, 
consult the Census Bureau's census tract outline maps. You must use the 
maps from the Census Bureau's 1990 CPH-3 series, or equivalent 1990 
census data from the Census Bureau (such as the Census TIGER/Line File) 
or from a private publisher.

                             5. Outside-MSA

    For loans on property located outside the MSAs in which you have a 
home or branch office (or outside any MSA), you have two options. Under 
option 1, you may enter the MSA, state, and county codes and the census 
tract number. You may enter ``NA'' in the MSA or census tract column if 
no code or number exists for the property. (Codes exist for all states 
and counties.) If you choose option 1, the codes and tract number must 
accurately identify the location for the property in question. Under 
option 2, you may enter ``NA'' in all four columns, whether or not the 
codes or number exist for the property.

                        6. Nondepository Lenders

    If you are a for-profit mortgage lending institution (other than a 
bank, savings association, or credit union), and in the preceding 
calendar year you received applications for, or originated or purchased, 
loans for home purchase or home improvement adding up to a total of five 
or more for a given MSA, you are deemed to have a branch office in that 
MSA, whether or not you have a physical office there. As a result, you 
will have to enter the MSA, state, county, and census tract numbers for 
any transactions in that MSA. Because you must keep accurate records 
about lending within MSAs in the current calendar year in order to 
report data accurately the following year, to comply with this rule you 
may find it easier to enter the geographic information routinely for any 
property located within any MSA.

  7. Data Reporting Under CRA for Banks and Savings Associations With 
Total Assets of $250 Million or More and Banks and Savings Associations 
   That Are Subsidiaries of a Holding Company Whose Total Banking and 
                  Thrift Assets Are $1 Billion or More

    If you are a bank or savings association with total assets of $250 
million or more as of December 31 for each of the immediately preceding 
two years, you must also enter the location of property located outside 
the MSAs in which you have a home or branch office, or outside any MSA. 
You must also enter this information if you are a bank or savings 
association that is a subsidiary of a holding company with total banking 
and thrift assets of $1 billion or more as of December 31 for each of 
the immediately preceding two years.

   D. Applicant Information--Race or National Origin, Sex, and Income

    Appendix B of Regulation C contains instructions for the collection 
of data on race or national origin and sex, and also contains a sample 
form for data collection. The form is substantially similar to the form 
prescribed by Sec. 202.13 of Regulation B (Equal Credit Opportunity) and 
contained in appendix B to that regulation. You may use either form.

                            1. Applicability

    You must report this applicant information for loans that you 
originate as well as for applications that do not result in an 
origination.
    a. You need not collect or report this information for loans 
purchased. If you choose not to, enter the codes specified in paragraphs 
3., 4., and 5. below for ``not applicable.''
    b. If your institution is a bank, savings association, or credit 
union that had assets of $30 million or less on the preceding December 
31, you may--but need not--collect and report these data. If you choose 
not to, enter the codes specified in paragraphs 3., 4., and 5. below for 
``not applicable.''
    c. If the borrower or applicant is not a natural person (a 
corporation or partnership, for example), use the codes specified in 
paragraphs 3., 4., and 5. below for ``not applicable.''

                   2. Mail and Telephone Applications

    Any loan applications mailed to applicants must contain a collection 
form similar to that shown in appendix B, and you must record on your 
register the data on race or national origin and sex if the applicant 
provides it. If the applicant chooses not to provide the data, enter the 
code for ``information not provided by applicant in mail or telephone 
application'' specified in paragraphs 3. and 4. below. If an application 
is taken entirely by telephone, you need not request this information. 
(See appendix B for complete information on the collection of this data 
in mail or telephone applications.)

           3. Race or National Origin of Borrower or Applicant

    Use the following codes to indicate the race or national origin of 
the applicant or borrower under column ``A'' and of any co-applicant or 
co-borrower under column ``CA.'' If there is more than one co-applicant, 
provide this information only for the first co-applicant listed on the 
application form. If there are no co-applicants or co-borrowers,

[[Page 81]]

enter code 8 for ``not applicable'' in the co-applicant column.

1--American Indian or Alaskan Native
2--Asian or Pacific Islander
3--Black
4--Hispanic
5--White
6--Other
7--Information not provided by applicant in mail or telephone 
application
8--Not applicable

                     4. Sex of Borrower or Applicant

    Use the following codes to indicate the sex of the applicant or 
borrower under column ``A'' and of any co-applicant or co-borrower under 
column ``CA.'' If there is more than one co-applicant, provide this 
information only for the first co-applicant listed on the application 
form. If there are no co-applicants or co-borrowers, enter code 4 for 
``not applicable.''

1--Male
2--Female
3--Information not provided by applicant in mail or telephone 
application
4--Not applicable

                                5. Income

    Enter the gross annual income that your institution relied upon in 
making the credit decision.
    a. Round all dollar amounts to the nearest thousand (round $500 up 
to the next $1,000), and show in terms of thousands. For example, 
$35,500 should be reported as 36.
    b. For loans on multifamily dwellings, enter ``NA.''
    c. If no income information is asked for or relied on in the credit 
decision, enter ``NA.''

                          E. Type of Purchaser

    1. Enter the applicable code to indicate whether a loan that your 
institution originated or purchased was then sold to a secondary market 
entity within the same calendar year:

0--Loan was not originated or was not sold in calendar year covered by 
register
1--FNMA (Federal National Mortgage Association)
2--GNMA (Government National Mortgage Association)
3--FHLMC (Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation)
4--FAMC (Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corporation)
5--Commercial bank
6--Savings bank or savings association
7--Life insurance company
8--Affiliate institution
9--Other type of purchaser

    2. Explanation of codes. a. Enter the code 0 for applications that 
were denied, withdrawn, or approved but not accepted by the applicant; 
and for files closed for incompleteness.
    b. If you originated or purchased a loan and did not sell it during 
that same calendar year, enter the code 0. If you sell the loan in a 
succeeding year, you need not report the sale.
    c. If you conditionally assign a loan to GNMA in connection with a 
mortgage-backed security transaction, use code 2.
    d. Loans ``swapped'' for mortgage-backed securities are to be 
treated as sales; enter the type of entity receiving the loans that are 
swapped as the purchaser.
    e. Use code 8 for loans sold to an institution affiliated with you, 
such as your subsidiary or a subsidiary of your parent corporation.

                          F. Reasons for Denial

    1. You are not required to enter the reasons for the denial of an 
application. But if you choose to do so, you may indicate up to three 
reasons by using the following codes:

1--Debt-to-income ratio
2--Employment history
3--Credit history
4--Collateral
5--Insufficient cash (downpayment, closing costs)
6--Unverifiable information
7--Credit application incomplete
8--Mortgage insurance denied
9--Other

    2. Leave this column blank if the ``action taken'' on the 
application is not a denial. For example, do not complete this column if 
the application was withdrawn or the file was closed for incompleteness.
    3. If your institution uses the model form for adverse action 
contained in the appendix to Regulation B (Form C-1 in appendix C, 
Sample Notification Form, which offers some 20 reasons for denial), the 
following list shows which codes to enter.
    a. Code 1 corresponds to: Income insufficient for amount of credit 
requested, and Excessive obligations in relation to income.
    b. Code 2 corresponds to: Temporary or irregular employment, and 
Length of employment.
    c. Code 3 corresponds to: Insufficient number of credit references 
provided; Unacceptable type of credit references provided; No credit 
file; Limited credit experience; Poor credit performance with us; 
Delinquent past or present credit obligations with others; Garnishment, 
attachment, foreclosure, repossession, collection action, or judgment; 
and Bankruptcy.
    d. Code 4 corresponds to: Value or type of collateral not 
sufficient.
    e. Code 6 corresponds to: Unable to verify credit references, Unable 
to verify employment, Unable to verify income, and Unable to verify 
residence.

[[Page 82]]

    f. Code 7 corresponds to: Credit application incomplete.
    g. Code 9 corresponds to: Length of residence, Temporary residence, 
and Other reasons specified on notice.

                    VI. Federal Supervisory Agencies

    Send your loan/application register and direct any questions to the 
office of your federal supervisory agency as specified below. If you are 
the nondepository subsidiary of a bank, savings association, or credit 
union, send the register to the supervisory agency for your parent 
institution. Terms that are not defined in the Federal Deposit Insurance 
Act (12 U.S.C. 1813(s)) shall have the meaning given to them in the 
International Banking Act of 1978 (12 U.S.C. 3101).

   A. National Banks and Their Subsidiaries and Federal Branches and 
                   Federal Agencies of Foreign Banks.

    District office of the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency for 
the district in which the institution is located.

B. State Member Banks of the Federal Reserve System, Their Subsidiaries, 
Subsidiaries of Bank Holding Companies, Branches and Agencies of Foreign 
Banks (other than federal branches, federal agencies, and insured state 
   branches of foreign banks), Commercial Lending Companies Owned or 
 Controlled by Foreign Banks, and Organizations Operating Under Section 
                  25 or 25A of the Federal Reserve Act.

    Federal Reserve Bank serving the district in which the state member 
bank is located; for institutions other than state member banks, the 
Federal Reserve Bank specified by the Board of Governors.

C. Nonmember Insured Banks (except for federal savings banks) and Their 
        Subsidiaries and Insured State Branches of Foreign Banks.

    Regional Director of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation for 
the region in which the institution is located.

D. Savings Institutions Insured Under the Savings Association Insurance 
 Fund of the FDIC, Federally-Chartered Savings Banks Insured Under the 
   Bank Insurance Fund of the FDIC (But Not Including State-Chartered 
      Savings Banks Insured Under the Bank Insurance Fund), Their 
 Subsidiaries, and Subsidiaries of Savings Institution Holding Companies

    Regional or other office specified by the Office of Thrift 
Supervision.

                            E. Credit Unions

    National Credit Union Administration, Office of Examination and 
Insurance, 1776 G Street, NW., Washington, DC 20456.

                    F. Other Depository Institutions

    Regional Director of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation for 
the region in which the institution is located.

                 G. Other Mortgage Lending Institutions

    Assistant Secretary for Housing, HMDA Reporting--Room 9233, U.S. 
Department of Housing and Urban Development, 451 7th Street, SW., 
Washington, DC 20410.


[[Page 83]]


[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TR30SE98.022


[[Page 84]]


[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TR30SE98.023

                  Loan/Application Register Code Sheet

    Use the following codes to complete the Loan/Application Register. 
The instructions to the HMDA-LAR explain the proper use of each code.

[[Page 85]]

                     Application or Loan Information

Type:
    1--Conventional (any loan other than FHA, VA, FSA, or RHS loans)
    2--FHA-insured (Federal Housing Administration)
    3--VA-guaranteed (Veterans Administration)
    4--FSA/RHS-guaranteed (Farm Service Agency or Rural Housing Service)

Purpose:
    1--Home purchase (one-to-four family)
    2--Home improvement (one-to-four family)
    3--Refinancing (home purchase or home improvement, one-to-four 
family)
    4--Multifamily dwelling (home purchase, home improvement, and 
refinancings)

Owner-Occupancy:
    1--Owner-occupied as a principal dwelling
    2--Not owner-occupied
    3--Not applicable

Action Taken:
1--Loan originated
    2--Application approved but not accepted
    3--Application denied by financial institution
    4--Application withdrawn by applicant
    5--File closed for incompleteness
    6--Loan purchased by your institution

                          Applicant Information

Race or National Origin:
    1--American Indian or Alaskan Native
    2--Asian or Pacific Islander
    3--Black
    4--Hispanic
    5--White
    6--Other
    7--Information not provided by applicant in mail or telephone 
application
    8--Not applicable

Sex:
    1--Male
    2--Female
    3--Information not provided by applicant in mail or telephone 
application
    4--Not applicable

                            Type of Purchaser

0--Loan was not originated or was not sold in calendar year covered by 
register
1--FNMA (Federal National Mortgage Association)
2--GNMA (Government National Mortgage Association)
3--FHLMC (Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation)
4--FAMC (Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corporation)
5--Commercial bank
6--Savings bank or savings association
7--Life insurance company
8--Affiliate institution
9--Other type of purchaser

                      Reasons for Denial (optional)

1--Debt-to-income ratio
2--Employment history
3--Credit history
4--Collateral
5--Insufficient cash (downpayment, closing costs)
6--Unverifiable information
7--Credit application incomplete
8--Mortgage insurance denied
9--Other
[Reg. C, 56 FR 59857, Nov. 26, 1991, as amended at 57 FR 20400, May 13, 
1992; 57 FR 56965, 56967, Dec. 2, 1992; 58 FR 13405, Mar. 11, 1993; 59 
FR 63704, Dec. 9, 1994; 60 FR 22225, May 4, 1995; 62 FR 28623, 28624, 
May 27, 1997; 62 FR 33340, June 19, 1997; 63 FR 52143-52146, Sept. 30, 
1998]

  Appendix B to Part 203--Form and instructions for data collection on 
                     race or national origin and sex
Return to top
  I. Instructions on collection of data on race or national origin and 
                                  sex.

                               A. Format.

    You may list questions regarding the race or national origin and sex 
of the applicant on your loan application form, or on a separate form 
that refers to the application. (See the sample form below for 
recommended language.)

                             B. Procedures.

    1. You must ask for this information, but cannot require the 
applicant to provide it.
    2. If the applicant chooses not to provide the information for an 
application taken in person, note this fact on the form and note the 
data, to the extent possible, on the basis of visual observation or 
surname.
    3. Inform the applicant that the Federal government is requesting 
this information in order to monitor compliance with Federal statutes 
that prohibit lenders from discriminating against applicants on these 
bases. Inform the applicant that if the information is not provided 
where the application is taken in person, you are required to note the 
data on the basis of visual observation or surname.
    4. If an application is made entirely by telephone, you need not 
request this information. And you need not provide the data when you 
take an application by mail, if the applicant fails to answer these 
questions on

[[Page 86]]

the application form. You should indicate whether an application was 
received by mail or telephone, if it is not otherwise evident on the 
face of the application.
    5. The ``other'' block is available only to the applicant who 
chooses to indicate some other appropriate category for race or national 
origin. If completing the form based on visual observation, do not use 
this category; use one of the other five categories.
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TC24SE91.019

               Supplement I to Part 203--Staff Commentary
Return to top
                              Introduction

    1. Status and citations. The commentary in this supplement is the 
vehicle by which the Division of Consumer and Community Affairs of the 
Federal Reserve Board issues formal staff interpretations of Regulation 
C (12 CFR part 203). The parenthetical citations given are references to 
Appendix A to Regulation C, Form and Instructions for Completion of the 
HMDA Loan/Application Register.

              Section 203.1--Authority, Purpose, and Scope

    1(c) Scope.
    1. General. The comments in this section address issues affecting 
coverage of institutions, exemptions from coverage, and data collection 
requirements. (Appendix A of this part, I., IV., and V.)
    2. Meaning of refinancing. A refinancing of a loan is the 
satisfaction and replacement of an existing obligation by a new 
obligation by the same borrower. The term ``refinancing'' refers to the 
new obligation. If the existing obligation is not satisfied and 
replaced, but is only renewed, modified, extended, or consolidated (as 
in certain modification, extension, and consolidation agreements), the 
transaction is not a refinancing for purposes of HMDA. (Appendix A of 
this part, Paragraph V.A.5. Code 3.)
    3. Refinancing--coverage. The regulation bases coverage, in part, on 
whether an institution originates home purchase loans. For determining 
whether an institution is subject to Regulation C or is exempt from 
coverage, an origination of a home-purchase

[[Page 87]]

loan includes the refinancing of a home-purchase loan. An institution 
may always determine the actual purpose of the existing obligation (for 
example, by reference to available documents). (Appendix A of this part, 
Paragraphs I.B., I.C., and I.D.) Alternatively, an institution may:
    i. Rely on the statement of the applicant that the existing 
obligation was (or was not) a home-purchase loan; or
    ii. Assume that the new obligation is not a refinancing of a home-
purchase loan if either the existing obligation or the new obligation is 
not secured by a first lien on the dwelling.
    4. Refinancing--data collection. The regulation requires collection 
and reporting of data on refinancings of home-purchase and home-
improvement loans. An institution may always determine the actual 
purpose of the existing obligation (for example, by reference to 
available documents). (Appendix A of this part, Paragraph V.A.5. Code 
3.) Alternatively, an institution may:
    i. Rely on the statement of the applicant that the existing 
obligation was (or was not) a home-purchase or home-improvement loan; or
    ii. Assume that the new obligation is a refinancing of a home-
purchase or home-improvement loan only if the existing obligation was 
secured by a lien on a dwelling; or
    iii. Assume that the new obligation is a refinancing of a home-
purchase or home-improvement loan only if the new obligation will be 
secured by a lien on a dwelling.
    5. The broker rule and the meaning of ``broker'' and ``investor.'' 
For the purposes of the guidance given in this commentary, an 
institution that takes and processes a loan application and arranges for 
another institution to acquire the loan at or after closing is acting as 
a ``broker,'' and an institution that acquires a loan from a broker at 
or after closing is acting as an ``investor.'' (The terms used in this 
commentary may have different meanings in certain parts of the mortgage 
lending industry and other terms may be used in place of these terms, 
for example in the Federal Housing Administration mortgage insurance 
programs.) Depending on the facts, a broker may or may not make a credit 
decision on an application (and thus it may or may not have reporting 
responsibilities). If the broker makes a credit decision, it reports 
that decision; if it does not make a credit decision, it does not 
report. If an investor reviews an application and makes a credit 
decision prior to closing, the investor reports that decision. If the 
investor does not review the application prior to closing, it reports 
only the loans that it purchases; it does not report the loans it does 
not purchase. Thus, an institution that makes a credit decision on an 
application prior to closing reports that decision regardless of whose 
name the loan closes in. (Appendix A of this part, Paragraphs IV.A. and 
V.B.)
    6. Illustrations of the broker rule. Assume that, prior to closing, 
four investors receive the same application from a broker; two deny it, 
one approves it, and one approves it and acquires the loan. In these 
circumstances, the first two report denials, the third reports the 
transaction as approved but not accepted, and the fourth reports an 
origination (whether the loan closes in the name of the broker or the 
investor). Alternatively, assume that the broker denies a loan before 
sending it to an investor; in this situation, the broker reports a 
denial. (Appendix A of this part, Paragraphs IV.A. and V.B.)
    7. Broker's use of investor's underwriting criteria. If a broker 
makes a credit decision based on underwriting criteria set by an 
investor, but without the investor's review prior to closing, the broker 
has made the credit decision. The broker reports as an origination a 
loan that it approves and closes, and reports as a denial an application 
that it turns down (either because the application does not meet the 
investor's underwriting guidelines or for some other reason). The 
investor reports as purchases only those loans it purchases. (Appendix A 
of this part, Paragraphs IV.A. and V.B.)
    8. Insurance and other criteria. If an institution evaluates an 
application based on the criteria or actions of a third party other than 
an investor (such as a government or private insurer or guarantor), the 
institution must report the action taken on the application (loan 
originated, approved but not accepted, or denied, for example). 
(Appendix A of this part, Paragraphs IV.A. and V.B.)
    9. Credit decision of agent is decision of principal. If an 
institution approves loans through the actions of an agent, the 
institution must report the action taken on the application (loan 
originated, approved but not accepted, or denied, for example). State 
law determines whether one party is the agent of another. (Appendix A of 
this part, Paragraphs IV.A. and V.B.)
    10. Affiliate bank underwriting (250.250 review). If an institution 
makes an independent evaluation of the creditworthiness of an applicant 
(for example, as part of a pre-closing review by an affiliate bank under 
12 CFR 250.250, which interprets section 23A of the Federal Reserve 
Act), the institution is making a credit decision. If the institution 
then acquires the loan, it reports the loan as an origination whether 
the loan closes in the name of the institution or its affiliate. An 
institution that does not acquire the loan but takes another action 
reports that action. (Appendix A of this part, Paragraphs IV.A. and 
V.B.)
    11. Participation loan. An institution that originates a loan and 
then sells partial interests to other institutions reports the loan as 
an origination. An institution that acquires

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only a partial interest in such a loan does not report the transaction 
even if it has participated in the underwriting and origination of the 
loan. (Appendix A of this part, Paragraphs I., II., IV., and V.)
    12. Assumptions. An assumption occurs when an institution enters 
into a written agreement accepting a new borrower as the obligor on an 
existing obligation. An institution reports as a home-purchase loan an 
assumption (or an application for an assumption) in the amount of the 
outstanding principal. If a transaction does not involve a written 
agreement between a new borrower and the institution, it is not an 
assumption for HMDA purposes and is not reported. (Appendix A of this 
part, Paragraphs IV.A. and V.B.)

                       Section 203.2--Definitions

    2(b) Application.
    1. Consistency with Regulation B. Board interpretations that appear 
in the official staff commentary to Regulation B (Equal Credit 
Opportunity, 12 CFR Part 202, Supplement I) are generally applicable to 
the definition of an application under Regulation C. However, under 
Regulation C the definition of an application does not include 
prequalification requests. (Appendix A of this part, Paragraph IV.A.)
    2. Prequalification. A prequalification request is a request by a 
prospective loan applicant for a preliminary determination on whether 
the prospective applicant would likely qualify for credit under an 
institution's standards, or on the amount of credit for which the 
prospective applicant would likely qualify. Some institutions evaluate 
prequalification requests through a procedure that is separate from the 
institution's normal loan application process; others use the same 
process. In either case, Regulation C does not require an institution to 
report prequalification requests on the HMDA-LAR, even though these 
requests may constitute applications under Regulation B. (Appendix A of 
this part, Paragraphs I. and IV.A.)
    2(c) Branch office.
    1. Credit union. For purposes of Regulation C, a ``branch'' of a 
credit union is any office where member accounts are established or 
loans are made, whether or not the office has been approved as a branch 
by a federal or state agency. (See 12 U.S.C. 1752.) (Appendix A of this 
part, Paragraphs I., V.A.7., and V.C.)
    2. Depository institution. A branch of a depository institution does 
not include a loan production office, the office of an affiliate, or the 
office of a third party such as a loan broker. (Appendix A of this part, 
Paragraphs I., V.A.7., and V.C.) (But see Appendix A of this part, 
Paragraph V.C.7., which requires certain depository institutions to 
report property location even for properties located outside those MSAs 
in which the institution has a home or branch office.)
    3. Nondepository institution. A branch of a nondepository 
institution does not include the office of an affiliate or other third 
party such as a loan broker. (Appendix A of this part, Paragraphs I., 
V.A.7., and V.C.) (But see Appendix A of this part, Paragraph V.C.6., 
which requires certain nondepository institutions to report property 
location even in MSAs where they do not have a physical location.)
    2(d) Dwelling.
    1. Scope. The definition of ``dwelling'' is not limited to the 
principal or other residence of the applicant or borrower, and thus 
includes vacation or second homes and rental properties. A dwelling also 
includes a mobile or manufactured home, a multifamily structure (such as 
an apartment building), and a condominium or a cooperative unit. 
Recreational vehicles such as boats or campers are not dwellings for 
purposes of HMDA. (Appendix A of this part, Paragraphs I.B., IV., and 
V.A.5.)
    2(e) Financial institution.
    1. Branches of foreign banks--treated as a bank. A federal branch or 
a state-licensed insured branch of a foreign bank is a ``bank'' under 
section 3(a)(1) of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act (12 U.S.C. 
1813(a)), and is covered by HMDA if it meets the tests for a depository 
institution found in Secs. 203.2(e)(1) and 203.3(a)(1) of Regulation C. 
(Appendix A of this part, Paragraphs I.A. and I.B.)
    2. Branches and offices of foreign banks--treated as a for-profit 
mortgage lending institution. Federal agencies, state-licensed agencies, 
state-licensed uninsured branches of foreign banks, commercial lending 
companies owned or controlled by foreign banks, and entities operating 
under section 25 or 25(a) of the Federal Reserve Act, 12 U.S.C. 601 and 
611 (Edge Act and Agreement corporations) are not ``banks'' under the 
Federal Deposit Insurance Act. These entities are nonetheless covered by 
HMDA if they meet the tests for a nondepository mortgage lending 
institution found in Secs. 203.2(e)(2) and 203.3(a)(2) of Regulation C. 
(Appendix A of this part, Paragraphs I.C. and I.D.)
    2(f) Home-improvement loan.
    1. Definition. A home-improvement loan is a loan that is made for 
the purpose of home improvement and that is classified by the 
institution as a home-improvement loan. (Appendix A of this part, 
Paragraphs IV. and V.A.5. Code 2.)
    2. Statement of the applicant. An institution may rely on the oral 
or written statement of an applicant regarding the proposed use of loan 
proceeds. (Appendix A of this part, Paragraphs IV. and V.A.5. Code 2.c.)
    3. Home-equity lines. An institution that has chosen to report home-
equity lines of credit reports as a home-improvement loan only

[[Page 89]]

the part of a home-equity line that is intended for home improvement. An 
institution that reports home-equity lines reports the disposition of 
all applications, not just originations. (Appendix A of this part, 
Paragraphs IV. and V.A.5. Code 2.c.)
    4. Classification requirement. An institution has ``classified'' a 
loan as a home-improvement loan if it has entered the loan on its books 
as a home-improvement loan, or has otherwise coded or identified the 
loan as a home-improvement loan. For example, an institution that has 
booked a loan or reported it on a ``call report'' as a home-improvement 
loan has classified it as a home-improvement loan. An institution may 
also classify loans as home-improvement loans in other ways (for 
example, by color-coding loan files). (Appendix A of this part, 
Paragraphs IV. and V.A.5. Code 2.)
    5. Improvements to real property. Home improvements include 
improvements both to a dwelling and to the real property on which the 
dwelling is located (for example, installation of a swimming pool, 
construction of a garage, or landscaping). (Appendix A of this part, 
Paragraphs IV. and V.A.5. Code 2.)
    6. Commercial and other loans. A loan for improvement purposes 
originated outside an institution's consumer lending division (such as a 
loan to improve an apartment building made through the commercial loan 
department) is reported if the institution classifies it as a home-
improvement loan. (Appendix A of this part, Paragraphs IV. and V.A.5. 
Code 1.)
    7. Multiple-purpose loan. A loan for home improvement and for other 
purposes is treated as a home-improvement loan even if less than 50 
percent of the total loan proceeds are to be used for improvement, 
provided the institution classifies the loan as a home-improvement loan. 
(Appendix A of this part, Paragraphs IV. and V.A.5. Code 2.) (But see 
comment (2)(f)-3 of this supplement on home-equity lines of credit.)
    8. Mixed-use property. A loan to improve property used for 
residential and commercial purposes (for example, a building containing 
apartment units and retail space) satisfies the purpose requirement if 
the loan proceeds are primarily to improve the residential portion of 
the property. If the loan proceeds are to improve the entire property 
(for example, to replace the heating system), the loan satisfies the 
purpose requirement if the property itself is primarily residential. An 
institution may use any reasonable standard to determine the primary use 
of the property, such as by square footage or by the income generated. 
An institution may select the standard to apply on a case-by-case basis. 
To report the loan as a home-improvement loan, the institution must also 
classify it as such. (Appendix A of this part, Paragraphs IV. and V.A.5. 
Code 2.)
    2(g) Home-purchase loan.
    1. Multiple properties. A home-purchase loan includes a loan secured 
by one dwelling and used to purchase another dwelling. (Appendix A of 
this part, Paragraphs IV. and V.A.5. Code 1.)
    2. Mixed-use property. A loan to purchase property used primarily 
for residential purposes (for example, an apartment building containing 
a convenience store) is a home-purchase loan. An institution may use any 
reasonable standard to determine the primary use of the property, such 
as by square footage or by the income generated. An institution may 
select the standard to apply on a case-by-case basis. (Appendix A of 
this part, Paragraphs IV.A., IV.B.1., and V.A.5. Code 1.)
    3. Farm loan. A loan to purchase property used primarily for 
agricultural purposes is not a home-purchase loan even if the property 
includes a dwelling. An institution may use any reasonable standard to 
determine the primary use of the property, such as by reference to the 
exemption from Regulation X (Real Estate Settlement Procedures, 24 CFR 
3500.5(b)(1)) for a loan on property of 25 acres or more. An institution 
may select the standard to apply on a case-by-case basis. (Appendix A of 
this part, Paragraphs IV.B.1. and V.A.5. Code 1.)
    4. Commercial and other loans. A home-purchase loan includes a loan 
originated outside an institution's residential mortgage lending 
division (such as a loan for the purchase of an apartment building made 
through the commercial loan department). For home-purchase loans, there 
is no classification test. (Appendix A of this part, Paragraphs IV. and 
V.A.5. Code 1.)
    5. Construction and permanent financing. A home-purchase loan 
includes both a combined construction/permanent loan and the permanent 
financing that replaces a construction-only loan. It does not include a 
construction-only loan, which is considered ``temporary financing'' 
under Regulation C and is not reported. (Appendix A of this part, 
Paragraphs IV.A. and B.2, and V.A.5. Code 1.)
    6. Home-equity line. An institution that has chosen to report home-
equity lines of credit reports as a home-purchase loan only the part 
that is intended for home purchase. An institution may rely on the 
applicant's oral or written statement about the proposed use of the 
funds. An institution that reports home-equity lines reports the 
disposition of all applications, not just the originations. (Appendix A 
of this part, Paragraphs IV. and V.A.5. Code 1.)

                   Section 203.3--Exempt Institutions

    3(a) Exemption based on location, asset size, or number of home-
purchase loans.
    1. General. An institution that ceases to meet the tests for HMDA 
coverage (such as

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the 10 percent test for nondepository institutions) or becomes exempt 
may stop collecting HMDA data beginning with the next calendar year. For 
example, a bank whose assets are at or below the threshold on December 
31 of a given year reports data for that full calendar year, in which it 
was covered, but does not report data for the succeeding calendar year. 
(Appendix A of this part, Paragraph I.)
    2. Adjustment of exemption threshold for depository institutions. 
For data collection in 2001, the asset-size exemption threshold is $31 
million. Depository institutions with assets at or below $31 million are 
exempt from collecting data for 2001.
    3. Coverage after a merger. Several scenarios of data collection 
responsibilities for the calendar year of a merger are described below. 
Under all the scenarios, if the merger results in a covered institution, 
that institution must begin data collection January 1 of the following 
calendar year. (Appendix A of this part, Paragraph I.)
    i. Two institutions are exempt from Regulation C because of asset 
size. The institutions merge. No data collection is required for the 
year of the merger (even if the merger results in a covered 
institution).
    ii. A covered institution and an exempt institution merge. The 
covered institution is the surviving institution. For the year of the 
merger, data collection is required for the covered institution's 
transactions. Data collection is optional for transactions handled in 
offices of the previously exempt institution.
    iii. A covered institution and an exempt institution merge. The 
exempt institution is the surviving institution, or a new institution is 
formed. Data collection is required for transactions of the covered 
institution that take place prior to the merger. Data collection is 
optional for transactions taking place after the merger date.
    iv. Two covered institutions merge. Data collection is required for 
the entire year. The surviving or resulting institution files either a 
consolidated submission or separate submissions for that year.
    4. Mergers versus purchases in bulk. If a covered institution 
acquires loans in bulk from another institution (for example, from the 
receiver for a failed institution) but no merger or acquisition of an 
institution is involved, the institution reports the loans as purchased 
loans. (Appendix A of this part, Paragraph V.B.)

                 Section 203.4--Compilation of Loan Data

    4(a) Data format and itemization.
    1. Quarterly updating. An institution must make a good-faith effort 
to record all data concerning covered transactions--loan originations 
(including refinancings), loan purchases, and the disposition of 
applications that did not result in originations--fully and accurately 
within 30 days after the end of each calendar quarter. If some data are 
inaccurate or incomplete despite this good-faith effort, the error or 
omission is not a violation of Regulation C provided that the 
institution corrects and completes the information prior to reporting 
the HMDA-LAR to its regulatory agency. (Appendix A of this part, 
Paragraph II.E.)
    2. Updating--agency requirements. Certain state or federal 
regulations, such as the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation's 
regulations, may require an institution to update its data more 
frequently than is required under Regulation C. (Appendix A of this 
part, Paragraph II.E.)
    3. Form of updating. An institution may maintain the quarterly 
updates of the HMDA-LAR in electronic or any other format, provided the 
institution can make the information available to its regulatory agency 
in a timely manner upon request. (Appendix A of this part, Paragraph 
II.E.)
    Paragraph 4(a)(1) Application date.
    1. Application date--consistency. In reporting the date of 
application, an institution reports the date the application was 
received or the date shown on the application. Although an institution 
need not choose the same approach for its entire HMDA submission, it 
should be generally consistent (such as by routinely using one approach 
within a particular division of the institution or for a category of 
loans). (Appendix A of this part, Paragraph V.A.2.)
    2. Application date--application forwarded by a broker. For an 
application forwarded by a broker, an institution reports the date the 
application was received by the broker, the date the application was 
received by the institution, or the date shown on the application. 
Although an institution need not choose the same approach for its entire 
HMDA submission, it should be generally consistent (such as by routinely 
using one approach within a particular division of the institution or 
for a category of loans). (Appendix A of this part, Paragraph V.A.2.)
    3. Application date--reinstated application. If, within the same 
calendar year, an applicant asks an institution to reinstate a 
counteroffer that the applicant previously did not accept (or asks the 
institution to reconsider an application that was denied, withdrawn, or 
closed for incompleteness), the institution may treat that request as 
the continuation of the earlier transaction or as a new transaction. If 
the institution treats the request for reinstatement or reconsideration 
as a new transaction, it report the date of the request as the 
application date. (Appendix A of this part, Paragraph V.A.2.)
    Paragraph 4(a)(2) Type and purpose.
    1. Purpose--multiple-purpose loan. If a loan is for home improvement 
and another covered purpose, an institution reports the loan

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as a home-improvement loan if the institution classifies it as a home-
improvement loan. Otherwise the institution reports the loan as a home-
purchase loan or a refinancing, as appropriate. An institution may 
determine how to report such loans on a case-by-case basis. (Appendix A 
of this part, Paragraphs V.A.4. and 5.)
    Paragraph 4(a)(3) Occupancy.
    1. Occupancy--actual occupancy status. If a loan relates to 
multifamily property, property located outside an MSA, or property in an 
MSA where the institution has no home or branch office, the institution 
may either report the actual occupancy status or report using the code 
for ``not applicable.'' (A nondepository institution may be deemed to 
have a home or branch office in an MSA under Sec. 203.2(c)(2) of 
Regulation C.) (Appendix A of this part, Paragraph V.A.7.)
    2. Occupancy--multiple properties. If a loan relates to multiple 
properties, the institution reports the owner-occupancy status of the 
property for which property location is being reported. (See the 
comments to paragraphs 4(a)(6) Property location.) (Appendix A of this 
part, Paragraphs V.A.6. and 7.)
    Paragraph 4(a)(4) Loan amount.
    1. Loan amount--counteroffer. If an applicant accepts a counteroffer 
for an amount different from the amount initially requested, the 
institution reports the loan amount granted. If an applicant does not 
accept a counteroffer or fails to respond, the institution reports the 
loan amount initially requested. (Appendix A of this part, Paragraph 
V.A.8.f.)
    2. Loan amount--multiple-purpose loan. Except in the case of a home-
equity line of credit, an institution reports the entire amount of the 
loan, even if only a part of the proceeds is intended for home purchase 
or home improvement. (Appendix A of this part, Paragraph V.A.8.)
    3. Loan amount--home-equity line. An institution that reports home-
equity lines of credit reports only the part that is intended for home-
improvement or home-purchase purposes. An institution may rely on the 
applicant's oral or written statement about the proposed use of the loan 
proceeds. (Appendix A of this part, Paragraph V.A.8.c.)
    4. Loan amount--assumption. An institution that enters into a 
written agreement accepting a new party as the obligor on a loan reports 
the amount of the outstanding principal on the assumption as the loan 
amount. (Appendix A of this part, Paragraphs V.A.8.)
    Paragraph 4(a)(5) Type of action taken and date.
    1. Action taken--counteroffers. If an institution makes a 
counteroffer to lend on terms different from the applicant's initial 
request (for example, for a shorter loan maturity) and the applicant 
does not accept the counteroffer or fails to respond, the institution 
reports the action taken as a denial. (Appendix A of this part, 
Paragraph V.B.)
    2. Action taken--rescinded transactions. If a borrower rescinds a 
transaction after closing, the institution, on a case-by-case basis, may 
report the transaction either as an origination or as an application 
that was approved but not accepted. (Appendix A of this part, Paragraph 
V.B.)
    3. Action taken--purchased loans. An institution reports the loans 
that it purchased during the calendar year, and does not report the 
loans that it declined to purchase. (Appendix A of this part, Paragraph 
V.B.)
    4. Action taken--conditional approvals. If an institution issues a 
loan approval subject to the applicant's meeting underwriting conditions 
(other than customary loan commitment or loan closing conditions, such 
as a ``clear title'' requirement or an acceptable property survey) and 
the applicant does not meet them, the institution reports the action 
taken as a denial. (Appendix A of this part, Paragraph V.B.)
    5. Action taken date--approved but not accepted. For a loan approved 
by an institution but not accepted by the applicant, the institution 
reports using any reasonable date, such as the approval date, the 
deadline for accepting the offer, or the date the file was closed. 
Although an institution need not choose the same approach for its entire 
HMDA submission, it should be generally consistent (such as by routinely 
using one approach within a particular division of the institution or 
for a category of loans). (Appendix A of this part, Paragraph V.B.3.b.)
    6. Action taken date--originations. For loan originations, an 
institution generally reports the settlement or closing date. For loan 
originations that an institution acquires through a broker, the 
institution reports either the settlement or closing date, or the date 
the institution acquired the loan from the broker. If the disbursement 
of funds takes place on a date later than the settlement or closing 
date, the institution may use the date of disbursement. For a 
construction/permanent loan, the institution reports either the 
settlement or closing date, or the date the loan converts to the 
permanent financing. Although an institution need not choose the same 
approach for its entire HMDA submission, it should be generally 
consistent (such as by routinely using one approach within a particular 
division of the institution or for a category of loans). (Appendix A of 
this part, Paragraph V.B.3.)
    Paragraph 4(a)(6) Property location.
    1. Property location--multiple properties (home improvement/
refinance of home improvement). For a home-improvement loan, an 
institution reports the property being improved. If more than one 
property is being improved, the institution reports the location of one 
of the properties or reports the loan using multiple entries on its 
HMDA-

[[Page 92]]

LAR (with unique identifiers) and allocating the loan amount among the 
properties. (Appendix A of this part, Paragraph V.C.)
    2. Property location--multiple properties (home purchase/refinance 
of home purchase). For a home-purchase loan, an institution reports the 
property taken as security. If an institution takes more than one 
property as security, the institution reports the location of the 
property being purchased if there is just one. If the loan is to 
purchase multiple properties and is secured by multiple properties, the 
institution reports the location of one of the properties or reports the 
loan using multiple entries on its HMDA-LAR (with unique identifiers) 
and allocating the loan amount among the properties. (Appendix A of this 
part, Paragraph V.C.)
    3. Property location--loans purchased from another institution. The 
requirement to report the property location by census tract in an MSA 
where the institution has a home or branch office applies not only to 
loan applications and originations but also to loans purchased from 
another institution. This includes loans purchased from an institution 
that did not have a home or branch office in that MSA and did not 
collect the property location information. (Appendix A of this part, 
Paragraph V.C.)
    4. Property location--mobile or manufactured home. If information 
about the potential site of a mobile or manufactured home is not 
available, an institution reports using the code for ``not applicable.'' 
(Appendix A of this part, Paragraph V.C.)
    5. Property location--use of BNA. At its option, an institution may 
report property location by using a block numbering area (BNA). The U.S. 
Census Bureau, in conjunction with state agencies, has established BNAs 
as statistical subdivisions of counties in which census tracts have not 
been established. BNAs are generally identified in census data by 
numbers in the range 9501 to 9999.99. (Appendix A of this part, 
Paragraph V.C.4.)
    Paragraph 4(a)(7) Applicant and income data.
    1. Applicant data--completion by applicant. An institution reports 
the monitoring information as provided by the applicant. For example, if 
an applicant checks the ``other'' box the institution reports using the 
``other'' code. (Appendix A of this part, Paragraph V.D.)
    2. Applicant data--completion by lender. If an applicant fails to 
provide the requested information for an application taken in person, 
the institution reports the data on the basis of visual observation or 
surname. As stated in paragraph I.B.5 to Appendix B of this part, the 
institution does not use the ``other'' code, but selects from the 
categories listed on the form. (Appendix A of this part, Paragraph V.D.)
    3. Applicant data--application completed in person. When an 
applicant meets in person with a lender to complete an application that 
was begun by mail or telephone, the institution must request the 
monitoring information. If the meeting occurs after the application 
process is complete, for example, at closing, the institution is not 
required to obtain monitoring information. (Appendix A of this part, 
Paragraph V.D.)
    4. Applicant data--joint applicant. A joint applicant may enter the 
government monitoring information on behalf of an absent joint 
applicant. If the information is not provided, the institution reports 
using the code for ``information not provided by applicant in mail or 
telephone application.'' (Appendix A of this part, Paragraph V.D.)
    5. Applicant data--video and other electronic application processes. 
An institution that accepts applications through electronic media with a 
video component treats the applications as taken in person and collects 
the information about the race or national origin and sex of applicants. 
An institution that accepts applications through electronic media 
without a video component (for example, the Internet or facsimile) 
treats the applications as accepted by mail. (Appendix A of this part, 
Paragraph V.D.) (See Appendix B of this part for procedures to be used 
for data collection.)
    6. Income data--income relied upon. An institution reports the gross 
annual income relied on in evaluating the creditworthiness of 
applicants. For example, if an institution relies on an applicant's 
salary to compute a debt-to-income ratio, but also relies on the 
applicant's annual bonus to evaluate creditworthiness, the institution 
reports the salary and the bonus to the extent relied upon. Similarly, 
if an institution relies on the income of a cosigner to evaluate 
creditworthiness, the institution includes this income to the extent 
relied upon. But an institution does not include the income of a 
guarantor who is only secondarily liable. (Appendix A of this part, 
Paragraph V.D.5.)
    7. Income data--co-applicant. If two persons jointly apply for a 
loan and both list income on the application, but the institution relies 
only on the income of one applicant in computing ratios and in 
evaluating creditworthiness, the institution reports only the income 
relied on. (Appendix A of this part, Paragraph V.D.5.)
    8. Income data--loan to employee. An institution may report ``NA'' 
in the income field for loans to employees to protect their privacy, 
even though the institution relied on their income in making its credit 
decisions. (Appendix A of this part, Paragraph V.D.5.)
    Paragraph 4(a)(8) Purchaser.
    1. Type of purchaser--loan participation interests sold to more than 
one entity. An institution that originates a loan, and then sells it to 
more than one entity, reports the ``type of purchaser'' based on the 
entity purchasing the greatest interest, if any. If an institution

[[Page 93]]

retains a majority interest it does not report the sale. (Appendix A of 
this part, Paragraph V.E.)
    4(c) Optional data.
    1. Agency requirements. Certain state or federal entities, such as 
the Office of Thrift Supervision, require institutions to report the 
reasons for denial even though this is optional reporting under HMDA and 
Regulation C. (Appendix A of this part, Paragraph V.F.)
    4(d) Excluded data.
    1. Loan pool. The purchase of an interest in a loan pool (such as a 
mortgage-participation certificate, a mortgage-backed security, or a 
real estate mortgage investment conduit or ``REMIC'') is a purchase of 
an interest in a security under HMDA and is not reported on the HMDA-
LAR. (Appendix A of this part, Paragraph IV.B.5.)

                 Section 203.5--Disclosure and Reporting

    5(a) Reporting to agency.
    1. Change in supervisory agency. If the supervisory agency for a 
covered institution changes (as a consequence of a merger or a change in 
the institution's charter, for example), the institution reports data to 
its new supervisory agency for the year of the change and subsequent 
years. (Appendix A of this part, Paragraphs I., III. and VI.)
    2. Subsidiaries. An institution is a subsidiary of a bank or savings 
association (for purposes of reporting HMDA data to the parent's 
supervisory agency) if the bank or savings association holds or controls 
an ownership interest that is greater than 50 percent of the 
institution. (Appendix A of this part, Paragraph I.E. and VI.)
    5(e) Notice of availability.
    1. Poster--suggested text. The suggested wording of the poster text 
provided in Appendix A of this part is optional. An institution may use 
other text that meets the requirements of the regulation. (Appendix A of 
this part, Paragraph III.F.)

                       Section 203.6--Enforcement

    6(b) Bona fide errors.
    1. Bona fide error--information from third parties. An institution 
that obtains the property location information for applications and 
loans from third parties (such as appraisers or vendors of ``geocoding'' 
services) is responsible for ensuring that the information reported on 
its HMDA-LAR is correct. An incorrect entry for a census tract number is 
a bona fide error, and is not a violation of the act or regulation, 
provided that the institution maintains reasonable procedures to avoid 
such errors (for example, by conducting periodic checks of the 
information obtained from these third parties). (Appendix A of this 
part, Paragraph V.C.)

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