Annual Report 2012 - ffiec

Office of the Comptroller
of the Currency
The Office of the Comptroller of
the Currency (OCC) is the oldest
federal bank regulatory agency,
established as a bureau of the Treasury
Department by the National
Currency Act of 1863. It is headed
by the Comptroller of the Currency,
who is appointed to a fiveyear
term by the President with the
advice and consent of the Senate.
The Comptroller is also a Director
of the FDIC and a member of
the Financial Stability Oversight
Council.
The OCC was created by Congress
to charter, regulate, and supervise
national banks. On July 21, 2011,
pursuant to the Dodd-Frank Act,
the OCC assumed supervisory
responsibility for federal savings
associations, as well as rulemaking
authority relating to all savings
associations. The OCC regulates
and supervises 1,338 national banks
and trust companies, 573 federal
savings associations, and 47 federal
branches of foreign banks—
accounting for approximately 71
percent of the total assets of all U.S.
commercial banks, federal savings
associations, and branches of
foreign banks. The OCC seeks to
ensure that national banks and federal
savings associations (collectively
“banks”) safely and soundly
manage their risks, comply with
applicable laws, compete effectively
with other providers of financial
services, offer products and
services that meet the needs of customers,
and provide fair access to
financial services and fair treatment
of their customers.
The OCC’s mission-critical programs
include:
• chartering banks and issuing
interpretations related to permissible
banking activities;
• establishing and communicating
regulations, policies, and
operating guidance applicable
to banks; and
• supervising the national system
of banks and savings
associations through on-site
examinations, off-site monitoring,
systemic risk analyses,
and appropriate enforcement
activities.
To meet its objectives, the OCC
maintains a nationwide staff of
bank examiners and other professional
and support personnel.
Headquartered in Washington,
DC, the OCC has four district
offices, which are located in Chicago,
Dallas, Denver, and New
York. In addition, the OCC maintains
a network of 73 field offices
and 20 satellite locations in cities
throughout the United States, as
well as resident examiner teams
in 23 of the largest national banking
companies and an examining
office in London, England.
The Comptroller receives advice
on policy and operational issues
from an Executive Committee
comprised of senior agency officials
who lead major business
units.
The OCC is funded primarily by
semiannual assessments on banks,
interest revenue from its investment
in U.S. Treasury securities,
and other fees. The OCC does not
receive congressional appropriations
for any of its operations.
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