Fourth, the Federal Reserve is interested in promoting greater consistency and predictability in CRA evaluations and ratings. We see the value of clearer definitions and metrics that use publicly available information to identify local credit needs and opportunities. Finally, it is important to recognize that the CRA is one of several mutually reinforcing laws.
The central thrust of the CRA is to encourage banks to ensure that all creditworthy borrowers have fair access to credit. For banks to be successful in meeting the credit needs of their entire community, it has long been recognized that they must guard against discriminatory or unfair and deceptive lending practices.