What We Do (2024)

We Supervise & Examine

• The OCC provides high-quality, fair, and balanced supervision to its chartered banks.
• Our well-trained examiners conduct on-site reviews of banks and provide ongoing supervision of the banks' operations.
• Examiners meet with bank management and the bank's board of directors throughout the supervisory cycle to obtain information or discuss issues.
• The "Bank Supervision Process" booklet of the Comptroller's Handbook describes our risk-based approach to bank examinations and details virtually all aspects of bank supervision.

We Regulate & Enforce

• The OCC is the primary regulator of banks chartered under the National Bank Act and federal savings associations chartered under the Home Owners' Loan Act.
• The OCC issues rules and regulations that govern the banks it supervises.
• The agency takes supervisory actions against banks that do not comply with these statutes or that otherwise engage in risky practices.
• The "Supervisory Actions" section of the "Bank Supervision Process" booklet of the Comptroller's Handbook outlines the actions that the OCC may take.

We Charter & License

• Financial institutions follow an in-depth application process to be chartered as an OCC-supervised bank.
• Chartered banks apply to the OCC to make substantial changes to their activities or structure.
• The OCC evaluates the applications to make sure banks' corporate structures are established and maintained in accordance with the principles of a safe and sound banking system.
• Our licensing department works closely with the agency's supervisory and legal divisions to render independent decisions regarding applications.

We Protect Consumers & Communities

• Ensuring fair access and equal treatment to bank customers is a fundamental part of the OCC's mission.
• The OCC helps banks be leaders in safe and sound community development financing and making financial services accessible to underserved communities and consumers.
• OCC examiners make sure banks comply with consumer banking laws.
• The OCC operates HelpWithMyBank, a website that assists bank customers with common banking questions and lets them file complaints against a national bank or federal savings association.