Of the 47% of bankers responding to the federal bank deposit insurance agency’s post-exam survey, 90% reported “largely favorable” exam experiences, according to a report on 2021 services and activities.
The report by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. (FDIC) Office of the Ombudsman also notes that the office received nearly twice as many favorable comments about examinations and examiners as unfavorable.
In another snippet from the report – a nine-page document filled with a combination of brief statements and infographics – the ombudsman’s office reported varied opinions among bankers regarding virtual examinations.
“While we received significantly more favorable comments, a considerable number of bankers expressed a desire for some level of on-site examiner presence for meetings and loan review,” the report states. “Many found the virtual process less disruptive for bank employees, while others commented that scanning and uploading the requested information was overly burdensome. Many bankers expressed frustration when examiners did not use video capabilities for meetings and conversations.”
In other findings, the report notes nearly 100 reported scams in 2021 that were perpetrated by parties claiming to be employed by the FDIC or financial institutions making false claims about FDIC insurance. “In addition to answering the immediate question of the legitimacy of the employment or insurance claim, we provided the parties with the ability to validate deposit insurance coverage for any United States financial institution through the use of the FDIC’s BankFind Suite,” it said. The BankFind Suite is an online search tool for finding FDIC-insured banks and branches.
The report also gives tallies on the types inquiries received by the ombudsman’s office, number of feedback sessions with bankers and “notable” banker requests, and, among other things, a general take on bankers’ views of the agency’s applications process.
The report was issued via a FDIC Financial Institution Letter (FIL).