The Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) is a federal law that was first passed in 1977. Its purpose was to assure that banks did not discriminate against individuals or businesses within their communities, including underserved markets such as low and moderate-income (LMI) neighborhoods. The Federal Reserve System (FRS), the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) all evaluate how banks are fulfilling the CRA.

Since banks can get fined for not serving these areas of their community, we’ve put together a guide on what you need to know about the Community Reinvestment Act and how you can increase your minority and LMI lending.