[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 12, Volume 4]
[Revised as of January 1, 2005]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 12CFR345.24]

[Page 347-348]
 
                       TITLE 12--BANKS AND BANKING
 
           CHAPTER III--FEDERAL DEPOSIT INSURANCE CORPORATION
 
PART 345_COMMUNITY REINVESTMENT--Table of Contents
 
              Subpart B_Standards for Assessing Performance
 
Sec. 345.24  Service test.

    (a) Scope of test. The service test evaluates a bank's record of 
helping to meet the credit needs of its assessment area(s) by analyzing 
both the availability and effectiveness of a bank's systems for 
delivering retail banking services and the extent and innovativeness of 
its community development services.
    (b) Area(s) benefited. Community development services must benefit a 
bank's assessment area(s) or a broader statewide or regional area that 
includes the bank's assessment area(s).
    (c) Affiliate service. At a bank's option, the FDIC will consider, 
in its assessment of a bank's service performance, a community 
development service provided by an affiliate of the bank, if the 
community development service is not claimed by any other institution.
    (d) Performance criteria--retail banking services. The FDIC 
evaluates the availability and effectiveness of a bank's systems for 
delivering retail banking services, pursuant to the following criteria:

[[Page 348]]

    (1) The current distribution of the bank's branches among low-,

moderate-, middle-, and upper-income geographies;
    (2) In the context of its current distribution of the bank's 
branches, the bank's record of opening and closing branches, 
particularly branches located in low- or moderate-income geographies or 
primarily serving low- or moderate-income individuals;
    (3) The availability and effectiveness of alternative systems for 
delivering retail banking services (e.g., RSFs, RSFs not owned or 
operated by or exclusively for the bank, banking by telephone or 
computer, loan production offices, and bank-at-work or bank-by-mail 
programs) in low- and moderate-income geographies and to low- and 
moderate-income individuals; and
    (4) The range of services provided in low-, moderate-, middle-, and 
upper-income geographies and the degree to which the services are 
tailored to meet the needs of those geographies.
    (e) Performance criteria--community development services. The FDIC 
evaluates community development services pursuant to the following 
criteria:
    (1) The extent to which the bank provides community development 
services; and
    (2) The innovativeness and responsiveness of community development 
services.
    (f) Service performance rating. The FDIC rates a bank's service 
performance as provided in Appendix A of this part.