OCC 2005-4
OCC Bulletin

Subject:      Interagency Advisory
Description:  Confidentiality of the Supervisory Rating and Other
              Nonpublic Supervisory Information

Date:  February 28, 2005

TO:  Chief Executive Officers of All National Banks, Federal
     Branches and Agencies, Department and Division Heads, All
     Examining Personnel, and other Interested Parties

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, the Board of
Governors of the Federal Reserve System, the Federal Deposit
Insurance Corporation, and the Office of Thrift Supervision (the
agencies) are issuing jointly the attached "Interagency Advisory
on the Confidentiality of the Supervisory Rating and Other
Nonpublic Supervisory Information."  The purpose of the advisory
is to remind financial institutions of the confidential nature of
an institution's report of examination, which includes the CAMELS
or other supervisory rating, as well as other nonpublic
supervisory information.  It also reminds financial institutions
of the prohibition on the disclosure of this information, except
in very limited circumstances.1  The agencies are releasing this
advisory now because of concerns that insurers have requested or
required depository institutions to release their CAMELS ratings
during the underwriting process for Directors and Officers
Liability coverage.  The attached advisory outlines the specific
rules related to the disclosure of nonpublic supervisory
information and includes a listing of alternative sources of
publicly available information on financial institutions.

Questions about the advisory may be directed to your OCC
supervisory office or Heidi M. Thomas, special counsel,
Legislative and Regulatory Activities Division at (202) 874-5090,
or Barbara Washington, Operational Risk Policy at (202) 874-6037.



_________________________________
Emory W. Rushton
Senior Deputy Comptroller and Chief National Bank Examiner



Attachment:  Interagency Advisory
             [http://www.occ.treas.gov/ftp/bulletin/2005-4a.pdf]
_______________________________
1 Federal law also provides for penalties for the unauthorized
disclosure or use of nonpublic information.  See 18 USC 641; 12
CFR 4.37(b)(ii).