The Office for the Comptroller of the Currency is seeking public input on the key challenges and barriers faced by community banks in the adoption and implementation of digital banking solutions.
The OCC said that new technologies can be important tools for community banks to meet customer demand, increase revenue, improve efficiencies and remain competitive. The agency’s request for information will help it “better understand the specific obstacles that community banks encounter in their efforts to modernize operations, enhance customer experience and remain competitive in an increasingly digital financial services environment.”
Comments can be submitted online through Regulations.gov or by mail. They will be accepted for 45 days following publication of the request for input in the Federal Register.
In a statement, American Bankers Association President and CEO Rob Nichols welcomed the OCC announcement.
“Helping community banks innovate so they can compete and thrive in today’s highly competitive financial services marketplace has been a top priority for me since I arrived at ABA,” Nichols said. “We have invested a significant amount of time, energy and resources supporting community banks on their technology journeys through our Office of Innovation, Core Platforms Committee and ABA Partner Network, but we know more can be done. I am encouraged that the OCC will explore these issues, and we look forward to sharing our perspective with all of the banking agencies alongside our community bank members across the country.”
