At a bank's option, examiners also consider under the lending test originations and purchases of community development loans by consortia in which the bank participates or by third parties in which the bank has invested. See 60 Fed. It is important to note, however, that the dollar amount of a qualified investment or a community development loan is only one factor that examiners consider in evaluating an institution's CRA performance. Examiners also consider the innovativeness or complexity of qualified investments, their responsiveness to credit and community development needs, and the degree to which the qualified investments are not routinely provided by private investors. See 60 Fed.
Examiners consider similar factors in evaluating a community development loan.
See 60 Fed. These factors are included in the CRA investment and lending performance evaluations to recognize that the value of an investment or a loan is not necessarily tied to its dollar amount. You may also be interested to know that the staffs of the four financial supervisory agencies are presently developing a commentary that should provide additional guidance for resolving interpretive questions arising under the new CRA regulations.