Office of the Comptroller of the Currency

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Agency overview
Office of the Comptroller of the Currency
Image:OCC Logo.svg
Image:US-ComptrollerOfTheCurrency-Seal.svg
Formed	February 25, 1863
Headquarters	Washington, D.C.
Employees	2,796 (2006)
Agency Executive	John Dugan, Comptroller of the Currency
Parent agency	Department of the Treasury
Website
www.occ.treas.gov

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (or OCC) was established by the National Currency Act of 1863 and serves to charter, regulate, and supervise all national banks and the federal branches and agencies of foreign banks in the United States. Currently the Comptroller of the Currency is John Dugan.

Headquartered in Washington, D.C., it has four district offices located in New York City, Chicago, Dallas and Denver. It has an additional 48 field offices throughout the United States, and a London office to supervise the international activities of national banks. It is a bureau of the United States Department of the Treasury and is headed by the Comptroller of the Currency. The OCC fulfills four main objectives:

ensures the safety and soundness of the national banking system;
fosters competition by allowing banks to offer new products and services;
Improves the efficiency and effectiveness of OCC supervision especially to reduce the regulatory burden; and
ensure fair and equal access to financial services to all Americans.

The OCC participates in interagency activities in order to maintain the sanctity of the national banking system. By monitoring capital, asset quality, management, earnings, liquidity, sensitivity to market risk, information technology, consumer compliance, and community reinvestment, the OCC is able to determine whether or not the bank is operating safely and soundly, and meeting all regulatory requirements. The OCC was created in order to instill confidence in the National Banking system and protect consumers from misleading business practices.

Other regulatory agencies like the OCC include: the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (of which the Comptroller serves as a director), the Federal Reserve, the Office of Thrift Supervision, and the National Credit Union Administration.

The Comptroller also serves as a director of the Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation.

In July 2007, the OCC launched HelpWithMyBank.gov to assist customers of national banks and provide answers to national banking questions.