Optional stress test tool in place for income-producing CRE terminated by OCC

The federal agency that charters national banks on Monday announced the termination of its portfolio stress test tool for income-producing commercial real estate (CRE) on BankNet.

The tool, launched in 2012, was for demonstrating basic portfolio stress testing concepts and to help banks conduct portfolio stress testing on income-producing CRE portfolios. The use of the tool was optional.

“Today, several methods and tools are available for performing loan portfolio stress testing, and banks generally have satisfactory policies, processes, systems, and, in some cases, advanced approaches for conducting ongoing portfolio stress testing,” the OCC said in a bulletin. “In addition, the OCC has observed decreased use of the tool. For these reasons, the OCC has terminated the tool.”

The OCC said it has removed the tool and associated documents, including the user’s guide, from BankNet, the OCC’s site for communicating with and receiving information from banks; and deactivated IPCREStressTestToolHelp@occ.treas.gov, the email address that had been associated with the tool.

OCC Bulletin 2021-21