comptroller of the currency

An officer of the U.S. Treasury Department who is responsible for chartering national banks and regulating and supervising them in order to ensure safe, sound, and competitive banking systems. The Comptroller has six district offices in the United States and one office in London that supervises the international activities of national banks.

The office of the comptroller of the currency was created in 1863. The comptroller is appointed by the president and is confirmed by the Senate for a five-year term.

The comptroller also is a director of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and a director of the Neighborhood Reinvest-ment Corporation. The comptroller office examiners conduct onsite reviews of national banks and supervise their activities; issue rules and legal interpretations about banking investments and operations; and analyze banks’ loan and investment portfolios, levels of capital and liquidity, earnings, and market risk. The comptroller’s examiners ensure that banks comply with consumer banking laws such as the Community Reinvestment Act. The comptroller also reviews the banks’ internal controls and audit operations and evaluates management’s ability to identify and control risk.