[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 37 (Monday, February 25, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10030-10032]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-3377]


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FEDERAL DEPOSIT INSURANCE CORPORATION


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Information 
Collection; Comment Request

AGENCY: Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC).

ACTION: Notice and request for comment.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 
U.S.C. chapter 35), an agency may not conduct or sponsor, and the 
respondent is not required to respond to, an information collection 
unless it displays a currently valid Office of Management and Budget 
(OMB) control number. The FDIC is contemplating establishing a generic 
information collection to conduct occasional qualitative surveys in 
support of Alliance for Economic Inclusion (AEI) initiatives. The 
subject matter of the surveys would be determined by individual AEI 
regional area needs and areas of interest, but likely would include 
such topics as financial literacy education, asset building programs, 
retail banking services, and alternative financial services delivery 
channels. Survey respondents would typically include AEI coalition 
member financial institutions, but may also include non-AEI member 
financial institutions in regional areas served by AEIs. Depending on 
local needs, other organizations could also be surveyed as well.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before April 25, 2008.

ADDRESSES: Interested parties are invited to submit written comments by 
mail to Leneta Gregorie, Legal Division, Federal Deposit Insurance 
Corporation, 550 17th Street, NW., Washington, DC 20429; by FAX at 
(202) 898-8788; or by e-mail to [email protected]. All comments should 
refer to ``Alliance for Economic Inclusion (AEI) Occasional Qualitative 
Surveys.'' Copies of comments may also be submitted to the OMB desk 
officer for the FDIC, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, 
Office of Management and Budget, New Executive Office Building, 
Washington, DC 20503.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Interested members of the public may 
obtain additional information about the collection by contacting Leneta 
Gregorie at the address identified above or by calling 202-898-3719.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Proposal to Seek OMB Approval for the Following New Collection of 
Information

    Title: Alliance for Economic Inclusion (AEI) Occasional Qualitative 
Surveys.
    OMB Number: New collection (3064-xxxx).
    Frequency of Response: Occasional.
    Affected Public: Primarily insured financial institutions in areas 
served by AEI coalitions, although other organizations could also be 
surveyed as well.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: Up to 90 per collection.
    Estimated time per response: Up to 1 hour per respondent.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden: 90 respondents x 20 collections per 
year x 1 hour per response = 1,800 hours.

General Description of Collection

    The AEI is a national initiative sponsored by the FDIC to help 
improve the economic well-being of low- and moderate-income individuals 
and families by improving their access to the U.S. banking system. To 
facilitate this effort, AEI has established broad-based coalitions of 
financial institutions, community- and faith-based organizations, 
state, and local governmental agencies, federal bank regulators, 
researchers, employers, and bank trade associations in various markets 
across the country to focus on the basic retail financial services 
needs of unbanked and underserved populations in their respective 
areas. Currently, there are nine AEI coalitions, one each focusing on: 
The ``Black Belt'' semi-rural area of Alabama; the greater Boston/
Worcester area; the city of Chicago; the Austin/South Texas, Texas 
area; the Kansas City metropolitan area; the Louisiana and Mississippi 
Gulf

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Coast areas; the Baltimore, Maryland area; the Wilmington, Delaware 
area; and the city of Los Angeles. However, additional coalition(s) may 
be formed in the future. Each regional AEI has formed working groups to 
identify barriers and opportunities and works independently to develop 
innovative products and marketing strategies to bring the unbanked and 
underserved into the financial mainstream. Such products and strategies 
might include low-cost deposit accounts, low- or no-cost check cashing, 
affordable remittance products, free tax preparation, individual 
development accounts, coaching or other counseling assistance, and 
financial education. The purpose of surveys submitted to OMB under this 
generic information collection would be in furtherance of the 
objectives of the AEI working groups. A sample survey, proposed for use 
by the Wilmington AEI coalition, appears in Appendix A.
    Although the members of each AEI initiative, rather than the FDIC, 
will be primarily responsible for developing survey contents, the FDIC 
does facilitate AEI initiatives by providing support services. 
Therefore, any AEI surveys would be conducted by the FDIC using its own 
staff and resources.
    Technology will be used to the extent it is cost effective and 
possible to electronically distribute survey instruments and collect 
survey data. In addition, the FDIC will ensure that AEI surveys are 
consistent with rules governing federally conducted or sponsored 
information collections, conform to privacy rules, and do not request 
any information of a sensitive nature. It is not the intent of the FDIC 
to publish survey findings. All data from the surveys are for the 
information and use of the sponsoring AEI coalition.

Request for Comment

    Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the collection of information 
is necessary for the proper performance of the FDIC's functions, 
including whether the information has practical utility; (b) the 
accuracy of the estimates of the burden of the information collection; 
(c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected; (d) ways to minimize the burden of the 
information collection on respondents, including through the use of 
automated collection techniques or other forms of information 
technology; and (e) estimates of capital or start up costs, and costs 
of operation, maintenance and purchase of services to provide the 
information.

Appendix A--Proposed Survey of Retail Bank Services in Wilmington

1. Does your Bank offer in-house financial literacy education 
centrally, at your branches or provide funding to 3rd parties for this 
service?
    Yes -- No--
    If yes, please indicate if you offer multi-lingual education and 
locations:
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2. Does your Bank offer banking products and services using multi-
lingual marketing and promotional materials?
    a. ATM; Bank by Phone; Internet Banking; Teller Services; New Loan 
Accounts; New Deposit Accounts
    If yes, please indicate the languages and specific services you 
provide:
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3. Does your bank offer bilingual banking literature and/or services?
    Yes -- No--
    If yes, please list available literature and language(s):
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4. Does your bank offer free checking with no minimum account opening 
balance requirement?
    Yes -- No--
    If yes, please indicate any fees and/or requirements:
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5. Does your bank offer other low cost deposit products?
    Yes -- No--
    If yes please describe the products:
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6. Does your bank offer low cost money orders?
    Yes -- No--
    If yes, please indicate any fees and/or requirements:
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7. Does your bank offer bill payment options at branches (such as 
payment of utility bills)?
    Yes -- No--
    If yes, please indicate any fees and/or requirements associated 
with this service:
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8. Does your bank offer prepaid products?
    Yes -- No--
    If yes, please describe the products offered and indicate if there 
are associated fees:
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9. Does your bank offer discounted first time home buyers mortgages 
either directly or through a 3rd party?
    Yes -- No--
    If yes, please describe the programs, including but not limited to 
any grants, waived fees, interest buy down, participation with local 
and state communities:
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10. What type of secured loan and secured credit line products does 
your bank offer?
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11. Does your bank participate in an Outreach Program?
    Yes -- No--
    If yes, please describe the program(s):
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12. Does your bank offer international remittance services?
    Yes -- No--
    a) List any outgoing fees/incoming fees and/or requirements:
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    (b) List any other specialized remittance services (such as ATM/
debit-cards):
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13. What form(s) of identification are required for new accounts under 
your Customer Identification Program?
    (a) List accepted form(s) of ID for U.S. persons:
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    (b) List accepted form(s) of ID for non-U.S. persons:
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    (c) How many forms of ID are required (indicate picture or non-
picture)?
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    (d) If applicable, please list any non-

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documentary methods that are used to identify customers.
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14. Does your bank accept consular cards for ID (such as the Mexican 
matricula consular)?
    Yes -- No--
    If yes, please specify which country(s) consular cards you accept:
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15. Does your bank provide assistance with ITIN?
    Yes -- No--
    If yes, please describe any assistance that you provide (such as 
providing W7 forms):
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16. Does your bank use an account or credit history check when opening 
up checking accounts?
    Yes---- No----
    If yes, please indicate which service you utilize:
    CheckSystems:---- TeleCheck:---- Credit Bureau:---- Other:----
17. Does your bank participate in the Delaware EITC program?
    If yes, what special products and/or services do you offer unbanked 
recipients of refunds under the program?
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18. Please list any other services available at your bank that you feel 
may be applicable to this survey.
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19. Please feel free to add any comments/suggestions concerning any 
challenges your bank has encountered when trying to serve the under-
served customers such as immigrants (include suggestions for regulatory 
guidance).
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Survey completed by:
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Contact information:
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Thank you very much for your assistance and cooperation. Please fax the 
completed form to: (Title and Name) at (Phone Number) or e-mail the 
completed form to (e-mail address)

    Dated at Washington, DC, this 19th day of February, 2008.

Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.
Robert E. Feldman,
Executive Secretary.
[FR Doc. E8-3377 Filed 2-22-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6714-01-P