National examiner rates Lyons bank highest on community lending exam

The regulator of nationally chartered banks said two in Kansas have passed their lending examinations, with one of them receiving the highest rating possible.

The OCC said in information it made public this week that it examined Salina-based Sunflower Bank and Lyons Federal Bank in Lyons for their compliance with the federal Community Reinvestment Act. The CRA is a 1977 law that encourages banks to provide loans in their local communities, including in low- and moderate-income neighborhoods.

It said Sunflower, which operates three Wichita branches, received a satisfactory rating. Lyons Federal received an outstanding rating on its exams conducted in the first and second quarters of 2014.

Of the 44 banks across the country that the OCC examined for CRA, only seven received a rating of outstanding. The other 37 received a satisfactory rating, the OCC said.

Banks can receive one of four grades in the routine examination: outstanding, satisfactory, needs to improve and substantial noncompliance.

This story was originally published August 12, 2014 at 2:00 AM with the headline "National examiner rates Lyons bank highest on community lending exam."