Supervisory Correspondence: Electronic Communication Adopted as the Preferred Method

Summary:

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) is making permanent the establishment of electronic communications as the preferred method for supervisory correspondence. This makes permanent the alternative secure mail procedures that were initially implemented on a temporary basis in March 2020. 

Statement of Applicability: The contents of, and material referenced in, this FIL apply to all FDIC-supervised financial institutions.

Highlights:

• The attachment provides guidance about how to send official correspondence related to supervisory matters to the FDIC in a safe and secure manner using the FDIC’s Secure Email portal; most institutions already use these methods of communication.
• These procedures were initially issued in March 2020 through FIL-27-2020 titled Temporary Alternative Procedures for Sending Supervision-Related Mail and Email to the FDIC, and FIL-29-2020 titled FDIC Updates Steps to Protect Banks and Consumers and to Continue Operations. 
• FDIC will use the secure email portal to send outgoing mail for official supervisory correspondence.
• If electronic communications are not available financial institutions can continue to submit correspondence in hardcopy format.
• Use of hardcopy documents is expected to be rare.
• The temporary alternative mail procedures attached to FIL-27 2020 and FIL-29-2020 are superseded by the instructions attached to this FIL, and FIL-27-2020 and FIL-29-2020 are rescinded.