The Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council's (FFIEC) recent guidance on Year 2000 customer awareness programs indicated the FFIEC was developing a customer brochure highlighting the efforts of financial institutions and the FFIEC to address the Year 2000 computer problem (see FIL-52-98 , dated May 13, 1998).

The brochure, The Year 2000 Date Change, is now available to the public and is being issued by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC).

The brochure:

• Addresses basic consumer questions about the potential effects of the Year 2000 date change on financial institutions,
• Reassures consumers that the industry and regulators are taking appropriate steps to address the problem, and
• Reminds consumers that the Year 2000 date change will not affect their FDIC deposit insurance coverage.

Currently, the brochure is available only in English. The FDIC plans to develop a Spanish version later in the year.

The brochure may be reprinted in its entirety without permission from the FDIC. The brochure also may be customized to fit the needs of your institution. However, unless the brochure text is used in its entirety, without modification, the FDIC logo may not be used and the brochure may not be attributed to the FDIC.

Procedures for Obtaining Copies of the Brochure

Camera-Ready Art to Make Your Own Reprints : Due to the substantial demand anticipated for this brochure, the FDIC is providing all FDIC-insured institutions with the attached camera-ready art that they may use to produce their own supplies of the brochure.

Copies Available Directly from the FDIC: A copy of the brochure can be downloaded from the FDIC's Internet site. The brochure is located at: www.fdic.gov/consumer/index.html .

Single copies of the brochure may be obtained from the FDIC's Public Information Center by writing, faxing or e-mailing your request: Write to: FDIC Public Information Center 801 17th Street, NW, Room 100 Washington, DC 20434 Fax: (703) 562-2296 E-mail: publicinfo@fdic.gov Bulk quantities of the brochure, up to 50 copies per institution, may be obtained by faxing your request to the FDIC Warehouse at (703) 516-5201. Your request should be written on your institution's letterhead. Your request must include a contact name, a telephone number where the contact may be reached, the title of the document, and the number of copies requested.

For further information about The Year 2000 Date Change , please call Edward Silberhorn, Consumer Affairs Specialist in the FDIC's Division of Compliance and Consumer Affairs, at (202) 942-3425.

Attachment: FDIC brochure, The Year 2000 Date Change (No electronic attachment available)

Distribution: Insured Banks (Commercial and Savings) and Insured U.S. Branches of Foreign Banks NOTE: Paper copies of FDIC financial institution letters may be obtained through the FDIC's Public Information Center, 801 17th Street, NW, Room 100, Washington, DC 20434 (800-276-6003 or (703) 562-2200).