Federal Deposit
Insurance Corporation

Hyphenation � Adjectives and Adverbs:

General Rule:

Hyphenate connected words that function as adjectives or adverbs if they occur before the word they modify. Do not hyphenate connected words that function as adjectives or adverbs if they occur after the word they modify. Examples: A full-scope, on-site examination began on June 30. June 30 is the date the examiners arrived on site. The loan is secured by a single-family residence. A 50-unit complex was for sale. The apartment complex has 50 units.

 

Hyphenation - Prefixes:

General Rule:

Words containing prefixes generally do not require hyphens. Include the hyphen after the prefix if not doing so would cause confusion in sound or meaning. Examples: nonaccrual                   nonperforming            subtotal

Hyphenation - Compound Verbs:

General Rule:

Compound verbs can be separate, solid, or hyphenated. If you do not find a compound verb in a dictionary, write the components as separate words.. Report standards: charge off                   paid off write off/ up/ down

Hyphenation - Compound Nouns:

General Rule:	Compound nouns may be separate, solid, or hyphenated. If you are not certain whether a compound word should be hyphenated, check a dictionary. If you do not find a compound noun in a dictionary, hyphenate the components.
Report Standards:	charge-off        pay-off           write-off/-up/-down        examiner-in-charge

Hyphenation � Suspending Hyphen:

General Rule:

When a series of hyphenated adjectives has a common basic element, and this element is shown only with the last term, insert a "suspending" hyphen after each of the incomplete adjectives to indicate a relationship with the last term. Examples: long- and short-term securities 1- to 4-family housing private- and public-sector partnerships

Capitalization:

General Rule:

There are numerous exceptions and options to basic capitalization rules. The most important rule is to be consistent throughout a Report of Examination. Examiners may deviate from the following standards as long as they are consistent throughout the Report.

Report Standards:

Do not capitalize "bank" unless it is used with the full name of the institution. Capitalize "Board of Directors," "Board," or "Directors" when referring to a specific board. Capitalize "Call Report," "Call Report Instructions," and "Consolidated Reports of Condition and Income." Do not capitalize "examiner-in-charge" unless it is followed by a specific person's name. Capitalize account titles (for example, "Other Borrowings"). Capitalize only the word "Federal" in Federal funds sold or purchased (unless referring to an account title). Capitalize "Regional Director" and "Regional Office." Capitalize "Report of Examination" and "Report" when referring to a specific report. Capitalize "State" or "Federal" when referring to a public agency or entity, otherwise, do not (for example, "State law," "Federal law," "State regulatory authority," "state nonmember bank," or "state certified appraiser.") Capitalize "Substandard," "Doubtful," "Loss," and "Special Mention" when referring to asset classification titles. Capitalize the titles of formal institution policies (for example, "the Loan Policy" vs. "a loan policy"). Capitalize the titles of specific institution committees (for example, "the Audit Committee"). Capitalize complete titles of ratios. Do not capitalize ratios which are abbreviated (for example, "the overhead ratio").

Dates:

Report Standard:	A comma precedes and follows the year when the month and day precede the year. However, when the date consists only of month and year, commas are not necessary.
Examples:	The examination that began on December 2, 1998 , was completed in two weeks. The report is due in January 1999.

Numbers:

General Rule:	Write out numbers below 10. Use figures for numbers 10 or above. Regardless of the number's size, use figures if they are followed by a unit of measure. Write out numbers that begin a sentence. If a sentence begins with a very large number, rewrite the sentence.
Examples:	The bank employs five people. The examiners cited 14 deficiencies. 7 acres of land Twenty-six examiners attended the field office meeting.

Spelling:

Report Standards:

installment

totaling

totaled