For the sixth consecutive time, Cole Taylor Bank has earned an "outstanding" rating from the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago for its Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) performance. Outstanding CRA ratings were received in 2007, 2004, 2002, 2000, 1998 and 1996. The Bank is evaluated in three areas - lending, services, and investments - and received outstanding marks in all three.

What is CRA?
Congress passed the CRA in 1977. Under the CRA, banks are required to meet the credit needs of its entire community, including low- and moderate-income neighborhoods, consistent with the safe and sound operation of the institution. Banks are regularly examined for CRA performance. An outstanding rating means that the bank must have an excellent distribution of loans among geographic areas, income groups, and to businesses of different sizes, with extensive use of innovative and/or flexible lending practices in serving low- and moderate-income areas, borrowers, and small businesses. The bank must also be a leader in providing community development loans, banking services and investments that are innovative and/or complex and which are responsive to community needs.

• A substantial percentage of HMDA- and CRA-reportable lending originated within the assessment area;
• An excellent geographic distribution of HMDA- and optional consumer-reportable lending activity; especially in low- and moderate-income tracts;
• An adequate distribution of CRA-reportable lending to businesses of different sizes;
• An excellent level of community development lending, investments, and services within the assessment area; and
• A good level of retail banking services within the assessment area.