OCC Delivers on Community Bank Comeback, Reduces Burden for Third-Party Risk Management — 2026-09-11

Tailoring Third-Party Risk Management to the Risks That Matter Most Bolstering Core Service Providers’ Transparency in Community Bank Engagements WASHINGTON–The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency today continued to empower community banks and reduce their burden with a proposal to tailor third-party risk management to actual risk, and by providing greater clarity regarding supervision and enforcement of core service providers. The OCC’s proposed guidance would help banks focus their resources on third-party relationships based on the magnitude and likelihood of potential harm actually posed by each relationship, while tailoring risk management to each bank’s size, complexity, and risk profile. It would move away from overly broad, process-driven approaches, make clear that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to third-party risk management, and encourage responsible innovation.