1、 https:/crsreports.congress.gov January 29, 2018Financial Reform: Savings Associations or “Thrifts”The degree to which the regulatory regime facing federal savings associationsalso called “thrifts”and banks should differ is a prominent policy issue in the 115th Congress. For example, S. 2155 and H.R
2、. 10 propose to allow certain federal thrifts to effectively opt in to the national bank regulatory regime. This In Focus provides background on federal savings associations and examines policy issues and proposals related to these institutions. Background Savings associationsor “thrifts”are institu
3、tions that, like banks and other depositories, accept deposits that are federally insured and make loans. Both banks and thrifts can be primarily subject to a state or federal regulatory regime depending on who they choose as a chartering authority. However, the two types of institutions hold differ
4、ent charters, meaning they are allowed to perform different activities and are subject to different regulations. The federal thrift charter was established during the Great Depression by the Home Owners Loan Act (P.L. 73-43) with the intent of increasing the availability of mortgages. To achieve thi