SBLS-Advnc Lttr No. 1 - 2016 Small Business Lending Survey 2-25-16

SBLS-ADV

(2-25-2016)

This is an official request from the United States Government. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval number for this collection is 3064-xxxx, which expires _______.

A Message from the Chairman, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, and Director, U.S. Census Bureau:

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) in collaboration with the U.S. Census Bureau has selected your financial institution to participate in the 2016 Small Business Lending Survey. This is a comprehensive new effort on the part of the FDIC to describe bank lending to small businesses in the United States. The survey will be administered electronically.

The U.S. Census Bureau will conduct and implement the survey, and will maintain the confidentiality of the data and information collected, in accordance with applicable law. In the next several weeks, your bank will receive information and instructions on how to access and respond to the survey. To ensure that the survey reaches the appropriate person at your bank, please provide the contact information of the person who will serve as your bank's primary survey contact. You can do this by logging on to our Business Help Site, selecting "Self-Service Log in," and entering the User ID and Password listed below.

To report contact information online, please use the following information:

Website: https://econhelp.census.gov/sbls

User ID: 7XXXXXXXXXX

Password: ABCD1234

Due date: June 15, 2016

The survey addresses banks' small businesses lending relationships and perceived competition and market areas for such lending, as well as other gaps in knowledge with current regulatory data collected from banks. A portion of the survey addresses a statutory requirement to determine banks' efforts to bring underserved consumers into the mainstream financial system. Your survey response is voluntary.

Banks are uniquely poised to meet the credit needs of their communities, and small businesses are an important component of the U.S. economy. In 2015, the FDIC and U.S. Census Bureau conducted extensive testing to refine the instrument. Your institution's participation in the survey provides valuable information for similar banks of your size and within your geographic area.

Visit us online at https://econhelp.census.gov/sbls for additional information on the Small Business Lending Survey. For further assistance, please call our customer help line at 1-800-XXX-XXX, weekdays between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Eastern Time.

Thank you in advance for your time and cooperation.

Sincerely,