Transition to Reporting Central

Beginning with the 2027 reporting year (for data due to be submitted by March 1, 2028), all institutions that are required or choosing to report CRA aggregate data, regardless of primary regulator, will have the option to submit annual CRA aggregated data through Reporting Central, the Federal Reserve's modern, secure web-based reporting application. This transition to Reporting Central provides a streamlined submission process, including enhanced data validation. Existing alternative submission methods, including email, diskette, and CD-ROM, will continue to be available.

Key Information

Submission options: Reporting Central allows respondents to either upload CRA aggregate data in XML format or manually enter the aggregated data through the online application.
Data preparation: DES Release 1 (R1) 2027, target for release at the beginning of Q1 2027, will continue to be available on the FFIEC CRA website to prepare CRA aggregate data in XML format for upload to Reporting Central.
Vendor software: Institutions using third-party vendor software should work with their software vendor to ensure the software can generate the XML file required for Reporting Central submissions before the 2027 reporting cycle begins. An XML File Specification Guide will be posted on the FFIEC CRA website by Q1 2027.
Alternative submission methods: Existing alternative submission methods described in the Interagency FAQs including email, diskette, and CD-ROM, will continue to be available for institutions that choose to use them.
Credentialing: Information about Reporting Central credentialing and access will be distributed through the FFIEC’s email notification system beginning in Q2 2027.
Please note: The existing CRA submission process will continue to be used for reporting years 2026 and earlier.

For more information, continue to monitor the FFIEC CRA website and the FFIEC’s email notification system for future announcements. Institutions that are not currently subscribed to the FFIEC’s email distribution system are encouraged to subscribe to receive updates throughout the transition.

Frequently Asked Questions

General Information

1. What is changing for CRA reporting?

Beginning with the 2027 reporting year, institutions will submit annual CRA aggregated data at the tract level through Reporting Central, the Federal Reserve’s modern secure web-based reporting application. This transition provides a more streamlined submission process, including streamlined data validation and replacing the Data Entry Software (DES) submission method for new annual CRA submissions. The existing submission process will continue to be used for reporting years 2026 and earlier. Nothing about what is being reported is changing.

2. When will Reporting Central credentialing begin?

Credentialing is expected to begin in Q1 2027. Institutions required or choosing to report CRA data will be contacted with instructions for establishing or validating their Reporting Central access, even if institutions already use Reporting Central for another reporting series.

3. My institution has not used Reporting Central. Where do I get started?

The user guide to navigate Reporting Central will be posted on the Federal Reserve Reporting Central website.

4. Why is the reporting process different beginning with the 2027 reporting year?

For reporting years 2026 and earlier:

Data is submitted through DES (Data Entry Software).
Edit reports were generated after submission.
A signed edit report (attestation) is required.

For reporting years 2027 and later:

Data is submitted through Reporting Central.
Validity edits are displayed before submission, helping identify potential issues earlier in the reporting process.
Additional quality edit review will occur after submission, if needed.

5. Is the edit report attestation still required?

For reporting years 2027 and later submitted through Reporting Central, a separate signed edit report is not required, and attestation will occur in Reporting Central as part of submission. For reporting years 2026 and earlier submitted through DES, the existing attestation process remains unchanged.

Submitting and Resubmitting Data

6. When should the Data Entry Software (DES) still be used?

DES and email will continue to support submissions and revisions for reporting years 2026 and earlier. In reporting years 2027 and later, DES will still be used, but in a different capacity. Instead of supporting submissions and revisions, it will be used for aggregating data, which is used with Reporting Central for reporting years 2027 and later.

7. Are Reporting Central credentials required to revise data for reporting years 2026 and earlier? No. Reporting Central credentials are only used for Reporting Central submissions (2027 and later). Revisions for reporting years 2026 and earlier continue to follow the existing DES or e-mail process.

8. Can prior-year revisions be submitted through Reporting Central?

No. Reporting Central accepts submissions beginning with the 2027 reporting year. Revisions for reporting years 2026 and earlier should continue to be submitted using the existing process.

9. What should institutions do if they experience technical issues when submitting through Reporting Central?

Institutions experiencing technical issues should contact the Federal Reserve’s Support Center as soon as possible for assistance. The support team will work with institutions to help resolve issues and facilitate timely submission.

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