Methodology & Data Sources

Data Source

All financial data on PlainBankData comes from Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) Call Reports, quarterly regulatory filings that every FDIC-insured institution is required to submit. Call Reports are the most comprehensive public source of bank financial data in the United States.

Source URL: fdic.gov (FDIC Statistics on Depository Institutions)

Coverage

PlainBankData covers 4,300+ FDIC-insured institutions - commercial banks, savings banks, and savings associations, as of the most recent quarterly Call Report filing. This includes institutions of all sizes, from community banks with under $100 million in assets to the largest systemically important financial institutions. Each institution is identified by its FDIC Certificate Number (CERT), which uniquely identifies the charter across all regulatory databases.

How We Process the Data

  1. Download FDIC FFIEC Call Report data from FDIC's public Statistics on Depository Institutions (SDI) tool
  2. Extract capital adequacy ratios, profitability metrics, and risk indicators for each institution
  3. Calculate composite health scores using publicly documented banking industry formulas
  4. Assign A–F letter grades based on the composite score distribution
  5. Load into our search-optimized database

Key Metrics & Grading

Our health grade is a composite of three pillars derived directly from Call Report data:

  • Capital Adequacy - Tier 1 capital ratio, total risk-based capital ratio, and leverage ratio. Well-capitalized thresholds follow FDIC Prompt Corrective Action (PCA) standards.
  • Profitability & Efficiency - Return on assets (ROA), return on equity (ROE), and net interest margin. ROA measures how effectively the bank uses its total assets to generate earnings, while efficiency ratio indicates operating cost management.
  • Risk Indicators - Texas Ratio (non-performing assets ÷ tangible equity + reserves), non-performing loan ratio, and liquidity metrics.

Data Currency

The FDIC releases updated Call Report data quarterly. We update our database when new quarterly data becomes available. There is typically a 45–60 day lag between the quarter end and FDIC publishing the data.

Limitations

  • Health grades are backward-looking, they reflect past financial performance, not a prediction of future safety
  • Call Report data is filed by the institution and subject to later revision
  • Our grading model is a simplified analytical tool, not a substitute for regulatory examinations
  • This site is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or investment advice
  • Health grades are based on publicly available quantitative data only and do not incorporate qualitative factors such as management quality, competitive position, or regulatory examination findings that are not publicly disclosed

How the Source Agency Collects Data

Every FDIC-insured depository institution is required by federal banking law to file quarterly Call Reports (officially the Consolidated Reports of Condition and Income, or FFIEC 031/041/051). These filings detail the institution's balance sheet, income statement, capital ratios, loan portfolio composition, and other financial metrics. Call Reports are filed electronically with the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council (FFIEC) and made publicly available through the FDIC's Statistics on Depository Institutions (SDI) system.

Banks are subject to periodic on-site examinations by their primary federal regulator (FDIC, OCC, or Federal Reserve), which provides an additional layer of verification beyond the self-reported Call Report data. However, PlainBankData relies on the published Call Report figures, not examination findings.

Data Accuracy Commitment

PlainBankData presents FDIC data without modification. Financial metrics, ratios, and grades are computed directly from reported Call Report figures using documented formulas. We do not interpolate missing data or adjust reported figures. If you find any information that appears incorrect, please contact us so we can verify against the source filing.

Contact

Questions about our methodology or found a data error? Reach us at hello@plainbankdata.com or through our contact page.

By