Bank of the Sierra Earns Outstanding CRA Rating
May 08, 2026
Porterville, Calif. – Bank of the Sierra recently earned an Outstanding rating from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) for its performance related to the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA). The Outstanding rating overall designation is the highest possible rating awarded by the FDIC. This positive rating underscores the Bank’s exceptional commitment to the communities it serves.
The FDIC’s comprehensive evaluation awarded Bank of the Sierra a High Satisfactory rating for lending performance and Outstanding ratings for both investment and service, which recognize the Bank’s meaningful impact on families, neighborhoods, and businesses. Fewer than 10 percent of banks receive an Outstanding CRA rating in a typical year, making the achievement highly significant.
Bank of the Sierra has made substantial progress over the last few years to expand access to credit, invest in affordable housing, and deliver hands-on community support. During the evaluation period, the Bank significantly increased community development lending and investments, with a strong emphasis on affordable housing initiatives.
Equally notable is the extraordinary level of employee engagement. Nearly 75 percent of Bank of the Sierra employees provided CRA-qualified volunteer community services, such as teaching financial literacy to local students, during the exam period. Collectively, employees contributed more than 8,000 volunteer hours across the Bank’s footprint.
According to the CRA guidelines, an institution with an Outstanding rating demonstrates an exceptional record of helping meet the credit needs of its assessment areas, including low- and moderate-income neighborhoods. The FDIC’s review covered more than three years, from August 16, 2022, through September 30, 2025, and marked a clear step forward from the Bank’s previous positive evaluation in 2022, when it received High Satisfactory ratings across all categories.
“We understand the responsibility that comes with being a community bank. This Outstanding rating is a powerful reflection of our team’s commitment to investing in people and businesses in the areas we serve,” said Kevin McPhaill, President and Chief Executive Officer of Bank of the Sierra. “I am incredibly proud of our employees, whose dedication to our customers and communities made this achievement possible.”
About Bank of the Sierra
Bank of the Sierra is in its 45th year of operations and is the largest independent bank headquartered in the South San Joaquin Valley. Bank of the Sierra is a community-centric regional bank, which offers a full range of retail and commercial banking services with full-service branches located within the counties of Tulare, Kern, Kings, Fresno, Ventura, San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara. The bank also maintains two loan production offices and an online branch and provides specialized lending services through an agricultural credit center. Bank of the Sierra is recognized as one of the strongest community banks in the country with a 5-star rating from Bauer Financial.
