AL 99-2
Subject:  Year 2000 Customer Communication Outline
Date:  February 17, 1999

TO:    Chief Executive Officers of National Banks and Federal
       Branches and Agencies, Service Providers, Software Vendors,
       Department and Division Heads, and  Examining Personnel

This advisory is to alert you to the recent release of the FFIEC
Customer Communication Outline.  This guidance supplements previous
FFIEC guidance on Year 2000 customer awareness programs and
encourages national banks to consider doing the following in future
customer communications:

o  Inform customers that maintaining confidence in banking with the
   financial institution -- now and after the Year 2000 -- is a top
   priority;

o  Explain that the financial institution is working hard to ensure
   that customers have access to their money and accurate account
   information;

o  Remind depositors that the Year 2000 date change will not affect
   their $100,000 federal deposit insurance coverage;

o  Describe the institution's comprehensive plan to address the Year
   2000 challenge, including remediation efforts and testing of
   internal and external systems; and

o  Discuss contingency plans for resuming operations in the event of
   a Year 2000 disruption.

The Customer Communication Outline also suggests that banks may want
to provide information that is tailored to the needs and concerns of
different types of customers.  For example, when communicating with
retail customers, banks may focus more on addressing deposit
insurance, access to funds, and other specific customer concerns.

The FFIEC guidance is available on the OCC's Homepage at
www.occ.treas.gov.  For more information on Year 2000 issues, contact
the Year 2000 Supervision Policy Division at (202) 874-2340.


                                              
Emory W. Rushton
Senior Deputy Comptroller
Bank Supervision Policy

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