[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 12, Volume 2]
[Revised as of January 1, 2006]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 12CFR202.7]

[Page 21-22]
 
                       TITLE 12--BANKS AND BANKING
 
                   CHAPTER II--FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM
 
PART 202_EQUAL CREDIT OPPORTUNITY ACT (REGULATION B)--Table of Contents
 
Sec. 202.7  Rules concerning extensions of credit.

    (a) Individual accounts. A creditor shall not refuse to grant an 
individual account to a creditworthy applicant on the basis of sex, 
marital status, or any other prohibited basis.
    (b) Designation of name. A creditor shall not refuse to allow an 
applicant to open or maintain an account in a birth-given first name and 
a surname that is the applicant's birth-given surname, the spouse's 
surname, or a combined surname.
    (c) Action concerning existing open-end accounts--(1) Limitations. 
In the absence of evidence of the applicant's inability or unwillingness 
to repay, a creditor shall not take any of the following actions 
regarding an applicant who is contractually liable on an existing open-
end account on the basis of the applicant's reaching a certain age or 
retiring or on the basis of a change in the applicant's name or marital 
status:
    (i) Require a reapplication, except as provided in paragraph (c)(2) 
of this section;
    (ii) Change the terms of the account; or
    (iii) Terminate the account.
    (2) Requiring reapplication. A creditor may require a reapplication 
for an open-end account on the basis of a change in the marital status 
of an applicant who is contractually liable if the credit granted was 
based in whole or in part on income of the applicant's spouse and if 
information available to the creditor indicates that the applicant's 
income may not support the amount of credit currently available.
    (d) Signature of spouse or other person--(1) Rule for qualified 
applicant. Except as provided in this paragraph, a creditor shall not 
require the signature of an applicant's spouse or other person, other 
than a joint applicant, on any credit instrument if the applicant 
qualifies under the creditor's standards of creditworthiness for the 
amount and terms of the credit requested. A creditor shall not deem the 
submission of a joint financial statement or other evidence of jointly 
held assets as an application for joint credit.
    (2) Unsecured credit. If an applicant requests unsecured credit and 
relies in part upon property that the applicant owns jointly with 
another person to satisfy the creditor's standards of creditworthiness, 
the creditor may require the signature of the other person only on the 
instrument(s) necessary, or reasonably believed by the creditor to be 
necessary, under the law of the state in which the property is located, 
to enable the creditor to reach the property being relied upon in the 
event of the death or default of the applicant.
    (3) Unsecured credit--community property states. If a married 
applicant requests unsecured credit and resides in a community property 
state, or if the applicant is relying on property located in such a 
state, a creditor may require the signature of the spouse on any 
instrument necessary, or reasonably believed by the creditor to be 
necessary,

[[Page 22]]

under applicable state law to make the community property available to 
satisfy the debt in the event of default if:
    (i) Applicable state law denies the applicant power to manage or 
control sufficient community property to qualify for the credit 
requested under the creditor's standards of creditworthiness; and
    (ii) The applicant does not have sufficient separate property to 
qualify for the credit requested without regard to community property.
    (4) Secured credit. If an applicant requests secured credit, a 
creditor may require the signature of the applicant's spouse or other 
person on any instrument necessary, or reasonably believed by the 
creditor to be necessary, under applicable state law to make the 
property being offered as security available to satisfy the debt in the 
event of default, for example, an instrument to create a valid lien, 
pass clear title, waive inchoate rights, or assign earnings.
    (5) Additional parties. If, under a creditor's standards of 
creditworthiness, the personal liability of an additional party is 
necessary to support the credit requested, a creditor may request a 
cosigner, guarantor, endorser, or similar party. The applicant's spouse 
may serve as an additional party, but the creditor shall not require 
that the spouse be the additional party.
    (6) Rights of additional parties. A creditor shall not impose 
requirements upon an additional party that the creditor is prohibited 
from imposing upon an applicant under this section.
    (e) Insurance. A creditor shall not refuse to extend credit and 
shall not terminate an account because credit life, health, accident, 
disability, or other credit-related insurance is not available on the 
basis of the applicant's age.