OCC to Address Consumer Privacy With Nonbinding Guide for Banks.(Office of the Comptroller of the Currency)

By HARRISON, DAVID

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, nudging banks on an increasingly prominent issue, is preparing guidance on how to handle private consumer information.

Acting Comptroller Julie L. Williams said Monday that the advice will focus on banks' disclosures of privacy policies-an area where the agency has spotted problems.

The so-called best-practices guidance, due out in about a month, will not be legally binding. But Ms. Williams reiterated previous warnings that banks without strong privacy provisions could face new federal regulations.

The issue of protecting consumer privacy is moving to the forefront as …