Last Friday, the OCC and the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve published their joint final rule implementing the Basel III regulatory capital framework and related Dodd-Frank Act changes. The final rule, adopted in July by both agencies and the FDIC, sets the minimum regulatory capital requirements for all organizations. It includes a new common equity Tier 1 ratio of 4.5 percent of risk-weighted assets, raises the minimum Tier 1 capital ratio from 4 percent to 6 percent of risk-weighted assets, and sets a new conservation buffer of 2.5 percent of risk-weighted assets. The agencies, together with the FDIC, also have released a New Capital Rule Community Bank Guide to help community banks implement the new rule, and the OCC has released a separate Quick Reference Guide for Community Bankers.