The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) released a report on October 14, 2026, detailing debanking activities at nine major national banks, but the adult industry was not mentioned, despite being identified in a previous OCC report as a sector facing banking discrimination.

The new 47-page report, titled “Guaranteeing Fair Banking for All Americans,” focuses on how debanking has affected conservative and right-wing companies and organizations, as well as industries perceived to be disfavored by the political left. The report cites an example involving a merchant selling MAGA-themed merchandise, account closures due to violations of a bank’s responsible firearm standards, and an organization’s anti-LGBTQ rhetoric.

OCC Report Findings

Comptroller of the Currency Jonathan V. Gould stated on October 14, 2026, that the OCC uncovered "irrefutable evidence that the nation's largest banks have denied, debanked and discriminated against customers and lawful businesses," including over political views. The OCC investigated debanking activities at JPMorgan Chase Bank, Bank of America, Citibank, Wells Fargo Bank, U.S. Bank, Capital One, PNC Bank, TD Bank, and BMO Bank. Debanking is defined as the denial, restriction, or closure of an individual’s or organization’s access to banking services.

The report found that between 2020 and September 2025, all nine banks had policies that may have required, encouraged, or otherwise influenced them to deny or limit access to financial services based on political or religious beliefs or lawful business activities. The OCC identified "broad reputation risk policies" that lacked clear standards and objective, risk-based criteria, which disadvantaged some Americans based on their political, religious, or social views or lawful business activities.

Specific examples cited in the report include a payment processor owned by one bank closing the account of a merchant selling merchandise promoting President Trump and the Make America Great Again (MAGA) brand in February 2021. Two years later, one bank declined to provide financial services to a public education organization due to its partisan leanings, specifically its political arm’s endorsement of solely Democratic candidates.

Gould stated, "Americans should have access to financial services regardless of their beliefs, affiliations, or political views. Fair access to financial services is not a mantra — it is a mandate. The Trump Administration is committed to ending the weaponization of finance against hardworking Americans, once and for all."

Adult Industry Omission

While the new report details findings from the OCC’s investigation into nine large national banks, it does not include any mention of the adult industry. This stands in contrast to a preliminary report issued by the OCC following President Trump’s August 7, 2025, executive order on debanking. That earlier report named adult entertainment as one of several industries facing discrimination for engaging in activities contrary to banks’ “values.”

The preliminary report stated that "Lines of business within some banks either strictly restricted access to, or required escalated review for, certain financial products or services in connection with customers engaged in the sale or distribution of adult media." Other sectors identified in that earlier report included oil and gas, coal, firearms, private prisons, tobacco, and cryptocurrency. These other industries were again singled out for attention in the new report.

The new report addresses aspects of debanking that have affected adult performers, creators, and companies. It notes that banks "largely lacked clear and measurable standards and objective, risk-based criteria for assessing the reputation risks of customer relationships." It also details how "poor communication impaired the ability of customers and prospective customers to understand the reason for a bank’s inquiries or decisions," and that banks "often provided no meaningful explanation" for their actions.

Despite federal actions against debanking, including warnings from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to credit card and payment companies against denying services based on lawful business activities perceived as high-risk, and the OCC and Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) removing "reputation risk" as a criterion in their supervision of financial institutions, adult creators and businesses continue to experience financial discrimination. For example, in April, the Internal Revenue Service implemented new tax deductions for tip workers but excluded revenue received for "pornographic activity."

The OCC, the FTC, and several banks have not responded to XBIZ's requests for clarification. The new report states that the OCC "will continue to evaluate account termination practices and consider issuing additional guidance or regulations, as appropriate." Adult industry stakeholders experiencing debanking can file a complaint with the OCC at HelpWithMyBank.gov. The Free Speech Coalition encourages those in the industry to share their banking discrimination stories to help policymakers understand the issue.

Key Facts

  • The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) released a 47-page report on October 14, 2026, titled “Guaranteeing Fair Banking for All Americans.”
  • The report details findings from a supervisory review of debanking activities at nine large national banks: JPMorgan Chase Bank, Bank of America, Citibank, Wells Fargo Bank, U.S. Bank, Capital One, PNC Bank, TD Bank, and BMO Bank.
  • Comptroller of the Currency Jonathan V. Gould stated that the OCC found "irrefutable evidence that the nation's largest banks have denied, debanked and discriminated against customers and lawful businesses."
  • The report found that between 2020 and September 2025, all nine banks had policies that may have restricted access to financial services based on political or religious beliefs or lawful business activities.
  • The adult industry was not mentioned in the new report, despite being identified in a previous OCC preliminary report as a sector facing banking discrimination.
  • The report highlights issues such as banks lacking clear standards for assessing reputation risks and providing inadequate explanations for their actions.