#FICO – Federal Financial Analytics

13 11, 2023

DAILY111323

Eliza Allen2023-11-13T17:07:02-05:00November 13th, 2023|2- Daily Briefing|

Senate Banking GOP Demand End-Game Withdrawal, Holistic Review Release

Making still clearer their line of attack at tomorrow’s hearing, all GOP Members of the Senate Banking Committee today sent Chairs Powell, Gruenberg and Acting Comptroller Hsu another letter demanding the withdrawal of the capital proposals.

FRB-PHL: Fintech Spots Credit Risk Better than Banks

A new study from the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia finds not only that fintech loan-risk scoring performed well during the pandemic, but also that the proprietary loan rating systems of large fintech companies better predict default likelihood in the personal loan market compared to traditional measures of credit risk.

Barr Stands By His Proposals

Vice chairman Barr’s testimony for forthcoming hearings emphasizes that the banking system is resilient and sound, eschewing the caveats included in Friday’s supervisory report about pockets of weakness.

Gruenberg Defends DIF Rewrites

While echoing comments from Messrs. Barr and Hsu about the sound banking system, FDIC Chair Gruenberg’s testimony pointed to what he called significant downside risk from higher rates, geopolitical tension, unrealized losses, and other factors.

Hsu Differentiates OCC Supervision, Defends Regs

Acting Comptroller Hsu’s testimony reiterates Mr. Barr’s comment about a sound banking system, pointedly noting that all of the recent failures were state-chartered.

Daily111323.pdf…

26 01, 2023

DAILY012623

Eliza Allen2023-01-26T16:44:02-05:00January 26th, 2023|2- Daily Briefing|

Effective Date Set for LIBOR Termination

The Federal Register today includes the FRB’s final rule Implementing the Adjustable Interest Rate (LIBOR) Act, setting the rule’s effective date as February 27. As noted (see FSM Report LIBOR9), the final rule settles many LIBOR transition questions in favor of SOFR, leaving numerous complex implementation questions up in the air despite this added certainty.

Fed Study Finds Card Rewards Result in $15 Billion Wealth Transfer

A new Federal Reserve staff study finds that credit-card rewards annually redistribute approximately $15.1 billion a year to more financially-sophisticated consumers. This result is likely to weigh heavily into debate later this year if, as we expect, Sen. Durbin (D-IL) reintroduces legislation to force card-routing alternatives to Visa and Mastercard (see FSM Report INTERCHANGE10).

ISDA Lays Groundwork for Crypto Rules, Law

The self-regulatory body for global derivatives, ISDA, today released a contractual framework for digital-asset derivatives. These are now likely to be widely adopted by major financial institutions but may not resolve legal-ownership issues when cryptoasset entities use intermediaries or other avenues into global capital markets that obscure contractual rights.

Daily012623.pdf…

31 03, 2022

DAILY033122

Eliza Allen2023-03-27T14:51:11-04:00March 31st, 2022|2- Daily Briefing|

FSB Stays Its Course

The FSB today officially published its 2022 work plan, making only one change in terms of topics and timing from the plan detailed in a February letter to G20 finance ministers and central bankers.

HFSC Democrats Don’t Like Overdrafts, But No Action Imminent

As anticipated, today’s HFSC Consumer Protection Subcommittee hearing reviewed Democratic complaints about overdraft fees and a general Republican defense of the importance of the private sector in setting consumer-finance charges.

Sanctions Now Reach Sectors

Treasury’s OFAC today sharply expanded U.S. sanctions against the Russian Federation.

Gensler Tackles Climate Disclosures, Crypto

Noting that the SEC is focused on disclosures, not the “merit” of what issuers may do, SEC Chairman Gensler today defended the controversial Scope 3 climate-risk disclosures, calling them “layered” because mandatory upstream and downstream disclosures would only be required if exposures are material or if a company had made a risk-reduction commitment.

GOP Bill Would Ban CBDC

Clearly still laying out the CBDC political divide, Sens. Cruz (R-TX), Braun (R-IN), and Grassley (R-IA) have introduced S. 3954, legislation essentially barring a retail-focused CBDC if it serves – as the senators expect – as a “financial surveillance tool.”

Thompson Open to FHLB Inquiry, New Mortgage Product

In the wake of another op-ed questioning the purpose of the home loan bank system, acting FHFA director Thompson said today that the creation of an advisory committee to review the system is a “great idea” to which she is open, saying also …

2 12, 2021

FedFin: Going Down?

Arezou Rafikian2023-05-23T13:59:59-04:00December 2nd, 2021|The Vault|

Two recent studies add fuel to the fire we first spotted late last year: demands for ARMs that only go down. Director Thompson’s latest scorecard combines with her equitable-finance mission to make this option a top political priority even if its market feasibility remains at best uncertain.

The full report is available to subscription clients. To find out how you can sign up for the service, click here.…

2 12, 2021

GSE-120221

Arezou Rafikian2023-05-23T13:59:48-04:00December 2nd, 2021|4- GSE Activity Report|

Going Down?

Two recent studies add fuel to the fire we first spotted late last year: demands for ARMs that only go down. Director Thompson’s latest scorecard combines with her equitable-finance mission to make this option a top political priority even if its market feasibility remains at best uncertain.

GSE-120221.pdf…