#FSB

29 09, 2023

DAILY092923

2023-09-29T16:49:25-04:00September 29th, 2023|2- Daily Briefing|

FSB Head Signals Limits on – Not Just Look at – NBFI Leverage

As the FSOC finalizes a new U.S. systemic framework, FSB chair Klaas Knot today told the FT that the Board along with international standard-setters is conducting a review of nonbank leverage in an effort to improve bank-NBFI interconnections and ultimately limit nonbank borrowing.  The express focus on specific leverage constraints goes beyond the FSB’s more general statements to date.  Mr. Knot also highlighted imposing tougher collateral requirements for investment fund borrowing against higher-risk securities.

OIG: FDIC Inability to Deploy OLA Acute, Could Hike Systemic Risk

The FDIC’s OIG today released a polite, but still withering criticism of the FDIC’s inability to use OLA over a decade after Dodd-Frank gave it sweeping powers to address systemic-risk resolutions without resorting to bailouts.  Specifically, the OIG found that, while the FDIC has made some progress readying OLA-readiness since 2010, it failed to establish key elements needed to use this authority under stress, especially if this stress occurred in an entity other than a U.S. GSIB holding company.  However, the FDIC is not operationally ready to resolve a GSIB HC under OLA, nor does it have policies, procedures, or the operational capacity to do so for other entities or in scenarios where multiple systemic-risk failures are possible.

Daily092923.pdf

19 09, 2023

DAILY091923

2023-09-19T18:11:29-04:00September 19th, 2023|2- Daily Briefing|

FSB Finally Takes Concrete CCP-Resolution Action

Following longstanding announcements that it would advance CCP resolvability, the FSB today released a consultative report recommending a toolbox approach to CCP resolution providing sufficient loss absorption and liquidity that is readily available and mitigates adverse effects on financial stability.

Treasury Advances Climate-Risk Principles, Not Mandates

Cautiously advancing the President’s climate-risk order (see FSM Report GREEN8), Treasury today released nine nonbinding principles for net-zero financing and investment encouraging financial institutions to focus on limiting scope 3 emissions by implementing robust net-zero transition plans.

CFPB Expands AI Crackdown

Expanding on last year’s adverse action guidance (see FSM Report FAIRLEND11), the CFPB today issued a circular stating that lenders – especially those using AI – cannot use CFPB sample adverse actions forms and checklists to deny consumers credit if the samples do not accurately portray the reasoning behind the denial.

HFSC Republicans Expand Attack From Capital to LTD Rules

Today’s HFSC Financial Institutions Subcommittee hearing on the economic consequences of the banking agencies’ slate of recent proposals showcased strong Republican concerns.

Daily091923.pdf

7 09, 2023

DAILY090723

2023-09-07T16:43:25-04:00September 7th, 2023|2- Daily Briefing|

FSB-IMF Report Lays Out Crypto-Policy Roadmap

The FSB and IMF today published a joint report synthesizing their policy and regulatory recommendations for cryptoassets, laying out a policy roadmap that breaks no new ground.

Senate Dems Try Again to End State Usury Ceilings

Senate Majority Whip Durbin (D-IL) yesterday introduced another effort (S. 2730) to impose a federal usury ceiling.

NGFS Warns Ecological Risk Could Be Systemic

The Network for Greening the Financial System (NGFS) today released a report on nature-related financial risk concluding that ecological risk transmission could cause contagion leading to systemic risk.

CFPB Soon to Advance Its Open-Banking Construct

CFPB Director Chopra today announced that the CFPB will be issuing proposed rules next month to reactivate its DFA consumer data rights powers (see FSM Report DATA3).

Global Securities Regulators Craft DeFi Standards

IOSCO today released a DeFi consultation report proposing nine policy recommendations intended to support heightened regulatory consistency and oversight.

Waters Presses Agencies to Change SSN Collection Requirements

HFSC Ranking Member Waters (D-CA) today wrote to the leadership of the banking agencies, Treasury, and FinCEN asking them to consider allowing financial institutions only to collect a SSN’s last four digits to minimize cybersecurity risks.

Fed Staff Suggest Solution to CBDC Privacy Problem

Addressing one of the biggest CBDC challenges in the U.S., Fed staff today published a report arguing that the use of privacy-enhancing technologies preserves digital asset user confidentiality while maintaining enough visibility for official audits in order to prevent illicit finance.

Daily090723.pdf

6 09, 2023

Daily090623

2023-09-07T09:07:08-04:00September 6th, 2023|2- Daily Briefing|

FSB Focuses on NBFI Liquidity, Leverage with Few Concrete Actions

Following its report recommending resolution-policy review, the FSB today continued its G20 reports with two focusing on NBFIs.  The most substantive of these addresses sector liquidity.  Recommendations here include adoption of pending OEF standards, continuing review of margining and work to determine if NBFI systemic-risk standards are warranted.

Fed Study: Big Bank Branches May Better Serve Customers

Fed staff have issued a report suggesting that new large bank branches tend to grow faster than new ones at small banks because large bank branches are favored by customers seeking lower prices or greater value.

IMF Outlines Post-SVB Supervision Standards

In an opaque but nonetheless stinging rebuke to U.S. bank supervision, the IMF today released a working paper emphasizing the importance of supervisors having the will and ability to act on effective supervision, recommending that supervisors are given strong operational independence and accountability, clarity regarding the primacy of their safety-and-soundness mandate, adequate resources, and legal protection.

Daily090623.pdf

5 09, 2023

DAILY090523

2023-09-05T17:16:52-04:00September 5th, 2023|2- Daily Briefing|

FSB Considers Resolution Construct Revamp

In addition to calling for full and consistent implementation of the Basel III framework, the FSB head’s letter to the G20 today stresses that this year’s bank failures challenge long-held views about deposit stickiness and the speed of bank runs, leading international standard-setters now to consider unspecified policy changes to the resolution construct.

BIS Study: Fed, FDIC Reassurances Offset Bank Run Risk

Contributing to analysis of viral runs and how to stop them, a new paper from BIS staff concludes that public communication from the Fed on banking system stability and from the FDIC on deposit insurance during crises can mitigate systemwide run risk, while similar statements from political figures such as President Biden are less effective.

IMF: Money Laundering Undermines Financial Stability

The IMF yesterday published a blog post on money laundering’s financial-stability impact, concluding that cross-border illicit payments result in equity-price declines, higher CDS costs, elevated perceived credit risk, and declines in deposits for the individual banks involved.  The blog also states that there is a contagion dynamic as a result of spillover effects between targeted banks and other banks within the region.

Daily090523.pdf

31 08, 2023

GSE-083123

2023-08-31T09:24:25-04:00August 31st, 2023|4- GSE Activity Report|

The Secondary-Market Suggestion Box

As we noted yesterday, the global banking, securities, and insurance regulators who comprise the Financial Stability Board (FSB) are heading back to look again at securitization to see if the post-08 framework it crafted still works.  The FSB is in our view increasingly irrelevant to home- and host-country rulemaking, but that’s not to say it’s totally toothless.  If – and this is a big if – the FSB comes up with concrete suggestions in key areas such as revisions to regulatory capital or risk-retention standards, U.S. agencies will take a hard look.

GSE-083123.pdf

30 08, 2023

Daily083023

2023-08-31T07:41:42-04:00August 30th, 2023|2- Daily Briefing|

FRB Chicago Study Finds Nonbanks Act as Global Shock Absorbers

A new empirical FRB Chicago study finds that nonbanks act as global shock absorbers during times of stress because tightening US monetary policy is associated with increased nonbank syndicated dollar lending compared to banks.  This of course frustrates monetary-policy transmission in the U.S., but the paper focuses on EMEs where the principal risk is macroeconomic and financial shock.

Comment Period Reopened on Controversial Custody Proposal

The SEC today reopened the comment period on its controversial investment-advisor asset custody NPR.  As noted (see FSM Report CUSTODY5), this thorough rewrite would redefine qualified custodians to exclude most crypto firms, as well as foreign firms and other entities the Commission does not believe ensures sufficient safeguards.

FSB Seeks Comment On Securitization Reforms

The FSB today announced that it will evaluate the impact of G20 securitization reforms (see FSM Report ABS37) on its financial-stability objectives as well as on securitization markets.  The evaluation will focus on regulatory capital regulation governing securitization exposures and RMBS and CDO/CLO market segments, although the FSB will also consider including other segments.

Warren Blasts Powell, Alleging Capital-Reg Delay, Concessions

Expanding on her longstanding criticism of Chair Powell, Sen. Warren (D-MA) sent him a letter today chastising him for what she views as undue deference to big-bank lobbying and demanding that he press for the rapid completion of tough new capital rules.

Daily083023.pdf

27 07, 2023

DAILY072723

2023-07-27T17:47:02-04:00July 27th, 2023|2- Daily Briefing|

FSB Tries to Calm CoCo Confusion

Doubtless responding to the CoCo chaos when Credit Suisse failed, the FSB today issued a report laying out how cross-border crisis-management groups are to handle unallocated TLAC (UTLAC) such as the “alternative Tier 1” bonds popular in the EU.

FDIC 3-2 Vote Presages Knock-Down Basel Battle

As anticipated, the FDIC today voted 3-2 to issue a sweeping rewrite of U.S. regulatory capital requirements.

Divided, Cautious Fed Advances End-Game, GSIB Rewrites

As anticipated, Gov. Bowman today voted against the new capital framework, as did Gov. Waller; as a result, the vote was 4-2.

Stablecoin Bill Advances, Compromises to Come

At a fiery HFSC markup today, Chairman McHenry (R-NC) announced that bipartisan negotiations had broken down largely due to the White House, choosing to proceed to a final package as he remains open to amendment before floor action.

House Republicans Skewer Basel Rules

Hill comment so far in response to the new capital rules is sparse.

Daily072723.pdf

25 07, 2023

DAILY072523

2023-07-25T17:18:26-04:00July 25th, 2023|2- Daily Briefing|

Key Democrat Takes On Fed Rate Hikes

Ahead of today’s FOMC meeting, Joint Economic Committee Chair Heinrich (D-NV) yesterday sent a letter to Fed Chair Powell cautioning against additional policy tightening.

Second HFSC Markup Targets Stablecoins, Regulatory Restrictions, ESG

Thursday’s HFSC has now added another day to its mark-up calendar this week, moving the stablecoin and ESG bills to Thursday doubtless in order to avoid an endurance contest before the August recess and still meet Chairman McHenry’s (R-NC) commitments.

Senate GOP Tries to Block Capital Rewrite

Just days before the banking agencies take up new capital rules, Senate Banking Ranking Member Scott (R-SC) and ten other committee Republicans sent a letter to Chairman Powell demanding greater transparency and prior consultation.

Waters Presses FHFA for FHLB Reform

Following FHFA listening sessions and in anticipation of a final report this September on the FHLB system, HFSC Ranking Member Waters (D-CA) late yesterday sent a letter to FHFA Director Thompson laying out a series of recommendations to significantly reform the system.

Ag Committees Slam SEC Custody Proposal

In a letter to SEC Chairman Gensler released today, Senate Agriculture Committee Ranking Member Boozman (R-AR) and Chairwoman Stabenow (D-MI) along with House Ag. Committee Chairman Thompson (R-PA) and Ranking Member Scott (D-GA) raised strong objections to what they called serious flaws in the SEC’s proposed custody rule (see FSM Report CUSTODY5).

Warren, Scott Renew Fed-Ethics Campaign

Continuing their bipartisan campaign against the Fed, Sens. Warren (D-MA) and Scott (R-FL) yesterday sent a letter

18 07, 2023

FedFin on: MMF Redemption Fees, Liquidity-Risk Mitigation

2023-07-19T16:52:22-04:00July 18th, 2023|The Vault|

The SEC has significantly revised its proposed MMF-reform standards, eliminating a controversial swing-pricing approach to reduce first-mover advantage in favor of new redemption fees at institutional prime and tax-exempt funds.  These and most other funds now also come under stiff new liquidity requirements, which may combine to impose new and costly disciplines that may enhance the relevant appeal of bank deposits without early-redemption risk.  Changes in MMF liquidity requirements may also alter demand for commercial paper, municipal obligations, bank debt, and ….

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

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