#insurance – Federal Financial Analytics

17 04, 2024

DAILY041724

Eliza Allen2024-04-17T17:36:07-04:00April 17th, 2024|2- Daily Briefing|

Global Regulators Tackle NBFI Margining, Collateral Transformation

As it has long promised, the FSB today issued a consultation on standards designed to buttress derivatives, commodity, and securities-financing markets under stress through more stringent margining and collateral requirements.

Basel Head Says Go Slow re AI Risk, Supervisory Models

Basel’s Secretary General, Pablo Hernández de Cos, today focused on AI’s risk-reward profile in the banking sector, concluding that it raises a series of profound questions global regulators must work cooperatively to address.

Lummis, Gillibrand Begin Senate Stablecoin Debate

As long anticipated, Sens. Lummis (R-WY) and Gillibrand (D-NY) today introduced a significantly revised version of their 2022 Bill (see FSM Report CRYPTO28) laying out U.S. stablecoin standards.

FIO Subpoena Power Faces Rollback

At HFSC’s mark-up today, the committee began with Rep. Fitzgerald’s (R-WI) Insurance Data Protection Act, H.R. 5335, which would repeal the Federal Insurance Office’s authority to subpoena insurance companies for data collection.

HFSC Likely to Pass RegTech Bill

At HFSC’s extended mark-up today, the committee turned to H.R. 7437, a bipartisan bill that would require federal banking regulators to regularly review and report to Congress on their use of technology to ensure they’re equipped to address threats to the financial system.

HFSC Set to Pass AOCI Recognition, Systemic-Risk Designation Study Measures

Continuing our coverage of today’s mark-up, HFSC was generally supportive of the two bills on the agenda from Democrats, H.R. 4206 from Rep. Sherman (D-CA) requiring large banks with available for sale securities to mark to market …

27 06, 2023

DAILY062723

Eliza Allen2023-06-27T16:53:41-04:00June 27th, 2023|2- Daily Briefing|

Treasury, FIO Target Insurance, Banking Interconnections

In conjunction with FIO’s new report on Insurance Supervision and Regulation of Climate-Related Risks, Treasury’s Assistant Secretary for Financial Institutions, Graham Steele, today emphasized the need for further work to understand the insurance industry’s climate-related financial stability risks, especially from housing and banking sector spillovers. In a panel discussion, FIO Director Steven Seitz also highlighted the report’s recommendations around macroprudential risks, including prioritizing the growth of the residual and surplus lines markets, “hardening” of the reinsurance market, and realizing the effects climate risk may have on state insurance guarantee funds.

Warren Gives No Merger Ground

In a letter sent today to Chair Gruenberg, Acting Comptroller Hsu, Vice Chair Barr, Assistant Attorney General Kanter, and Secretary Yellen, Sen. Warren (D-MA) demands fast action on the rewrite of bank merger guidelines pending since at least the President’s executive order in 2021 (see FSM Report MERGER10) as well as an end to large-bank M&A. Sen. Warren takes particular issue with Secretary Yellen’s recent comments suggesting the need for industry consolidation and again confronts Acting Comptroller Hsu’s “openness” to at least some transactions. It thus seems clear that her opposition to his nomination as Comptroller remains as firm as ever.

Daily062723.pdf…

28 12, 2022

Daily122822

Arezou Rafikian2023-01-03T14:16:06-05:00December 28th, 2022|2- Daily Briefing|

Fed, Treasury Continue Opposition To ICS

The Fed and Treasury today issued the annual report Congress required in 2018 to ensure that “Team USA” does not undermine state insurance regulators in global FSB or IAIS negotiations.

Daily122822.pdf…

13 12, 2022

DAILY121322

Eliza Allen2022-12-13T17:08:34-05:00December 13th, 2022|2- Daily Briefing|

Glimmers of 2023 Policy Emerge in HFSC FTX Autopsy

As anticipated, today’s HFSC session fixated on the intricacies of FTX’s bankruptcy and former CEO Sam Bankman-Fried’s arrest. Incoming Chairman McHenry (R-NC) supported the need for extensive regulation and new law but stressed separating the promise of crypto innovation from fraud committed by bad actors and again slammed the SEC’s strategy of “regulation by enforcement.”

FDIC Again Targets False Advertising, Logo Usage

Moving beyond its last effort at ending misrepresentation of deposit-insurance status (see FSM Report DEPOSITINSURANCE112), the FDIC Board today voted unanimously to issue for public comment a proposed modernization of how the FDIC logo is to be displayed and expand on prior efforts to block crypto firms from implying that they are insured. We will soon provide clients with an in-depth analysis of the NPR, which also follows a CFPB circular (see FSM Report DEPOSITINSURANCE113) on FDIC insurance status misrepresentations in May.

Gruenberg, FDIC Nominees Set for Confirmation

As anticipated, Senate Banking today confirmed the Administration’s slate of FDIC directors, positioning them for approval before adjournment and thus giving the agency a full board for the first time in years. Acting Chairman Gruenberg was approved 13-11, with Sen. Toomey (R-PA) voting for him despite strong objections likely to ensure final action this year on the entire slate.

Daily121322.pdf…

23 08, 2022

DAILY082322

Eliza Allen2023-01-04T10:40:24-05:00August 23rd, 2022|2- Daily Briefing|

Life Insurers Depend on FHLB Advances for Stress Liquidity, Long-Term Funding

Reflecting longstanding fears about life-insurance run-risk (see Client Report SYSTEMIC92), a new research note from the Federal Reserve finds that life insurers were quick to establish liquidity buffers when Covid hit in 2020, largely doing so via FHLB advances and interest-rate derivative margins.

JEC Financial Inclusion Report Calls for Postal Banking, Crypto Regulation

The Joint Economic Committee yesterday afternoon released a report on the barriers that people of color and low-income communities face accessing financial services, concluding that traditional banks discriminate, new nonbank offerings may prove predatory, and policy solutions are essential.

OFR: Lower-Risk Hedge Funds Lead to Higher Treasury-Market Stress

A new OFR working paper finds that changes in aggregate hedge fund exposures are related to Treasury yield changes in economically and statistically significant ways, with managed futures and multi-strategy funds having the highest impact on Treasury prices.

FHFA Advances Equity Campaign with New Committee

Building on its equitable housing campaign, FHFA today announced an advisory committee on affordable, equitable, and sustainable housing. It will provide analysis focused on Fannie, Freddie, and the FHLBs in areas such as the barriers to and need for regulatory or policy changes to expand affordable, equitable, and sustainable housing.

Daily082322.pdf…

5 08, 2022

DAILY080522

Eliza Allen2023-01-04T13:22:18-05:00August 5th, 2022|2- Daily Briefing|

Senate Dems Demand Answers from Equifax re Inaccurate Credit Scores

In a letter today to Equifax’s CEO, Sens. Warren (D-MA), Warner (D-VA), and Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) demanded answers about erroneous credit scores, asking why the company failed to notify affected borrowers and waited several weeks to notify lenders. The Senators claim that Equifax’s response in an environment of rising interest rates forced some borrowers to pay higher rates or rejection and ask Equifax to explain the cause and scope of the error, compensation plans, and whether all affected parties or any relevant regulatory authorities have been notified.

Brown Targets Life-Insurance Systemic Risk

Senate Banking Chairman Brown (D-OH) today announced that he plans a hearing questioning the role of private-equity companies in the life-insurance sector. In letters to FIO and the NAIC, he cites Federal Reserve statements regarding insurance-industry leverage (see Client Report SYSTEMIC93), indicating that he believes this poses systemic challenges akin to those in the banking sector before 2008. FIO is asked to target analysis of offshore reinsurance sector risk-taking across the life-insurance sector; NAIC is asked to work with the FIO on issues raised in its prior letter to the chairman.

Daily080522.pdf…