ARRC issues LIBOR transition “best practices”

Federal Issues LIBOR Interest Rate SOFR Vendor Management

On May 27, the Alternative Reference Rates Committee (ARRC)—a group of private-market participants convened by the Federal Reserve Board and the Federal Reserve Bank of New York—released a set of best practices for market participants to transition from LIBOR to the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR) before the anticipated cessation of LIBOR at the end of 2021. Key practices recommended include: (i) new USD LIBOR cash products should include ARRC-recommended fallback language as soon as possible; (ii) third-party technology and operations vendors should complete enhancements necessary to support the preferred alternative SOFR by the end of 2020 as outlined in previously issued guidance; (iii) new use of LIBOR should end no later than June 30, 2021, depending on the specific cash product market; and (iv) parties that choose to select a replacement rate at their discretion following a LIBOR transition event should disclose the planned rate selection to relevant parties at least six months prior to the new rate’s effective date.

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