FDIC proposes additions to its safety and soundness standards

Bank Regulatory Agency Rule-Making & Guidance Federal Issues FDIC Risk Management Bank Supervision

On October 5, the FDIC issued a notice of proposed rulemaking that would add a new appendix to the agency’s safety and soundness standards. The new appendix, which would be Appendix C, “is intended to promote strong corporate governance and risk management at FDIC-supervised institutions that have total consolidated assets of $10 billion or more by proposing corporate governance and risk management guidelines.” The proposed guidelines would describe the general obligations of the board of directors, requiring the board to be active and involved in protecting the interests of the institution, adopt a code of ethics for the institution’s operations, and form a Risk Committee within the institution’s committee structure. The proposed guidelines would also require institutions to establish a risk management program that includes a “three-line-of-defense model” for risk monitoring and reporting, as well as require institutions to create and maintain a risk profile and risk appetite statements that are communicated to all employees to encourage compliance.