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OCC makes technical changes to stress testing rule; regulators submit unified stress test report for OMB approval
On February 23, the OCC finalized technical changes to its annual stress testing rule. Specifically, the final rule (i) changes the range of possible “as-of” dates used in the global market shock component to conform to changes already made by the Federal Reserve Board (Fed) to its annual stress testing regulations; (ii) extends the transition process for covered institutions with $50 billion or more in assets (“a national bank or federal savings association that becomes an over $50 billion covered institution in the fourth quarter of a calendar year will not be subject to the stress testing requirements applicable to over $50 billion covered institutions until the third year after it crosses the asset threshold”); and (iii) makes certain technical clarifications to the requirements of the OCC’s stress testing rule. The final rule takes effect March 26.
The same day, the Fed, the OCC, and the FDIC submitted a notice to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) requesting approval of a new stress test report form (FFIEC 016) to be implemented for the stress test report due July 31. If approved, FFIEC 016 would replace the agencies’ three separate, yet identical, forms currently used to collect information from financial institutions and holding companies with total assets of more than $10 billion but less than $50 billion. Comments on the proposed change must be received on or before March 26.
FFIEC releases 2018 HMDA reporting guide
On February 21, the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council (FFIEC) issued the 2018 edition of the “A Guide to HMDA Reporting: Getting it Right!” which reflects updates to the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) rule, effective January 1, 2018. The HMDA reporting guide is updated annually to assist institutions with their reporting requirements for the specified calendar year. Additionally, the CFPB recently launched their 2018 Loan/Application Register (LAR) Formatting Tool to assist small volume lenders in creating an electronic file to submit to the FFIEC HMDA platform, previously covered by InfoBytes here.
FDIC releases 2017 annual report, among key issues are living wills, cybersecurity, and simplifying regulations
On February 15, the FDIC released its 2017 Annual Report, which includes, among other things, the audited financial statements of the Deposit Insurance Fund and the Federal Savings and Loan Insurance Corporation (FSLIC) Resolution Fund. The report also provides an overview of key FDIC initiatives, performance results, and other aspects of FDIC operations, supervision developments, and regulatory enforcement, including the following:
- Living Wills. The report discusses the FDIC’s continued evaluation of resolution plans for Systemically Important Financial Institutions (SIFIs) and notes there remain “inherent challenges and uncertainties” associated with the plans, specifically within four areas: “intra-group liquidity; internal loss-absorbing capacity; derivatives; and payment, clearing, and settlement activities.” Further, the FDIC and Federal Reserve (who share joint responsibility for reviewing and assessing resolution plans) reviewed plans submitted by the eight largest U.S. SIFIs and noted that four of the firms’ plans had shortcomings—although no deficiencies were identified—and stipulated that the plans must be resubmitted by July 1, 2019. (See previous InfoBytes coverage here on recent comments by FDIC Chairman Martin concerning living will challenges.)
- Cybersecurity. Among other initiatives, the report discusses a collaboration between the FDIC, the Federal Reserve, and the OCC to update the interagency Cybersecurity Assessment Tool, which “helps financial institutions determine their cyber risk profile, inherent risks, and level of cybersecurity preparedness.” The report provides feedback from institutions currently using the tool.
- Simplifying Regulation. In accordance with the requirements of the Economic Growth and Regulatory Paperwork Reduction Act of 1996 (EGRPRA), the report discusses the FDIC’s, Federal Reserve Board’s, and OCC’s regulatory review process done in conjunction with the National Credit Union Administration and the members of the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council (FFIEC). As previously covered in InfoBytes here and here, a report was issued in March outlining initiatives designed to reduce regulatory burdens, particularly on community banks and savings associations, and last September a proposed rule to simplify capital rule compliance requirements and reduce the regulatory burden was issued.
Agencies Announce Availability of 2016 Small Business and Farm CRA Data
On November 21, the three federal banking agency members of the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council (FFIEC) with Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) responsibility—the Federal Reserve Board, the FDIC, and the OCC—announced the release of the 2016 small business and small farm CRA data. The analysis contains information from 726 lenders reporting data about originations and purchases of small loans (loans with original amounts of $1 million or less) in 2016, a 3.3 percent decrease from 2015.
The FFIEC disclosure statement on the data for each reporting lender is available here.
Federal Banking Agencies Seek Comments on Proposal to Further Streamline Call Reports
On November 2, the Federal Reserve Board, FDIC, and OCC (agencies)—all members of the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council (FFIEC)—issued a joint notice and request for comment on a proposal to further streamline the Consolidated Reports of Condition and Income (Call Reports) in an effort to reduce data reporting requirements and regulatory burdens for financial institutions. The proposal would modify Call Reports applicable to banks with (i) domestic offices only and less than $1 billion in total assets (FFIEC 051); (ii) domestic offices only (FFIEC 041); and (iii) domestic and foreign offices (FFIEC 031). The proposed revisions, which would eliminate or combine several data items and revise certain existing reporting thresholds, would take effect as of the June 30, 2018, report date. Comments on the proposal are due within 60 days after its publication in the Federal Register.
Previous requests for proposed burden-reducing Call Report revisions were submitted by the agencies in August 2016 and June 2017. (See InfoBytes’ coverage of the August request here.)
CFPB Launches Beta Version of HMDA Platform
On November 3, the CFPB announced the beta release of the new HMDA Platform. The beta version enables financial institutions to become familiar with the platform and permits entities to establish test log-in credentials, upload sample files and validate data, receive edit reports, and confirm test their test submissions. Entities can test and retest throughout the beta period, and any test data will be removed from the system when the 2017 filing period opens on January 1, 2018.
As previously covered by InfoBytes, in November 2016 the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council (FFIEC) announced that it was discontinuing its HMDA Data Entry Software and instead requiring that financial institutions file HMDA data through a new web-based interface. In August, the CFPB issued the final rule amending the 2015 HMDA Rule, with most of the revisions taking effect January 1, 2018 (see InfoBytes coverage here).
The CFPB is requesting feedback on the platform and test experiences during the beta period time.
Federal Banking Agencies Issue Request for Comment on Proposed Combined Dodd-Frank Stress Test Report
On October 6, the Federal Reserve Board (Fed), the FDIC, and the OCC (agencies)—all members of the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council (FFIEC)—issued a joint notice and request for comment on a proposal to combine the agencies’ three separate, identical stress test report forms into a single new FFIEC report (FFIEC 016) under the Dodd-Frank Act. In addition to replacing the Fed’s FR Y–16, the FDIC’s DFAST 10–50, and the OCC’s DFAST 10–50B, a limited number of revisions would be made to align FFIEC 016 with “recent burden-reducing changes to the FFIEC 031 and FFIEC 041 Consolidated Reports of Condition and Income and the Fed’s FR Y–9C Consolidated Financial Statements for Holding Companies.” Under the proposal, institutions who have a Legal Entity Identifier will also be asked to include it on the report form.
FFIEC 016 respondents are depository institutions and holding companies with at least $10 billion but less than $50 billion in total consolidated assets. The proposed FFIEC 016 will impact stress test reports with an as-of date of December 31, 2017, and have a submission deadline of July 31, 2018. Comments on the joint notice and request for comment must be received by December 5, 2017.
Federal Banking Regulatory Agencies Issue Proposed Rulemaking to Simplify Regulatory Capital Rule
On September 27, the Federal Reserve Board, the FDIC, and the OCC (agencies) issued a joint notice of proposed rulemaking to simplify capital rule compliance requirements and reduce the regulatory burden in accordance with the Economic Growth and Regulatory Paperwork Reduction Act (EGRPRA). Among other things, the proposed rule will “apply a simpler regulatory capital treatment” for mortgage servicing assets, certain deferred tax assets, investments in unconsolidated financial institutions, and capital issued by a consolidated subsidiary of a banking organization and held by third parties, or minority interest. To assist banks in evaluating the potential impact of the proposal, the agencies provided an estimation tool template and summary of the proposal. As previously discussed in InfoBytes, the agencies—all members of the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council (FFIEC)—issued a report in March following an EGRPRA review, in which the agencies outlined initiatives designed to reduce regulatory burdens, particularly on community banks and savings associations. In a statement issued by FDIC Chairman Martin J. Gruenberg, commenters are encouraged to also consider methods for simplifying existing regulatory capital rules impacting community banks. Comments on the joint proposed rule are due 60 days after publication in the Federal Register.
FDIC Releases Revised Supervisory Appeals Guidelines, Updates FAQs on New Accounting Standards, and Announces FFIEC Industry Outreach Website
On September 6, the FDIC released revised guidelines (FIL-42-2017) for appeals of certain material supervisory determinations to expand the circumstances under which banks may submit an appeal with the Division Directors and the Supervision Appeals Review Committee. The guidelines apply to all FDIC-supervised depository institutions. As previously reported in InfoBytes, the guidelines will provide consistency with the appeals processes of other federal banking agencies and will, among other things, (i) permit the appeal of the level of compliance with an existing formal enforcement action; (ii) provide that formal enforcement-related actions or decisions do not affect a pending appeal; (iii) allow for additional opportunities for appeal rights available under the guidelines with respect to material supervisory determinations in certain circumstances; (iv) annually publish the Division Directors’ material supervisory determinations decisions and (v) draw up other limited technical and conforming amendments. With the issuance of these guidelines, the FDIC is rescinding FIL-52-2016 (“FDIC Seeks Comment on Bank Appeals Guidelines”) and FIL-113-2004 (“FDIC Appeals Processes’).
On the same day, the FDIC also issued FIL-41-2017, which presents updates to its “Frequently Asked Questions on the New Accounting Standard on Financial Instruments—Credit Losses” for financial intuitions and examiners. The FAQs apply to all FDIC-supervised banks, savings associations, and community institutions. The updates address topics such as “qualitative factors, data to implement [credit loss methodology], purchased credit-deteriorated assets, the evaluation of the public business entity criteria, the mechanics of adopting the standard for Call Report purposes, and collateral-dependent loans.” They also contain a reminder to institutions that credit loss methodology can be scaled base on an institution’s size, and encourage readiness and preparation plans to transition to the new accounting standard.
Finally, the FDIC also issued FIL-40-2017 to announce the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council’s (FFIEC) new Industry Outreach website, which was created as a way for financial institutions, trade associations, third-party providers, and consultants to access information related to supervisory guidance and regulations. The website will also provide information on FFIEC-sponsored webinars.
FFIEC Releases Update to Cybersecurity Assessment Tool to Aid Institution Preparedness
On May 31, the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council (FFIEC) announced the release of an update to the Cybersecurity Assessment Tool (CAT) developed to aid institutions in determining their risk profiles, identifying risks, and determining cybersecurity preparedness. The update details changes made to the FFIEC IT Examination Handbook and provides a revised mapping in Appendix A to the updated Information Security and Management booklets. The press release notes that “[m]anagement of financial institutions and management of third-party service providers are primarily responsible for assessing and mitigating their entities’ cybersecurity risk. Outlined in Appendix A, the CAT is a framework designed to provide a “repeatable and measurable process” to measure cybersecurity in areas such as cyber risk management and oversight, threat intelligence and collaboration, cybersecurity controls, external dependency management, and cyber incident management and resilience. The CAT also provides “additional response options, allowing financial institution management to include supplementary or complementary behaviors, practices and processes that represent current practices of the institution in supporting its cybersecurity activity assessment.” Financial institutions access addition cybersecurity risk management information here.