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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.
California Governor Incorporates Federal Military Lending Act Amendments Into State Financial Code
On October 5, California Governor Jerry Brown signed into law revisions to sections of the state’s Financial Code to incorporate references to federal Military Lending Act (MLA) amendments and applicable regulations. Impacted are the state’s Banking Law, Credit Union Law, Finance Lenders Law, and Deferred Deposit Transaction Law. Specifically, SB 266 is designed to ensure that the California Department of Business Oversight’s Commissioner has the authority to enforce violations of the federal MLA rules by state-regulated lenders. The provisions also incorporate additional changes to Section 394 of the state’s Military and Veterans Code to prohibit discrimination against servicemembers (Assembly Bill No. 1710 was approved by Governor Brown on October 8). The amendments take effect January 1, 2018.
FDIC to Host Teleconference on HMDA Implementation
On October 26, the FDIC’s Division of Depositor and Consumer Protection is scheduled to host a teleconference that will focus on the implementation of the 2015 HMDA Final Rule requirements scheduled to take effect January 1, 2018. The FDIC encourages financial institutions to submit questions prior to October 20 to be included during a Q&A segment following the formal presentation. Registration is required.
Texas Appeals Court Cites Khoury, Dismisses Trial Court’s Summary Judgment Under UETA
On October 3, a three-judge panel of a Texas Court of Appeals reversed and remanded, while affirming in part, a trial court’s decision concerning an alleged breach of contract over a $230 million sale agreement. On appeal were three issues, including a challenge to the grounds on which the trial court granted summary judgement under the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act (UETA). The trial court concluded that the “parties did not agree to conduct business electronically and that the alleged contract did not contain a valid electronic signature.” But the panel reversed the decision, holding that an agreement between parties to conduct transactions by electronic means “need not be explicit” under UETA, and finding that the parties’ email negotiations constituted “at least some evidence that the parties agreed to conduct some of their transactions electronically.” and The panel also cited their earlier decision in Khoury v. Tomlinson, that was previously discussed in InfoBytes, to address the question of whether the emails between the two parties were signed electronically. Khoury ruled that an email satisfied the writing requirement because it was an electronic record, and that the header, which included a “from” field constituted as a signature because that field served the same “authenticating function” as a signature block. Consequently, because there was “at least some evidence that the relevant emails were signed as defined in UETA,” the trial court in this matter erred in granting summary judgment.
Further, because the panel found that there still remain questions regarding whether the parties actually formed an agreement concerning the sale of assets, the panel stated they were unable to determine “as a matter of law, under the particular facts of this case, whether such a contract is illusory.” Thus, the trial court erred in granting summary judgment on these grounds as well.
The remainder of the trial court’s judgments were affirmed, and the case was remanded for further proceedings consistent with the opinion.
NCUA Issues Proposed Rule to Revise Advertising Requirements for Federally Insured Credit Unions
On October 4, the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) issued proposed changes to the advertising rule requiring federally insured credit unions (FICUs) to use NCUA’s “official advertisement statement” when advertising products and services. The changes will include: (i) adding a fourth advertising option for FICUs, “Insured by NCUA”; (ii) expanding the current advertising statement requirement exemption concerning certain radio and television advertisements; and (iii) eliminating a requirement that NCUA’s official advertising statement must be included on statements of condition required to be published by law. Comments must be received by December 4, 2017.
OFAC Settles Alleged Sudanese Sanction Violations with Connecticut-Based Paper Company
On October 5, the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced that it had reached a $372,465 settlement with a Connecticut-based paper company for three alleged violations of Sudanese Sanctions. OFAC asserted that the company “facilitated the sale and shipment of . . . Canadian-origin paper from Canada to Sudan” in April and December 2013. OFAC alleged that each instance of this conduct, which the company did not voluntarily self-disclose, violated OFAC’s Sudanese Sanctions Regulations, 31 C.F.R. part 538. Had the company not settled, OFAC determined that civil monetary penalties ranged from approximately $445,000 to $853,746. In establishing the penalty, OFAC considered that the company: (i) “exhibited reckless disregard for U.S. sanctions requirements by failing to exercise a minimal degree of caution or care with regard to the apparent violations”; (ii) “attempted to conceal the ultimate destination of the goods from its bank”; (iii) knew that supervisory or managerial personnel “had actual knowledge of and were actively involved in, or had reason to know of, the conduct that led to the apparent violations”; (iv) is “sophisticated” but had a non-existent, inadequate compliance program; and (v) failed to initially cooperate with OFAC’s investigation by submitting “materially inaccurate, incomplete, and/or misleading information.” As for mitigating factors, OFAC determined that (i) the company has no prior sanctions history with OFAC, and (ii) the company took remedial action by implementing an OFAC compliance program.
OCC Rescinds Guidance on Deposit Advance Products, Cites Overlap With CFPB Payday Rule
On October 5, the OCC rescinded its 2013 Guidance on Supervisory Concerns and Expectations Regarding Deposit Advance Products and accompanying Bulletin 2013-40, effective immediately. The rescission, announced so as to avoid “potentially inconsistent regulatory direction,” comes as a reaction to the CFPB’s final rule announced October 5 concerning payday loans, vehicle title loans, deposit advance products, and longer-term balloon loans. (See previous InfoBytes coverage here.) Acting Comptroller of the Currency, Keith A. Noreika, acknowledged that the changing regulatory and marketplace landscape has made it difficult for banks to serve the demand for short-term, small-dollar credit, and while the OCC may issue new guidance at a later date, it will continue to ensure that banks that choose to offer these types of products are compliant with the “basic principles of prudent underwriting and risk management as well as fair and inclusive treatment of customers.”
SEC Approves FINRA’s Streamlined Securities Competency Exams for Industry Professionals and Consolidated Registration Rules
On October 5, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) announced SEC approval of its proposal to consolidate certain registration rules and streamline competency exams for professionals entering or re-entering the securities industry. Under Regulatory Notice 17-30, the NASD and NYSE incorporated registration rules are now consolidated as “FINRA rules” to provide member firms “consistency and uniformity.” The rules will allow member firms to permissively register all associated persons of a firm and establish waiver programs for registered employees who “move to a financial services industry affiliate of a member firm.” Further, as previously discussed in an InfoBytes post concerning the proposed rule, FINRA’s new streamlined examination structure is designed to eliminate duplicative testing and remove outdated categories. The changes include a general knowledge examination that all new representative-level applicants will be required to pass, in addition to a revised qualification examination appropriate to their job functions. Changes to FINRA’s continuing education requirements have also been made. The rule takes effect October 1, 2018.
FDIC Releases October List of CRA Compliance Examinations
On October 5, the FDIC published its monthly list of state nonmember banks recently evaluated for CRA compliance. The list reports CRA evaluation ratings assigned to institutions in July 2017 as required by the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery, and Enforcement Act of 1989. Of the 59 banks evaluated, six were rated “Outstanding,” 52 received a “Satisfactory” rating, and one was rated “Needs to Improve.” Monthly lists of all state nonmember banks and their evaluations that have been made publicly available may be accessed through the FDIC’s website.
Buckley Sandler Special Alert: CFPB Issues Rule Regarding Payday, Title, Deposit Advance, and Certain Other Installment Loans
On October 5, 2017, the CFPB published its final rule (the “Rule”) addressing payday loans, vehicle title loans, and certain other extensions of credit (collectively, “covered loans”). Among the Rule’s key provisions, it requires lenders to determine a borrower’s ability to repay for “covered short-term loans” and “covered longer-term balloon-payment loans,” but not other covered loans. Thus, unlike the CFPB’s proposed rule, the Rule does not require an ability to repay determination for longer-term loans that are not balloon loans. For certain covered short-term loans, lenders may provide a principal payoff option in lieu of conducting a full ability-to-repay analysis. Like the CFPB’s proposed rule, the Rule caps at three the number of covered loans that may be made in quick succession. The Rule also limits certain payment collection practices for all covered loans, including non-balloon loans.
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Click here to read full special alert.If you have questions about the rule or other related issues, please visit our Consumer Financial Protection Bureau practice page, or contact a Buckley Sandler attorney with whom you have worked in the past.