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F E D E E A L

S E S M T E

B 0 A 1 D

STATEMENT EOE THE PEESS
For immediate release

April 16, 1935.

UNSECURED LOANS BETWEEN MEMBEES NOT FOE
THE PURPOSE OF PURCHASING OE CAEEYING
SECURITIES.
Ruling No. 42 interpreting Regulation T.

The Federal Reserve Board

has "been asked whether a member of a national securities exchange is
permitted under the provisions of the Board's Regulation T to make a
short time unsecured loan to a customer who is also a member of such
exchange if such loan is not "for the purpose of purchasing or carrying
securities" within the meaning of those words as used in the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934.

The inquiry makes clear that the loan in question

is not a loan of an emergency nature permitted under the provisions of
section 10(d) of Regulation T.

In reply, the Board rules that the

making of the loan referred to is permitted under the provisions of
section 5(b) of the regulation if the loan is not made for the purpose
of evading or circumventing the provisions of the regulation.
The Board has also been asked whether a declaration of the borrower
as to the purpose of an unsecured loan may be relied upon by the lender
with the same effect as in the case of a declaration made under section
8(c) of Regulation T.

The declaration referred to in section 8(c) is a

declaration with respect to an extension of credit on registered, nonexempted securities and the provisions of that section do not apply with




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the same effect to a declaration made with respect to an extension of
credit without collateral.

An extension of credit without collateral

by a member of a national securities exchange to his customer, if in
fact made "for the purpose of purchasing or carrying securities", would
be made in violation of section 7(c)(2) of the Act and the Board is
not empowered to make any rule or regulation which would allow such
extension of credit to be validly made.

In these circumstances, the

Board does not feel that it is appropriate for it to make any provision
in its regulations or to express any opinion with respect to the circum­
stances under which, or the extent to which, the lending member would be
justified in placing reliance upon his customer’ written declaration as
s
to the purpose of a loan without collateral.

It is recognized, however,

that a declaration similar to that provided for in section 8(c) of Reg­
ulation T may be of considerable value to the lender in determining
whether a loan is or is not "for the purpose of purchasing or carrying
securities" and the Board knows of no reason why a declaration from the
customer should not be obtained even with respect to an extension of credit
without collateral.