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1'85 a •• IAL IlrOIT fl••IIL &1111" I ••K 0' SAil , ••"Clseo HG2567 S3i\1 1985 (,2 From the Boardroom Changing of the Guard The National Economy The Western Regional Economy Western Banking Supervision, Regulation and Credit Bank Administration Priced Payments Services Governmental Services Directors 2 4 6 8 10 14 18 20 22 25 ~1.derGI 181'-" Bank rA MAR 12 1986 LIBRAR~ The Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco is one of twelve regional Reserve Banks which, together with the Board of Governors in Washington, D.C., comprise the nation's central bank. The Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco serves the Twelfth Federal Reserve Dis trict, which includes Washington, Oregon, California, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, Idaho, Alaska, Hawaii, Guam and American Samoa. As the nation's central bank, the Federal Reserve is responsible for determining and carrying out our nation's monetary policy. It also is a bank regulatory agency, a provider of wholesale priced banking services, and the fiscal agent for the United States Treasury. 1 FIOM THE IOllDIOOM The pace of economic expansion in the u.s. and in the Twelfth Dist r ict slowed in 1985 , bringing into sharp relief the uneven growth patterns across different sec tors tha t have characterized t h is r ecovery since m id-1984. On the one hand, the trade and service sec tors, as well as portions of the high technology sec tor, prospered in 1985 as a result of continued strong consumer and defense spending. On the other hand, a sizeable nu mber of industries, suc h as agricultu re, for est pr oducts, mining, manufacturing a nd transporta ti on , encount er ed di fficult ies in va ryin g degrees dur ing the ye ar , despite the downwa rd trend in in ter est r ates and a welc omed depreciation of the U.S. dolla r. enhancements to Fedline, the Bank's m icro-computer based electronic access serv ice, to provide customers with on-line access to accounting information. Other pr ograms in 1985 also demonst rated the Bank's comm itment to improved operations and service delivery. The substa nt ia l pr ogress made on the con struction of the new Los Angeles Branch bui lding is but one example. Another is the development and imp le mentation of a n umber of automated systems for the Ba nk's accounting, banking statistics and operations functions , all of which will en hance overall efficiency. F inally, the Bank's efforts to develop disaster con tingency plans culminated in the comple tio n of a com prehensive master plan and a successful test at the F ederal Reserve System's back-up da t a center in Culpeper, Virginia. The depressed condition of ma ny of t he nation's and this Dist r ict's key industries was a reflection of a grow in g foreign trade imbalance ca used by the substantial appr ecia t ion in the int ernational value of the dolla r th rough 1984. The dollar 's strength into 1985, which was an in dir ect consequence of the burgeoning feder al budget deficit, contributed to a surge in imports a nd a slump in exports that cont in ued th r oughout the year. T he r esu lt a n t det er ior ation in the condition of the industr ies tha t wer e most suscept ible to increased for eign compet itio n also sh owed up in t he banking indus t ry in the guise of det erior ati ng asset qu al ity and con tinuing ba n k fa ilures. In particular, this scenar io was played ou t in the deepening farm credit cr isis during the year. Ma nagement benefited greatly du ring 1985 from the bro ad-based expe r ience and judgment of the Ba nk's Board of Directors at its headqua rters office and at it s four bra nch es. The Direct ors pr ovided gu ida nce on major management decisions and pla nning goals. In addition, they su ppl ied infor mation a nd t heir own views on economic cond itions and the form ulation of monetary policy to support the Federa l Reserve in its primary function as the nation's central ba nk . We would like to extend our tha n ks and appreciation to the Directors wh o completed terms of service in 1985 : Bram Goldsmi t h (Cha irman a nd Ch ief E xecu ti ve Officer , City National Ba nk, Beverl y Hills, Ca lifornia ), J ohn A. Da h lstr om (Cha irma n of the Board, Tracy Coll i ns Ba n k and Trust Com pa n y, Salt Lake City, Uta h), David Ni mkin (Pre sident a nd Ch ief Executive Officer , Corporate Fund for Housing, Los Angeles, Ca l ifornia, and formerly from Salt Lake City, Utah), and Lonnie G. Ba iley (Senior Vice President , U nite d Bank Alaska, An ch or a g e , Alaska, a n d formerly from Spokane, Washington ). In spite of the difficult ies encountered in 1985, the outlook for the year ahead contains some bright spots. After three years of expansion, inflationary pressures sti ll ha ve not resurfaced, largely as a result of persistent Federal Reser ve efforts towar d long run price stability. Reduced inflation sho uld provide a solid base for sus taina ble growth in the fut ure. Also, with the decline in the va lue of the dollar from its peak last Februa ry , for eign in r oads in to U.S . markets should ease some wh at in 1986, providing re lief to some of the nation's beleaguer ed indust r ies. Finally, we wish to expre ss ou r ap preciat ion to the officers and staff whose efforts and dedication made 1985 a successful year and placed the Ba n k, under its new president, Robert T. Parry, in a strong position t o meet new challenges in 1986. Th e diver se requirements of the Twelfth Di st r ict fina ncial community placed special demands on the oper ations of the San Francisco Reserve Bank in 1985. In it s rol e as a provider of payments services, the Ba nk sought to improve the overall quality and efficiency of its services. Moreover, Bank management placed par ticular emphasis on enhancing the reli ability and safety of electronic funds transfer through the installa tion of a system to encrypt all electronic communica tions bet ween this Bank and its customers. The Bank developed se veral new services in 1985, including a Large-Dollar Return Item Notification Service, which uses Fedwire to help banks meet the new notification requirements for returned checks, and two new John J. Balles President 2 Ala n C. Furth Ch airman of the Boar d I, I J ohn J . Balles Presid ent Fred W. Andre w Deputy Cha irma n 3 Ala n C. Furth Chairman CHANClue OF THE CUAID The retirement of John J . Balles on February 1, 1986, as he reached the Bank's mandatory retirement age for top management, marked an important change in the leadership of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Fran cisco. Mr. Balles has served this Bank in an outstanding manner as its president and chief executive officer for the past thirteen years, following earlier careers in commercial banking and in academia. As his successor, the Board of Directors has elected Robert T. Parry, formerly executi ve vice president and chiefeconomist of Security Pacific Corporation and its principal subsidi ary, Security Pacific National Bank of Los Angeles. developed a warm spirit of personal friendship toward him. Those feelings will not fade. For his innumerable contributions during his thirteen years of service to this Bank, I speak for all the Directors in extending sincere thanks to John Balles and in wishing him well in his retirement. This Bank also looks forward to continued outstand ing leadership. To provide this, I welcome Robert Parry as he assumes the position of president of this Bank. I am confident that he will work in close harmony with Richard T. Griffith, who will continue his strong perfor mance as first vice president and chiefoperating officer. Wit h the support of the first-class management team that he developed, Mr. Balles led the Bank through a period of dramatic change for the economy and the financial system which placed new demands on the Federal Reserve System. During this challenging period, Mr . Balles participated in the development of monetary targeting and oversaw the implementation of the far-reaching Depository Institutions Deregulation and Monet a ry Control Act of 1980. That Act increased the scope of the Federal Reserve in monetary control and greatly broadened its role in offering direct pay ments services to all banks, thrifts and credit unions on a fully priced basis in a competitive environment. Prior to accepting the presidency of this Bank, Mr. Parry served as executive vice president of Security Pacific Corporation and in that capacity, was a member of its management and finance committees. He has also served as the chairman of the Economic Advisory Com mittee of the American Ba n kers Association, as a direc tor of the California Bankers Association, and as presi dent of the National Association of Business Economists. Currently, he is a director of the National Bureau of Economic Research. Before joining Security Pacific Corporation in February 1970, he spent nearly five years with the Federal Reserve Board in Wash ington, D.C. , as a research economist. A native of Penn sylvania, he holds Ph.D. and M.A. degrees in economics from the University of Pennsylva nia . This Bank, under Mr. Balles' direction, expanded to meet these new responsibilities. The staff of the Bank and it s four bra nches grew in bot h quality and number. Mr. Balles led t he team which obtained approval for and direct ed two new build ing pr ogra ms - the San Fran cisco headquarters completed in 1983, a nd the Los Angeles branch building to be finished in 1986. Hi s impressive background in ba nking indicates that Mr. Pa rry ha s the management experience necessary to head one of the nation 's largest Federa l Reserve Banks. Moreover, his strong credentials as a professional econ omist make him well-qualified to represent the Twelfth Federal Reserve Distri ct on the Federal Open Market Committee, the key body in the formation of monetary policy. We are pleased to ha ve found suc h an able candidate and, on behal f of the directors and staff of the Bank, I wish him well in hi s new position. Mr. Balles was a ti r eless advocate of the Federal Reserve's anti-inflation policies as well as an important spokesman for the need to reduce the federal budget de ficit t o foster sustainable economic growth and lower real interest rates. His belief that the future of the Twelfth District economy is closely tied to develop me n ts in the Pacific Basin also led him to take an active ro le in de veloping closer ties to the other central banks of that region through the Bank's Pacific Basin Program which he initiated. Also, under his leadership, the Bank greatly expanded its economic education and public information activities, including the development of The World ofEconomics, museum-quality exhibitions designed for the lobbies of the Bank's new buildings in San Francisco and Los Angeles. Ala n C. Furth Chairman of the Board During his period of service here, Mr. Balles earned the highest professional respect from his colleagues and industry associates . Members of the Bank's Board of Directors who have worked closely with him have 4 Robert T. Parry (st a nding) John J. Balles 5 THE NATIIMAL ECONOMY The U .S. economy continued to grow in 1985, but at a much slower pace than in the two preceding years of the current economic expansion. Problems that began to emerge after mid-1984 became sources of persistent weakness in 1985. In particular, the large foreign trade imbalance caused both an overall slowing and an uneven pattern of growth across different sectors. This occurred despite a decline in interest rates of some 300 basis points since mid-1984. Policy-makers sought to redress these structural imbalances through legislation to curb the growth in federal spending and through international accords designed to lower the value of the dollar. In the area of monetary policy , the Federal Reserve's efforts to support noninflationary growth were complicated by the aberrant behavior of the M1 monetary aggregate - an important indicator of the thrust of monetary policy. Uneven Expansion Over the last three years the total volume of goods and services produced by the U .S. economy advanced to a level that is ten percent above the previous peak in 1981. At the same time, however, a number of indus tries have not shared in this overall prosperity. Such industries as forest products, mining and some man ufacturing sectors have seen little or no employment growth since 1982. Agriculture has been especially hard-hit, with an actual loss of a half million jobs over this period. To a large extent, the emergence of this "dual econ omy ," in which some sectors such as trade, services and machinery manufacture prospered while others remained depressed, may be traced to the impact of increased foreign competition resulting from the sub stantial appreciation in the international value of the U.S. dollar through 1984. Industries producing goods for export found that the dollar's rise made their prod ucts more expensive in foreign markets, while at home, the high value of the dollar made imported goods cheaper compared to those produced by U.S. firms. The sharp run-up in the U.S. current account deficit to $120 billion in 1985 reflects this sluggish growth of exports and surge in imports. U .S. industries that are exposed to foreign competition. This competition has led to growing demands for some form of protection. In an effort to remedy this situation, and perhaps head off protectionist sentiments, Congress enacted the Gramm-Rudman-Hollings bill in late 1985. This legis lation calls for a gradual reduction in the size of the deficit until a balanced budget is achieved in 1991. The legislation is intended to redress the major structural imbalance in the economy and provide relief over time to those sectors that have suffered from the indirect effects of the budget deficit. Policy Initiatives It is now widely agreed that these developments have a common cause: the burgeoning deficit in the federal government's budget. Between 1981 and 1983, this defi cit almost tripled, and was a significant factor in the sharp rise in real, or inflation-adjusted, interest rates, which, in turn, helped to attract the massive inflow of foreign capital needed to finance this deficit. This capi tal inflow has been the largest single factor driving up the value of the dollar and producing the deteriorating trade position noted earlier. In a sense, then, most of the burden of financing the budget deficit has fallen on the Of more immediate impact were the efforts of U.S . and other central banks to bring down the value of the dollar through substantial foreign exchange interven tion first in late February and again in the fall. The second round of intervention followed the September "Group of Five" Agreement among the U.S., the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Japan. The agreement aimed to encourage orderly depreciation of the dollar through better coordination of these countries' eco nomic policies. These efforts and, more importantly, the slowdown in the rate of growth of the U .S. economy and subsequent declines in interest rates pushed down the 6 dollar's value by 17 percent between February and year end. Although the dollar's value remained nearly 35 percent above that in 1980, its depreciation in 1985 should set the stage for a significant improvement in 1986 in the trade balance and in the prospects for industries which have been hurt by foreign competition. the second half of the year. This target also was exceeded by a significant margin as velocity continued to fall. Economists are divided as to the causes of this unex pected decline in velocity, but most agree that the decline in market interest rates, declining inflation and deregulation ofthe banking industry played roles. All of these developments reduce the cost (in terms offoregone earnings on alternative investments) of holding money, thereby making the public more willing to hold Ml balances than in the past. In view of this unexpected behavior, as well as its concern to get the economy on a sustained growth path, the Federal Reserve decided that Ml growth above the target set at midyear would be acceptable. In particular, the Federal Reserve paid greater attention to other developments in the econ omy, the credit markets and the foreign exchange mar kets and less attention to movements in the monetary aggregates. This decision apparently has not led to an increase in inflationary pressures, contrary to the fears of some observers. Inflation The transition to an environment of lower inflation continued throughout 1985. Unlike past upswings that saw inflation pick up along with real output, this expan sion has been characterized by a declining rate ofinfla tion. At its peak in 1980, the twelve-month rate of change in the consumer price index registered an alarming 14 .7 percent. By contrast, over 1985, the third year of recovery, this index of inflation rose only 3.6 percent. The lower rate of inflation provides a solid basis for sustained economic growth over the long run. However, the transition to this new environment has been painful for certain sectors. With lowered inflation expectations, investors no longer demand real assets as a hedge against rising prices . During the 1970s, the annual rates of price increases of real assets such as houses, office buildings, and agricultural land were consistently higher than the overall rate of inflation. But, in 1985 the situation was reversed . Farmers, in particular, who also face stiffened foreign competition for their prod ucts, have been hurt severely by the decline in the value of agricultural land. The past year was one of transition. The overall slowdown in growth brought the problems of individual sectors into sharp relief, while monetary policy was conducted with a view towards accommodating needed adjustments. With declines in interest rates and the international value of the dollar, the stage is set for continued economic growth at a moderate pace in 1986 with perhaps only a mild rise in inflation. Monetary Policy In 1985, the principal concern of the Federal Reserve in conducting monetary policy was to facilitate the transition of the economy to a sustainable rate of growth. In light of the problems caused by the budget deficit and the worsening trade balance, the Federal Reserve sought to guide the economy toward a "soft landing" with full employment. At the same time, in view of the costs already incurred in bringing inflation down to a more tolerable level, the Federal Reserve remained conscious of the risks of rekindling inflation ary pressures . The task of conducting monetary policy was further complicated in 1985 by a breakdown in the usual relationship between the growth rates of GNP and the Federal Reserve's principal monetary target, Ml, which comprises the stocks of currency and "check able" deposits in the hands of the public. FED£.~AL G,OVE.l<NME.NT DE-Fie" AND INTERNATIOMAl COMPHITNE.NES5 $B'llIlo1'\i' 197~'IOO 225 1'10 200 175 150 125 100 FEDERAL BuDGET-l 130 <J=' 120 110 75 As the year began, M 1 was rising rapidly and by July was well above the Federal Reserve's 4-7 percent growth target for the year. Ordinarily, this would be a signal that spending on goods and services and there fore prices would be rising rapidly as well. Instead, GNP growth remained surprisingly sluggish as the velocity ofMl- the rate at which Ml is spent-declined. Faced with this decline in velocity and with some uncertainty as to whether the decline would continue, the Federal Reserve set a new and wider 3-8 percent Ml target for 50 25 0 -25 7 100 90 50 'THE WESTEIN IECIOtiAL ICONOMY The diverse economy of the western region, like the nation's, experienced a slowdown in overall growth in 1985. The strength of the dollar into 1985 and the resulting unevenness in economic performance across sectors that produced slower growth nationally also hurt parts of the Twelfth District. In addition, perhaps ironically, a number of industries in the West struggled to make adjustments to an environment of lower infla tion and declining real asset prices. A VER A C;" VAL.UE P E R A C RE: OF FARM LAN\) !'-N D B\J IL DIN £; S 1"7 ' 100 ,-YO 2 20 20 0 180 \2 Tf\ p ,""1'R IC1' 16 0 Because of differences in industrial composition, this slowdown has hit some states in the District harder than others. Specifically, those states with economies that depend more heavily upon agriculture, energy production, forest products and/or mining posted poorer results in 1985. By contrast, buoyant consumer confi dence, lower interest rates and strong defense spending gave a boost to the economies of other states in the District. ;_ " t .... _- -_ .. -... "---;:'~-- - 14 0 80 1 77 9 1 78 9 1 9'19 Sovr-c.e. ', Bars~d "*El( dt.lc\if'lj Employment One way to gauge the performance of this District's economy is to compare various measures of employment across the nine states that make up the western region. For the District as a whole, unemployment stood at close to 7.0 percent, down from 7.4 percent in 1984 and similar to the nation's year-end rate of 6.9 percent. Unemployment rates by state in the Twelfth District ranged from a low of 5.4 percent in Hawaii to a high of 10.4 percent in Alaska, but most were clustered in the 6.5 to 7.5 percent range. California, the District's most populous state, had a 6.5 percent unemployment rate in December, down sharply from 7.7 percent two months earlier. Another indication of diverse economic perfor mance is that unemployment rates were higher than their year-earlier levels in three states, lower in four states and unchanged in two states. 0 -1\ 198 0 19BI 1 8 2.. 9 19a~ 1 1i <)8 1 8 5" 9 U SD1\ d a..t o.. . C o..\itor,, ;o. ,AI<.'~ka.. o... J H 'H,v '1l1 non-agricultural employment in the Twelfth District, grew by 3.7 percent. Employment growth in construction also was strong, as the decline in interest rates boosted the demand for structures. Construction activity, however, was dis tributed unevenly across the District. Washington, with a generally strong economy, saw almost a 10 percent increase in housing permits and a 42 percent increase in the value of nonresidential contract awards. In contrast, in Alaska, residential construction permits declined 37 percent and the value of nonresidential contract awards declined 8 percent. Another source of strength in the Twelfth District in 1985 was the aerospace and defense industry. Twenty five percent of all prime defense contracts, or $37 bil lion, was awarded to firms in this District. These out lays, as well as improved demand for commercial air lines, kept the aerospace sector healthy and provided a boost to the California and Washington economies, in particular. In California, aerospace jobs accounted for an estimated 35 percent of all manufacturing jobs and almost 7 percent of total nonagricultural employment. Perhaps a better measure of economic well-being is the employment growth rate . Because potential workers tend to leave an area with few employment possibilities, the unemployment rate in a given area can fall even if the economy in that area is troubled. For the District as a whole, employment grew 1.6 percent. Washington posted one of the highest employment growth rates in the Twelfth District, at 3.8 percent, while Arizona's employment base fell 1.7 percent, the largest drop in the District. These changes in employ ment compare to increases of 1.3 percent in California and 1.9 percent for the nation as a whole. A number of major industries in the West failed to share in the prosperity created by strong consumer and defense spending, however. Even though the interna tional value of the dollar declined throughout most of the year, these industries, which include agriculture, semiconductors and electronics, forest products, oil, and mining, suffered from its still high value, as well as from greater foreign competition , sagging world demand, and, in some cases, high U .S. costs. Sources of Strength Consumer spending throughout the nation was robust in 1985, and the western region was no excep tion. Consequently, employment in trade and services, which together account for almost 50 percent of total 8 Agriculture In the agricultural sector, increases in worldwide production of many important crops reduced commodity prices to exceptionally low levels. Despite its decline since February, the continued high level of the exchange value of the U.S. dollar hurt the industry as well. Moreover, protectionist trade barriers and sub sidies granted by U.S. trade partners hurt sales of some agricultural products. Consequently, net farm income in California fell to around $3.0 billion in 1985 from the already low level of $3.4 billion in 1984. Farmland values throughout the District, as across the nation, had been bid up during the late 1970s. Their sharp decline in the last few years reflects the decline in the profitability of agriculture as well as lowered infla tion expectations affecting real estate generally. The Twelfth District experienced a 10 percent decline in farmland values, compared to a 12 percent drop nation wide. Many farmers who borrowed against inflated values of farm real estate during the late seventies found themselves unable to service this debt in the lower inflation and less prosperous environment of the eighties. Resulting bankruptcies and foreclosures were prevalent in 1985. Electronics The non-defense electronics industry, which was a source of exceptionally strong growth in 1984, stag nated in 1985 primarily as a result of a slump in semiconductor industry activity. Massive overproduc tion and intensified competition from Japanese pro ducers as well as slowing growth in the demand for microcomputers all have contributed to the weakness in this industry. Widespread layoffs, reduced work weeks, and plant shutdowns were common throughout the District in 1985. The down slide apparently lost momen tum over the course of the year, however, since the volume of new orders for electronic components, a lead ing indicator for these firms, did not decline signifi cantly in 1985. Resource-based Industries Throughout the Pacific Northwest, the forest prod ucts industries continued to experience difficulties stemming from increased competition from producers in Canada and the southeastern United States as well as relatively weak overall demand. However, there were signs during the year that the shakeout was near ing its end. Price indices for various forest products no longer fell as rapidly as they once did, and in some cases even rose. Stumpage prices, which reflect expectations of future profits in the industry, likewise appear to be stabilizing. Also, looking ahead, the decline in the value of the dollar since early 1985 is expected to result in increased demand from Japan and China in 1986, although producers continue to face Japanese import restrictions. 198\ 1982 ''183 /98'+ Softness in oil prices, largely due to a lack of coopera tion among OPEC countries, created considerable uncertainty in the District's oil producing areas. Largely because of the oil outlook, Alaska's employ ment base stagnated in 1985. State and local employ ment in that state, which accounts for 20 percent of all 9 employment, was particularly hard-hit since state and local government revenues depend heavily on oil tax revenues. Another sign of the weakness in the oil mar ket was the decline in the price of drilling equipment, particularly used drilling equipment. WEST£IN IANKINe The unevenness of the Twelfth District's economy was reflected in the performance of its banking industry in 1985. Lower interest rates, strong retail deposit growth and the buoyant consumer spending that characterized much of the western economy boosted lending volume and earnings at many banks. At the same time, however, continued weakness in certain sectors of the western economy such as agriculture, energy and mining translated into further deteriora tion in asset quality. At a handful of banks, moreover, this deterioration was so great as to produce sizeable losses for the year. On balance, aggregate bank earn ings in the West declined and trailed the results for the nation as a whole. A continuing excess supply of metals worldwide resulted in lower prices and profits for the mining industry. Foreign competition, especially in the copper industry, forced many domestic firms to make signifi cant reductions in production and employment. One major firm announced the indefinite shutdown in Sep tember of all of its Utah copper divisions. As a result, the state lost nearly one-third of its mining employment and an estimated 1,800 secondary jobs totalling approx imately 0.7 percent of total state employment. Parts of Nevada and Arizona likewise suffered from a virtual standstill in parts of the mining sector. Deposit Growth Western banks enjoyed strong deposit growth in 1985. In line with the surge in the Federal Reserve's M1 aggregate, which includes interest-bearing NOW and Super NOW balances as well as zero-interest demand deposits, checkable deposits at western banks grew rapidly. The growth in Super NOWs and regular NOW accounts accounted for $2.5 billion of the $6.5 billion growth in checkable deposits. Small-denomination time and savings deposits also were up, as a result of rapid growth in money market deposit account (MMDA) bal ances, which contributed over $5 billion to bank deposit growth . Moreover, even passbook savings balances grew in 1985 - in contrast to previous years when higher market interest rates made the passbook ceiling rate of 5 1/ 2 percent relatively unattractive. The Outlook The Twelfth District economy had a mixed year in 1985. The dollar's phenomenal rise into early 1985, increased foreign competition, declining asset values and overproduction hurt a number of the region's indus tries and served to slow the overall rate of growth substantially. In 1986, growth will likely continue to be moderate, but for different reasons. The growth in con sumer spending is not likely to provide the boost to growth that it did in 1985, but the decline in the value of the dollar since February 1985 should begin to provide significant relief in 1986 for many of the region's beleaguered industries . Defense and construction spending also will continue to bolster the economy. Finally, the reduction in long-term interest rates that occurred in 1985 should provide some further stimulus to construction spending in 1986 . The growth in deposits at western banks can be traced to a number of factors which increased the attractive ness of bank deposits relative to other investments. First, lower interest rates reduced the opportunity cost (in terms of foregone interest on alternative invest ments) of holding checkable deposits, particularly since many such accounts now pay interest. Moreover, the continuing deregulation of the banking industry enabled western banks to offer market-related yields on a wider array of products in the time and savings deposit categories. The downward trend in the rate of inflation also may have had a salutary effect on overall bank deposit growth by making financial assets in general more attractive than real assets. The reduced foreign exchange value of the dollar, and the fall in interest rates, along with other factors , will hopefully allow the agriculture, forest products, and electronics industries to stabilize in 1986. Some observers believe that the inventory adjustment in the semiconductor industry is essentially over. If so, and if recent declines in interest rates encourage a continua tion of the high level of business investment activity seen in recent years, the electronics industry could likewise resume its growth trend in 1986. The outlooks for the mining and oil industries remain clouded. The future of metals mining rests to a large extent on the course of inflation. If inflation remains low, demand will likely remain low, and metal prices are unlikely to rise very much. The future of the oil industry is even harder to predict since oil prices depend not only on world demand, but also on the possibility of agreement among OPEC members. The growth in deposits from consumers and small businesses, in particular, enabled banks in the West to reduce their reliance on more expensive large denomination ($100,000 and over) certificates of deposit (CDs) and other managed liabilities such as eurodollar borrowings. For example, the amount of large CDs outstanding declined by 5.0 percent in 1985, compared to an 8.3 percent rate of growth in 1984. This shift away from large CDs and other managed liabilities towards 10 Sluggish business loan growth contrasted sharply with the rapid growth in consumer loans and, to a somewhat lesser extent, real estate loans. Again, small and medium-sized banks recorded the largest percent age increases in these latter categories as some of the larger banks moved to curtail asset growth and improve capital ratios. Overall , consumer loans grew at a 17 percent annual rate, which was only slightly less rapid than 1984's near-record pace of 19 .7 percent. Even though credit card loan rates did not begin to decline until late in the year, growth still was most pronounced in the revolving credit category as a result of western banks' aggressive marketing efforts and strong con sumer loan demand. Automobile loans grew almost as rapidly, reflecting relatively strong auto sales during the year. These growth rates, which were clearly well above the growth in personal income, provided further evidence of the strength of consumer confidence in 1985 . S tTlA LL TIME. ANt> SAVIN <S S (I NC.L\Jb IHG! M l'YlDA ",) -, 120 CHEC K ABLE !--.c-:> " ... - ...... ,' 198 1 1982. 1~ 8 , I~B~ 1985" Declining mortgage rates during the year promoted a continuing expansion in western banks' real estate lending. Although not as rapid as the 8 .2 percent growth recorded in 1984, real estate loans outstanding grew at a solid 6 percent annual rate. Moreover, the growth in outstanding balances does not reveal the full extent of western banks' involvement in real estate lending since many banks chose to sell the loans they originated. Of the new loans banks kept in their port folios, a sizeable proportion was related to commercial construction, reflecting the still surprisingly strong demand for commercial str uct u res in many parts of the District. retail deposits undoubtedly helped to reduce western banks' cost of funds in 1985 . Of course, the decline in the overall level of interest rates also had a significant impact on funding costs. Lending Patterns Western banks' lending patterns diverged sharply during the year. For the most part, small and medium sized banks recorded sizeable year-over-year gains in lending volume, while loans at the District's large banks grew more slowly. Several factors accounted for this divergence. First, the imposition of more stringent bank capital standards by the federal bank regulators tended to constrain growth at the large banks to a much greater extent than at the smaller banks. As a group, the small and medium-sized banks in this District had capital-to-asset ratios well in excess of the new regula tory standards imposed in March. A number of the larger banks, by contrast, had to raise capital and reduce loan growth in order to increase capital-to-asset ra tios sufficiently. Asset Quality For banks in the West, as across the nation , the single greatest problem in 1985 was the continuing deteriora tion in asset quality. Ordinarily, by the end of the third year of an economic recovery, banks can count on a significant improvement in asset quality as the finan cial conditions of their borrowers improve. However, a number of the region's key industries, including agri culture, energy, mining and forest products, experi enced continuing difficulties, leading to a rise in bank ruptcies, loan foreclosures and problem loan workouts in these areas. For the banking industry, the problems associated with the poor financial conditions of these industries were compounded by the decline in many asset prices in 1985. Loans that were made sever al years ago on the assumption that underlying asset prices would continue to rise at a healthy clip became problem credits in 1985 as lowered inflation expecta tions reduced the value of the loan collateral. A second reason for the divergence in loan growth patterns was that the overall slowdown in the economy reduced the demand for business credit. Large banks are affected more by such a slowdown because they extend most of the business loans to the corporate sector. At the same time, large banks also faced stiff ened competition, especially for their largest borrowers, from other sources of business credit such as the com mercial paper market and the bond and equity markets. Small and medium-sized banks, by contrast, did not face such competition because they lend to smaller firms that do not have access to national credit markets. As a result, business loan growth at these banks was moder ately strong, offsetting some of the weakness in this area at the larger banks. The problems that banks experienced with agri cultural loans are a case in point. Many of the farmers who borrowed against inflated land values in the 1970s, a period of rising inflation, could not service their debt when the markets for many agricultural commodities turned soft in the 1980s. Bankruptcies and loan fore closures followed, and even though banks were able to 11 Weak Earnings In 1985, as in the last three years, the aggregate earnings of western banks were hurt by poor earn ings and even losses at some of the largest banks. As in past years, the single most important factor influencing earnings was the deterioration in asset quality and the consequent increase in the provision for loan losses. In the aggregate, expenses for loss provisions increased by a third, reaching nearly $4 billion for the year. Such expenses enabled banks to replenish capital reserves following loan write-offs and to boost reserves in antic ipation of future write-offs against the growing volume of non performing loans. take possession of the collateral, losses still were enor mous because the value of that collateral had fallen in line with the decline in farm prices and profits. As a result of these developments, western banks experienced a substantial increase in so-called "nonper forming" loans in 1985. Recorded loan losses also were up sharply. By loan category (excluding foreign loans), the loss rate was highest for banks' agricultural loans, with business loans a close second. Banks in Idaho and California were plagued by problem agricultural credits, while banks in Oregon faced continued deterio ration in their portfolios of loans to the forest products industry and banks in Alaska encountered difficulties with energy credits. Moreover, large banks experienced higher loss rates than did small banks, largely because of their generally more aggressive business lending activities in previous years. Continuing problems in large banks' international loan portfolios also contrib uted to these banks' relatively poor loss experience in 1985. As a result, a number of banks in this District, including some of the largest, posted very poor results for the year. Western bank earnings also suffered from the rela tively sluggish growth in business loans in 1985. Slower loan growth meant reduced earnings from interest income and loan fees. At the large banks, asset growth and thus income growth were curtailed in part to meet the regulators' new capital adequacy standards. Despite these problems, many banks in the District posted strong earnings gains of 10 to 15 percent for the year. In states with strong economies such as Wash ington and even California, banks fared particularly well. Overall, western banks enjoyed a modest improve ment in net interest margins, or the spread between the return on assets and the cost of funds. The growth in consumer deposits as well as the decline in the level of interest rates since mid-1984 led to a larger decline in banks' interest expense than in the yield on their assets. The fact that fewer western banks reported losses than banks elsewhere in the nation is of some consola tion. Bank failures, the ultimate measure of bank per formance, were up sharply on a nationwide basis, but in the Twelfth District did not increase at all. The problem of deteriorating asset quality was relatively less acute in this District largely because of the greater di versity of this region's economy and the greater asset diver sification of this region's banks. Banks' earnings from fee-based income also improved, as they sought to move toward more explicit pricing of products. Relatively new fee-based products, such as discount brokerage services and credit-related insurance, along with the rising importance offees from mortgage banking activities helped with the earnings picture. More explicit pricing of checking account and other deposit services, as well as the growing popularity of commercial loan fees also added to bank revenues. LOAN LOSS ElC!'Er-lSE.S PoND RESERVES AS A PEi<CENTA,G£ QF RS SETS On balance, western banks made the most of a diffi cult year. While earnings were anemic compared to what one would expect for the third year of an economic recovery, most banks in the District dealt remarkably well with the industry-wide problem of deteriorating asset quality. Moreover, large loan write-offs taken during the year, as well as growth in equity capital and reserves now place the industry in a stronger position to deal with problems in the coming year. With improve ments anticipated in some of the region's weaker sectors such as forest products and agriculture, the western banking industry should see some relief from the prob lems encountered in 1985 . '"'i"'YJEL.FTH. ~'5TR \cr .90 75 .60 .lf 5 .30 .1 5 .00 12 1111111111111111111111:::: .::::::::::.:::::::::uu •111111111111 JlIIIIIIII1 111111 111111111111 111111 111 111111111111 11111111111 111111111111111 11111 111111 r 11 1111111 11111111111111 111111111111111111111111111 II 11111111 1111111 If1111111 1111111111 If III 11 1111 11111 111111 1111111111111111111 11111111111111111111111111 11111111111111111111111 11111111111111 1111111 11111111111111111111 111 111 111 111 111 11 11 1111 IIIJllIIIIIIII 11 111111111111111111 III II1111III! 11111 11 1111111 111 1111 111 111 II Management Committee J ohn J. Balles, Presid en t a nd Ch ief Exec u ti ve Officer (sea ted) (Sta nding, fro m left to right) Richard T. Gr iffith, First Vice President a nd Ch ief Operating Officer Th omas C. Warren , Executi ve Vice Presid ent Mich ael J . Murray, Senior Vice Presiden t 13 I surEIVISIGN, IEC:ILATION AND CIEDIT Although the general condition of Twelfth District banking organizations improved slightly in 1985, per sistent weakness in certain sectors of the region's econ omy resulted in a deterioration in asset quality in many areas. Particularly troublesome was the increase in the level of problem real estate, agricultural and energy loans. Some of the larger institutions also were con fronted with difficulties arising from their interna tional loan portfolios. As a result, some western banks posted very poor earnings, or even losses for the year. mated management system for supervision and regula tion which was completed during 1985. Throughout 1985, the Bank continued to work closely with other federal and state regulatory agencies in coordinating examination and supervisory efforts. In August and September, the longstanding cooperative relationships with the state banking authorities in the nine western states were made even stronger as a result of meetings between Reserve Bank officials and each state's banking supervisor. The purpose of these suc cessful meetings was to explore and establish new ways in which the Reserve Bank and each state could coordi nate their efforts to enable each agency to meet its responsibilities more efficiently. Deteriorating conditions at a relative handful of these institutions required special supervisory atten tion and the establishment of formal corrective-action programs. As of year-end, supervisory actions were in place or in process at 39 state member banks and bank holding companies. This represents an increase over 1984 in the number of such actions, largely as a result of the problem of deteriorating asset quality. At the same time, however, notable progress was made toward resolving serious problems at a number of institutions for which corrective-action programs had been estab lished in previous years. Regulatory Activities Twelfth District banking organizations took a cau tious approach to expansion in 1985. Bank holding company applications filed during the year clearly reflected this. Overall, bank holding company applica tions ran slightly below the previous year's level and formations, which primarily are changes in organiza tional form, constituted a larger share ofthe total. Even nonbank applications, which focused on small acquisi tions and/or service-related activities, did not represent a major diversion of resources into nonbanking activity. Change in Bank Control Act applications exhibited the strongest growth, but these tended to reflect changes in ownership rather than expansion. Finally, the number of state member banks increased, but at a slower pace than in 1984. In contrast to the increased number of supervisory actions in 1985, the number of bank failures in the District did not rise. During the year, federal and state authorities closed 10 District banks with combined assets of $400 million, compared to 12 banks with combined assets of $600 million in the previous year. This development compares with a 50 percent increase in the number of bank failures nationwide from 1984 to 1985. Because of the diversity of the economy as well as the multi-branch structure of the banking industry in this District, this region's banks tended to have better diversified portfolios than did their counterparts in other regions, enabling banks in the Twelfth District to cope better with loan losses in specific areas. Lower court decisions halted the processing of applications to form "nonbank" banks. These institu tions are not technically banks under the Bank Holding Company Act because they do not offer both demand deposits and commercial loans. For bank holding com panies, nonbank banks appeared to offer a means of circumventing laws limiting interstate expansion. In January 1986, a Supreme Court decision that centered on the definition of "bank" may have opened the way, in the absence of Congressional action, for a resumption of nonbank bank expansion. Supervisory Developments The most important supervisory development during the year was the decision in October by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System to adopt new policies designed to strengthen the Federal Reserve's supervision of state member banks and bank holding companies. The San Francisco Reserve Bank imme diately began intensive efforts to implement these pol icies by early 1986. The new policies generally increase the frequency and scope of examinations and strengthen the communication of examination findings to each institution's board of directors. Because these initiatives will require a significant increase in exam iner resources, the Bank undertook an ambitious recruiting and training program in the fourth quarter. The establishment of procedures needed to implement the new policies will be facilitated by the new auto In a 1985 decision, the Supreme Court confirmed the constitutionality ofregional interstate compacts which permit interstate expansion on a regional basis. This decision opened an alternative avenue for interstate expansion. As of year-end, five states in the District (Oregon, Utah, Idaho, Nevada and Washington) had passed laws permitting acquisitions by out-of-state bank holding companies located in other specified west ern states. Alaska and Arizona had also passed inter state banking laws, but without any such regional restrictions, and interstate banking legislation was 14 , Discount Window Borrowings from the discount window were moderate throughout the year. The Bank extended loans to 149 depository institutions in 1985 . Among the borrowers were a small number of institutions having severe financial problems. These were accommodated under the "other extended credit program." Moreover, the Credit Unit implemented a special seasonal credit pro gram aimed at dealing with the farm credit problems of agricultural banks. Also during the year, the Credit Unit strengthened its relationships with other bank and thrift regulators to provide a procedural foundation that can effectively respond in the event liquidity needs arise in the future. Total collateral pledged by institu tions in the District at the end of 1985 amounted to $26 .3 billion, up from $25.4 billion in 1984 . pending in California. During the year, the first applications were processed to permit regional inters tate acquisitions of banks in Oregon, Utah and Nevada. International economic conditions in 1985 restrained overseas expansion by District banks. Applications for new offshore activities by domestic banking institu tions fell by a third and typically involved only minor changes to existing activities. Only two new export trading companies were approved during the year, and other bank holding companies which had previously received approval for these companies either did not open them or cut back such operations. (Congress authorized export trading companies in 1982 to encour age U.S . exports, but to date, the results have been disappointing because of the high value of the dollar.) The number of District Edge Act corporations fell from 51 to 47 and the total number offoreign banks' branches and agencies was almost unchanged. Summary of Operations Volume (t housa nds) 1982 1983 1984 1985 Custody Services Cash Services Currency paid into circulation Coin paid into circulation 1,767,236 4,779,409 2,188,831 5,302,832 2,438,168 4,773,898 995 339,820 182 313,761 1,235 285,420 116 333,512 1,549 279,342 138 310,450 2,019 292,786 108 272 ,231 1,210,143 2,619,403 101,310 23,952 1,226,778 3,367,031 96,136 24,707 1,337,350 509,560 95 ,548 35 ,580 1,478,448 577 ,883 93,451 28 ,800 5,882 76,944 6,674 91,838 7,757 111,408 8,521 129,930 1,281 105 Securities Services Savings Bonds original issues Savings Bonds redemptions proce ssed * Other Treasury original issues Food coupons processed 1,925,085 5,078,150 1,234 108 2,348 136 1,818 149 Payments Mechanism Services Check Processing Services Commercial checks processed Fine sort bundles processed'? Government checks processed Return items processed Electronic Funds Transfer Services Wire transfers processed Automated clearinghouse transactions processed Discounts and Advances Total discounts and advances* Number of financial institutions accommodated* "Number (not in thousands) -Reported in packages beginning in 1984 . 15 Board 01tnrecrcrs ORGANIZATION CHART February 4,1986 Jo hn J. Balles President RObert T. Parry Presiden1 and and Ch1 Execuuve O'tcer el Ch ief Execv tive Officer (Aelired February 4. 19B6 1 (February 4, 1986) Eco nom ic Researc h and Pub lic Information Law and Secretary's Off ice John L Scadding Senior Vice Presidenl and Direclor of Research Jane W. Langhorne -- t c ce E. Reilly Seno r Vice President and General Counsel J Ombudsman Jo hn H. Be ete Robe rt O. Mulfo rd Depu ly Vice President and Assoc . Director of Research John P. Judd Vice Presroent Domestic Macroeconomic Stuotes GeneralCounsel INiliiam L. Cooper Assoc iate General Counsel Adrian W. Throop Research Officer Douglas A. Shaw Hang-Sheng Cheng Vice Prestoent International Studies Vacant Vice Presicem Public In'ormation Assoc iate General Counsel Elizabe th R. Prettyman vene B. Johnston Ass i. vee Presidenl Vice PIe sice nt and Secretary 01the Board and Legi slative Analyst RIchard T Gnftith Fust Vice President and Chiel OperatingOfficer 'rnomas C. Warren ExeclJ1ive Vice President lip Corporate Planning Stati stic al and Data Serv ices Adelle A. Foley VICe Presidenl Corporate PI3M lng Sara K. Garrison Senior Vice President Stattstica t and Data se rvices Com puter Services Finan ce and Product I 'w'Viniam VQn Senior Vioe Presidenl Computef Services Catl E Powell Judy A. Johnstone Vice Presidenl AW hcalions Systems Gail A. Taylor Assi. Vice Presroent Monelary Aggregates and Reserves Seni()l'Vice President Finance and Product Managem Joseph B. Fuchs Joan L. MoQhada m Sandra E. Berggren Margaret A. Linderman Asst. Vice President Ass!. VIC President Systems Officer e Systems Officer Applicalions Systems ApplicatIOnS Systems JoM G!eason Vrce President Product Management Laurence wasnnen Vice President Systems and Communications Buftinglon Clay Miller Vioe President Product Management Patrick Tong President co mputer Operations Eliol E. Gluli Asst. Vice Presidenl International and DomestiC Financial Repons Sharon L. Reisdorf Asst. Vice Presiden t Accounting Automatio n vee Rot Ass Pn> Thomas R Thaanum Asst. Vice President FinanC Accounling ial .• Gregory 6 . V'lilliams Asst. VICePresc ent Financial Planning aec Control ~ " San Francis co Branch Seatt le Branch Sa lt Lak e City Branch Port land Branc h David J. Christerson VICe President In Charge Gerald R Kelly Senior Vice Prescera In Charge E. Ronald Uggen Vice President in Charge AngelOS. Carel< a Senior Vice President in Charge Douglas O. Knudsen Kenneth L. Peterson Asst. Vice President Custody Services Gerald A. Oalling Asst. Vtre President Analysis and Conlral Ass!. Vice Pr9$rdent Paymenl Services Joseph J . Grimshaw ASS VICE! President l. s ece-ees Services Gayle P. Ansell Asst. VICe Presroent AnalYSISand Connor Kerry Webb Ass !. VIce Presloera CUSlody Controt H. William Pennll\gton John H. Wong Cash Services Officer Edward A. Bonneur Asst. Vice President Payments Services Robert A. RichardS Asst. Vice President Payments Services Dean C. Gonnerman Ass !. VIC President e Payments Services \Niltiam C. Ferensen Ass!. Vice President Financial Services Andrea P. Wolcott Ass!. Vice President FinanciaJServices Susan L. Robertson Asst. VfCePresrcem Financial Services Asst Vice President Peter W. Homes Financial Services Officer 16 M. T'imOlhy Can Adminislrative services Assi. veePresident CUS IOOy Conlro! --1----- AUditing Robert I. Gatchell General Auditor Peter K. C. Hsieh Audit Officer Gul Gidwani Assistant General Auditor '''y Bruce H. Thompson Assistant General Auditor .m veOttice r Charles O. Bowden Audit Officer Gary G. HOOlh Audit Officer ,1 986) t ( Supervision, Regulation and Credit Eugene A. Thomas Senior Vice President Supervision. Regulation and Credit Wayne L Rickards Asst. Vice President Bank and Consumer Regulations W. Gordon Smith Vice President Credit and Consumer Affairs Merle E Borchert Vice President Thomas P McGrath Asst. Vice President Bank Examinauons Donald R. Lieb Asst. Vice President Oetrtct Creon Robert C. Johnson Sail Lake City Harry W. Green Vice President SHC and International Regulation W. SIan-Seegmiller Examining Officer Robert A. Johnston Director Examining Officer Kenneth R. Binning Applications Officer Applications and Analysis Rodney E. Reid Director BHC and International Supervision Philip M. Ryan Examining Officer Richard S. Campos Examining Officer Thomas J. Backer Examining Otncer 3rifhth 'resident !!i ngQfl:c er --lip and Product Management ill H. Peter Franzel Senior Vice President Distnct Operations Personnel and Administrative Services District Operations President Product Management - Michael J. Murray Senior Vice President Personnel and Aornlrustranve Services Patricia K. Lang Vice President Corporate Personnel lage menl :lay Miller snt iaqernent Robert S O'Donoghue Asst. Vice President Product Management John F. Hoover Vice President District Financial Services eisdor1 re siden t Automat o n C. Kenneth Arnold Asst. Vice President DataSecunty wunarn K. Ginter Vice President Building and Property Management Oren L. Christensen Vice President New Building Programs Thaanu m resident :counting Sallie H. Weissinger Asst. Vice President Employment, Employee Relations and Training George P. Galloway Vice President Dtstrict Secunty '" mt James J. Tenge Asst. Vice President Administrative Services Sylvia A. Cunningham Procurement Services Officer Williams 'resident anning and Control i 11 land Branch Los Angeles Branch )S.Careila Robert M . McGill Senior Vice President in Charge . VicePre sident Irge c thy Carr acePre soent isnatoeServces lam Pe nn.nqron 'tee Preside m tyeoot ro: Hector M. Martin Vice President Operations Ross G. Ashman Asst. Vice President PaymentsServices Richard L. Rasmussen Vice President Administration Theodore A. Schroeder Asst. Vice President Securities Services Brent M. Duxbury Asst. Vice President Administrative Services Charles L. Huffstetler Asst. Vice President Cash Services Marl Ellen Martin Asst. Vice President Financial Services :;. Gonnerm an rce P re sdent nts Servces l. Robertso n acePr s oent e :lal Services 17 David L. Nieto Personnel Ottcer Dawn B. Allen Personnel Officer Terry S. Scbwaxoot Exarnlrnnq Officer IAUK ADMINISTItA1'ION During 1985, senior management sought to enhance the Bank's ability to respond to current needs and to anticipate new trends and challenges arising from a changing regulatory, technical, financial and competi tive environment. To that end, the Bank's management team established a new corporate planning function to coordinate and integrate the key bankwide planning processes. This integrated approach was evident in the many planning and development initiatives under taken in 1985. Development and implementation of a number of automated systems for the Bank's account ing, banking statistics and operations functions received particular emphasis. At the same time, con struction of the new Los Angeles Branch building moved forward, and preliminary planning for a sched uled occupancy date beginning in mid-1986 was com pleted. Progress in disaster contingency planning included a successful test at the Federal Reserve Sys tem's back-up data center in Culpeper, Virginia, and development of a comprehensive master plan for staff safety and recovery of operations in the event of a major earthquake, fire or other catastrophe. Finally, in the payments area, the Bank moved to improve security and reduce risk associated with funds transfer net works. the number of manual entries and thus the chance for error. Additional modules will expand the system to include other accounting functions and provide enhanced services over the next few years. Preparations for lAS during 1985 included staff training and the development of software to link lAS with the Bank's other automated systems. Because an accounting sys tem must work in concert with many other functions, this accomplishment involved creating automated links to approximately 30 other systems, defining more than 15,000 accounting transactions and training the staffin each of the affected areas. In 1985 , the Bank also played a key role in the Federal Reserve System Automation Program as a development site for two of the program 's eight resource-shared applications. This program standard izes the software for systems meeting common needs of the twelve Reserve Banks, which share the costs of development and maintenance. One such application is the Banking Statistics System which was developed by this Bank and is now being installed in all other Reserve Banks and the Board of Governors. This system provides the basis for automated processing of the wide range of data that are collected from depository institu tions and used in the computation of the various money supply measures. The system will result in significant cost savings and increased flexibility in responding to changing data collection needs. Corporate Planning As the economic and technological environment becomes more complex, a systematic and integrated approach to strategic planning is increasingly impor tant. In response to these requirements, the Bank's Management Committee established a formal corpo rate planning department during the first quarter of 1985 . This new unit provides coordination and integra tion of District planning processes, offers consulting services to Bank functions regarding the planning pro cess and supports Federal Reserve System planning initiatives. The Bank also serves as development site for the Automated Securities Handling System. In this capac ity, the Bank modified existing software to support the Treasury's ability to offer a broader range of securities. Finally, the Bank implemented additional resource shared applications during 1985 which were developed at other Reserve Banks. These include the new Transfer of Funds System, Automated Clearing House System, and Customer Information System. The successful com pletion of these programs will enable the Twelfth Dis trict to realize the long term automation program bene fits of improved operating controls, cost effectiveness and ability to accommodate change. Automation Efforts Automation efforts encompassed a wide range of in i tiatives and programs in 1985 in support of the Federal Reserve System's multiple roles in monetary policy, regulation and supervision, and the nation's payments system. A number of these initiatives involved the development or implementation of standard applica tions suitable for use throughout the entire Federal Reserve System. For example, the Bank took steps in 1985 to prepare for the March 1986 implementation of the standard Integrated Accounting System (lAS ). Ini tially , three modules will be implemented - Data Entry, General Ledger and Deposit Accounting. The new system will replace processing at the Bank's five offices with a centralized, uniform system which is easier and less costly to change. lAS also will improve control of the Bank's financial data by reducing sharply Another important focus of the Bank's automation program was in the electronic payments area. Along with enhancements in the Bank's intradistrict com munications network, management improved the security procedures involving the electronic transfer of money. As a result, the majority of electronic connec tions with depository institutions are now encrypted, with full encryption targeted for 1986. The Bank's growing use of computer resources resulted in the need for a computer upgrade in the San Francisco Data Center. The complex acquisition process 18 for this computer was completed and the new central processor will be operational early in 1986 . The new computer, which represents the state of current technol ogy, should serve the Twelfth District's needs for the next several years. As an extension of its large cen tralized computer complex, the Bank also seeks both to exploit emerging microprocessor technology and to use smaller computers capable of serving the needs of indi vidual departments. In addition, the Bank published its "Disaster Con tingency Plans for Staff Safety and Recovery of Critical Operations ." Its publication marks a significantly increased level of emergency preparedness and aware ness, providing for recovery of critical business func tions from short term service disruptions. The docu ment also describes the Bank's newly established emergency management organization and details bankwide responsibilities and procedures for response to an emergency. It includes provisions for executive communications, backup power to critical building work areas, medical care, and systematic search and rescue after a major disaster. New Building Program During 1985, construction of the new building for the Los Angeles Branch moved forward on schedule, with completion expected before the end of 1986. In addition to construction progress, the Bank initiated a program for purchasing furniture and equipment to make the building ready for the planned sequential move-in pro cess starting in mid-1986. Final designs were completed and fabrication began on the World of Economics Exhibition which will be featured in the main banking lobby . This exhibition is a close replica of the exhibition that has proven to be a highly popular and effective tool for economic education in the head office building in San Francisco . When completed , the new building will provide the Los Angeles Branch with more space, vaults and equipment critically needed to accommodate the increasing demands for Reserve Bank services in south ern California, Arizona and sout hern Nevada . Looking even farther ahead, the Bank made plans to hire a developer to renovate the existing branch building and lease it through an outside agent in order to retain the space for expansion of the branch's operations, if needed in the distant future. Payments System Risk Reduction In light of the substantial risk even a single institu tion's failure now poses for the payments system, which moves trillions of dollars through national and interna tional electronic networks, the Federal Reserve Board adopted a policy to reduce payments system risk. The new policy, which will take effect March 27, 1986, calls for the electronic transfer networks and individual institutions to limit the amount of credit risk they pose for the payments system. To remain eligible for Fed net settlement services, private funds transfer networks must control the level of risk incurred by participating institutions. At the same time, each institution that participates in a large-dollar funds transfer network, including Fedwire, is encouraged to adopt a cross-sys tem net debit cap. The cap, which establishes the max imum net amount an institution can owe all other institutions across all large-dollar payments systems at anyone time, is based on each institution's evaluation of its own creditworthiness, operational controls and credit policies and procedures. The Federal Reserve will review each institution's policy during regular financial examinations. Disaster Contingency Planning In 1985, the Bank participated in the Systemwide planning effort to develop the Contingency Processing Center in Culpeper, Virginia, as a backup data center for all twelve Reserve Banks. The site would be used in the event of a long-term service disruption that might occur after a major computer room fire or natural disas ter, such as an earthquake. A major accomplishment was the successful testing of the Bank's ability to relo cate the operations of the San Francisco Data Center to this site. This backup will enable the Bank to operate critical functions at near normal service levels. This Bank took several steps in 1985 to prepare for the implementation of this new policy. In addition to the necessary staff training in the operations, accounting and examination functions, the Bank hosted a series of educational seminars throughout the District to acquaint depository institutions with this new policy and the steps needed for implementation. The Bank also installed the software necessary to monitor institutions' net debit positions on an after-the-fact basis. 19 PllCEt PAYMEIITS SEIYICES The Bank strives to promote the efficiency of the payments system by exploring advances in automation and by continually improving the quality of its services in response to the needs of the financial community. To understand the needs of thi s diverse marketplace, the Bank conducts market research to assess customer needs and to provide information to all institutions concerning direct access to Federal Reserve Payments Services. Of the approximately 3,600 depository institu tions in this District, over 1,700 now use one or more of the Bank's services. Electronic access to these services has proven particularly popular, with over 1,200 termi nals now in use at depository institutions. With the growth in electronic access, the Bank has taken steps to ensure that such access remains error-free and reliable through encryption of all data electronically communi cated between this Bank and its customers. The Twelfth District also is a principal participant in a Systemwide effort to explore new procedures and technologies related to check safekeeping and image processing. Safekeeping of checks could result in sub stantial cost-savings over the current system in which all checks are returned to their makers. The Bank is currently working with other Federal Reserve System representatives to manage the development of a demon stration safekeeping system that would enable the U.S. Treasury to retrieve check images using digital image technology rather than microfilm. Management is par ticularly interested in exploring digital image process ing as a cost-effective and reliable means of storing and retrieving check-initiated payment instructions. Funds Transfer Use of the Bank's Funds Transfer service (Fedwire) continued to grow at a healthy rate in 1985 . A major step was taken during the year to improve this service by installing a new processing system that eventually will be used by all Reserve Banks across the country. This new automated system provides customers with improved security. Its flexibility will enable all Reserve Banks to add enhancements to this service. Check Services The San Francisco Reserve Bank handles the largest volume of checks of any Reserve Bank in the Federal Reserve System. Moreover, the large geographic size of this District and time differences from eastern financial centers, require a highly sophisticated check transpor tation system. Given the substantial volume and com plexity of its check transportation system, the Bank continuously seeks opportunities to improve service levels and quality. In 1985, the Bank implemented mid year price reductions, as well as some later check deposit deadlines to improve the availability offunds to its customers. Similarly, the reliability of interdistrict check transportation was greatly improved through expanded use of direct commercial shipments and char ter air service. This resulted in improved credit avail ability and substantially reduced float to depositors. Another enhancement to the Bank's funds transfer service is the extension of Fedwire operating hours, effective January 1, 1986. An earlier opening hour and a later interdistrict third party closing hour will provide addi tiona I processing time for West Coast financial institutions and allow them to manage their intra-day funds positions better. FedLine Service FedLine is a family of products that provides elec tronic access to Bank services via a microcomputer electronically linked to this Bank's computer. FedLine was introduced in 1982 to allow a wider range of deposi tory institutions direct access to the Bank's funds trans fer service. The FedLine funds transfer service con tinues to be highly attractive, with the number of customers growing from 800 to nearly 950 in 1985 . In 1983, a second service was introduced, called FedLine Cash, which allows customers to place orders for cur rency and coin. It also has proven successful with approximately 400 customers now using this product. As part of a Systemwide program, the Bank imple mented the Large-Dollar Return Item Notification Ser vice associated with an amendment to Regulation J , which established new notification requirements for the return of dishonored checks of $2,500 or more . This enhancement provides the payor institution with the opportunity to notify (through the Fedwire network) the institution where the check was first deposited that a large dollar item is being returned. Moreover, in an effort to improve service quality and to increase opera tional efficiency, the Bank is developing automated systems to replace obsolete equipment used to process return-items and checks rejected by high-speed sorters. Based on the success of a 1985 pilot project which automated the low speed check processing operation, the Bank will expand this automation program to check processing service centers throughout the Twelfth Dis trict in 1986. In 1985 , two new services were added to the FedLine family . FedLine Update Checks provides customers with detailed accounting information on the current day's check processing activity. Five hundred customers already are using this new service. The FedLine Update Statements service followed , providing electronic access to the previous day's Statement of Account early in the following morning. Over 300 customers now are using this service as well. 20 I@G G G~ [8 13 B B I~ A1 PROCESSOR '!l ll S 8 B O D Eli GROWTH Of' PAYJV1E:.NTS SER VICES CLEARIN(,HooSE 30 20 10 o -10 - 20 1981 Automated C le a r in g House The Bank's Automated Clearing House (ACH) ser vice, which provides for the exchange and delivery of electronic payments, is undergoing tremendous growth and change in respon se to market needs. The number of transactions processed in the Twelfth District in 1985 grew more than 16 percent over 1984. At the same time, the Bank worked closely with representatives of Cal western ACH as it prepared to begin operation as a private sector processor late in the year. 1982 /983 /98'+ 19B5 Cash Transportation and Securities Services In 1985, the Bank's objectives for cash transportation services focused on improved service levels and cost effecti veness, with particular attention paid to institu tions at remote distances from a Reserve Bank office. Toward this end, plans were completed late in the year to establis h a cash terminal in Phoenix which will improve access and service levels to those customers and contain the ri se in cash transportation costs. In 1985 , this Bank prov ided , on a priced basis, a variety of securities ser vices to finan cial institutions in the Twelfth District, including safeke eping and tran s ferring of book-entry securit ies and collection of non cash items. In October , however, the U.S. Tr easu ry determined that the Reserve Banks should pr ovide U.S. Treasury securities se r vices as fiscal agents of th e United States, rather than offering them as priced services. Moreov er, in an effor t to improve the efficiency of the noncash collection service, which involves the collection of maturing municipal notes and bonds and interest coupons, the Securities Services staffs of this Bank and the Federal Reserve Ba nk of Minneapolis participated in a year-l ong pilo t program aimed at consolida ti ng this ser vice in Min nea polis. Installation of new st a n da r dized ACH soft wa r e throughout the Federal Reserve System improved pro cessing efficiency and provided the foundation for enha ncements to the ACH service planned for 1986 . With in the Twelfth District, much of 1985 was spent developing and testing new products to be introduced in early 1986 which will enable customers to originate and receive ACH transactions, or send ACH returns, elec tronically . Through these new products, customers of all siz es can have a direct electronic ACH connection with th e Federal Reserve . 21 COVEIIMENTAL SEIYICES The Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco is an important provider of fiscal and financial services to the United States Government and to the public on behalfof the U.S. Government. The primary fiscal services provided to the United States Treasury include the issuing , servicing and redemption of government securities and savings bonds, and the distribution of cash and coin to depository institutions. Additional financial services provided to government agencies include check collection and funds transfers, and the processing of electronic payments and food coupons. Major activities in 1985 supported the System's efforts to provide more efficient, better quality and increasingly automated payment services to the U.S . Treasury, which is the single largest user of Federal Reserve payments services. GROWTH OF CASH AND SECURITIE SE.RVI CES S Cha" ge. ( %) 30 25 20 15 10 Securities Services During 1985, the Securities Services staff throughout the Twelfth District prepared for the mid-1986 installa tion of the new TREASURY DIRECT Account Book Entry System. Developed by the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia, this U.S. Treasury project will offer domestic issues of marketable notes a n d bonds exclusively in book-entry form and will complete the Treasury's transition to full book-entry of all issues. TREASURY DIRECT will also provide a new auto mated system for establishing, maintaining, and servic ing accounts for over two million individual investors in marketable government securities throughout the country. The new system includes a direct deposit fea ture through which interest and redemption payments are transferred electronically and credited to investors' accounts on the day the payment is due. 5 o ~ SAVINGS BONDS 155UE.D 5 10 1983 19BLf 1985 Bureau of the Public Debt to reduce the cost of govern ment financing. Federal Reserve Banks are the chief agents for relay ing Government transfer payments, such as Social Security payments, to individuals. These payments are made primarily through electronic transfers or Treas ury checks. Electronic payments through the Auto mated Clear ing House (ACH) and Fedwire continued an upward trend, with Government payments con stituting 68 percent of the Twelfth District's ACH vol ume. Reserve Banks also collect, sort, cancel, and store Treasury checks for safekeeping after circulation. Within the System, the San Francisco Bank is the largest processor of Government checks in the United States, handling over 90 million such checks in 1985. In line with the move to book-entry securities, the Bank took several steps to improve the efficiency of handling remaining Treasury obligations available in bearer form . In 1985 , the Twelfth District consolidated the inventory of un issued Treasury securities stock in San Francisco. This centralization of the remaining issues of Treasury obligations still available in bearer form has reduced costs without diminishing services to the financial community and the public. A similar effort to improve the attractiveness and service of the Bank's savings bond programs fostered a 30 percent increase in the number of bonds issued. Cash Another major government service provided by Reserve Banks is the distribution and recirculation of currency to depository institutions. Cash requirements throughout the Twelfth District were substantial in 1985 , despite the growth of alternative payment ser vices. This District, with the second highest cash pro cessing volume in the System, uses high-speed process ing machines to count, sort a n d verify currency This Reserve Bank also has supported implementa tion of the Treasury's new program to facilitate the Separate Trading of Registered Interest and Principal of Securities (STRIPS). This marks the first time that the market was given the opportunity to trade separate principal and interest coupons, or "zero-coupon" instru ments in book-entry form as direct obligations of the United States. The success of this effort has assisted the 22 deposits. High speed currency machines have dramat ically increased the efficiency of processing large vol umes of cash and have contributed to higher quality of currency in circulation. An additional unit was installed in the San Francisco Branch during 1985. Looking ahead, the Bank is currently working with other Reserve Banks to develop more efficient and effec tive "second generation" currency processing equip ment. A new Cash Automation System was designed and developed in 1985. By automating the record-keeping requirements of Cash Services at each branch, this new system will improve operational efficiency and ensure the integrity and auditing needs of cash operations. Following a pilot and test phase of the San Francisco working model, the Cash Automation System will be installed in all branches during 1986. Senior Management Staff Functions (From left to right) Robert I. Gatchell, General Auditor William V. Ott, Senior Vice President, Computer Services Louis E. Reilly, Senior Vice President and General Counsel John L. Scadding, Senior Vice President and Director of Research Eugene A. Thomas, Senior Vice President, Supervision, Regulation and Credit Sara K. Garrison, Senior Vice President, Statistical and Data Services Carl E. Powell, Senior Vice President, Finance and Product Management 23 Branch Operations (Fr om left to r ight) Ange lo S. Carella, Senior Vice President in Charge, Portla nd Bran ch Gera ld R. Kell y, Senior Vice P residen t in Cha rge, Seattle Br a nch E. Ron ald Liggett , Vice P resident in Cha rge, Sa lt Lake City Br an ch Rober t M. McGill , Se nior Vice P r esiden t in Cha rge , Los An geles Br anch H. P eter Franzel, Senior Vice President , Distri ct Operations Da vid J. Ch riste rso n, Vice P r esid en t in Cha rge, Sa n Fran cisco Br an ch 24 DIRECT'IS Head Office Chairman of the Board and Federal Reserve Agent Alan C. Furth Vice Chairman Santa Fe Southern Pacific Corporation and President, Southern Pacific Company San Francisco, California Directors of the Federal Reserve bring management expertise to the task of overseeing Reserve Bank opera tions . They provide information on key economic developments in various areas of the District, comple menting the Bank's internal research . In addition, Board members give advice on the general direction of monetary policy , especially with regard to the Bank's discount rate. Deputy Chairman Fred W. Andrew President Apex Orchards, Inc. Bakersfield, California Carolyn S. Chambers President and Chief Executive Officer Chambers Cable Com ., Inc . Eugene, Oregon Rayburn S. Dezember Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer Central Pacific Corporation and Chairman, American National Bank Bakersfield, California Spencer F . Eccl es Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer First Security Corporation Salt Lake City, Utah Furth Andrew Chamber s Dezember Eccles Gehb Hampton Tanaka Weyerhaeus er Donald J . Gehb President and Chief Executive Officer Alameda Bancorporation and Alameda First National Bank Alameda, California John C. Hampton President Willamina Lumber Company Portland, Oregon Togo W. Tanaka Chairman Gramercy Enterprises, Inc. Los Angeles, California George H . Weyerhaeuser President and Chief Executive Officer Weyerhaeuser Company Tacoma , Washington Federal Advisory Council Member G. Robert Truex, Jr. Chairman Rainier Bancorporation and Rainier National Bank Seattle, Washington 25 Los Angeles Chairman of the Board Richard C. Seaver President Hydril Company Los Angeles, California Thomas R. Brown, Jr. Chairman of the Board Burr-Brown Corporation Tuc son , Arizona Robert R. Dockson Chairman of the Board CalFed, Inc . Los Angeles, California Lola McAlpin-Grant Attorney Inglewood, California Howard C. McCrady Chairman of the Board Valley National Bank of Arizona Phoenix, Arizona Harvey J . Mitchell President and Chief Executive Officer Escondido National Bank Escondido, California William L. Tooley Chairman Tooley & Company, Investment Builders Los Angeles, California 26 Portland Chairman of the Board Paul E. Bragdon President Reed College Portland, Oregon Herman C. Bradley, Jr. President and Chief Executi ve Officer Tri-County Banking Company Junction City, Oregon John A. Elorriaga Chairman and Chief Executive Officer United States National Bank of Oregon Portland, Oregon William S. Naito Vice President Norcrest China Company Portland, Oregon G. Johnny Parks Former Northwest Regional Director International Longshoremen's & Warehousemen's Union Portland, Oregon Sandra A. Suran Partner in Charge Peat, Marwick, Mitchell & Co. Beaverton, Oregon G. Dale Weight Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Benjamin Franklin Savings and Loan Association Portland, Oregon 27 Salt Lake City Chairman of the Board Don M. Wheeler President Wheeler Machinery Company Salt Lake City, Utah Gerald R. Christensen President First Federal Savings & Loan Association Salt Lake City, Utah Lela M. Ence Executive Director University of Utah Alumni Association Salt Lake City, Utah Albert C. Gianoli President and Chairman of the Board The First National Bank of Ely Ely, Nevada Fred C. Humphreys Chairman, and Chief Executive Officer The Idaho First National Bank and Moore Financial Group Boise, Idaho Robert N. Pratt President Moriah Enterprises, Inc. Bountiful, Utah D. N . "Nick" Rose President and Chief Executive Officer Mountain Fuel Supply Company Salt Lake City, Utah 28 Seattle J Chairman of the Board John W. Ellis President and Chief Executive Officer Puget Sound Power & Light Company Bellevue, Washington Carol Birkholz Managing Partner Laventhol & Horwath Seattle, Washington H. H . Larison President and Chief Executive Officer Columbia Paint Co. Spokane, Washington Byron 1. Mallott Chief Exec ut ive Officer Sealaska Corporation Juneau, Alaska John N. Nordstrom Co-Chairman of the Board Nordstrom, Inc. Seattle, Washington W. W. Philip Chairman of the Board and President Puget Sound National Bank Tacoma, Washington William S. Randall Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer First Interstate Bank of Washington, N .A. Seattle, Washington 29 Comparative Statement of Account (Thousands of Dollars) December 31 , 1985 1984 Assets Gold certificate account Special Drawing Rights certificate account Other cash . . . $ 1,361,000 590,000 83,682 $ 1,318,000 518,000 94,148 Loans to depository institutions . 41,840 23,700 Federal Agency obligations . 1,103,353 1,075 ,682 United States Government securities: Bills Notes Bonds . . . 11,456,076 9,071,851 3,3 15,969 9,108,176 8,364,689 2,942, 780 Total United States Government Securities Total loans and securities . . 23,843,896 24,989,089 20,415 ,645 21 ,515,027 Items in process of collection Bank premises Operating equipment . . . 1,607,278 128,015 27,785 692,624 110,613 31,319 Other as sets: Denominated in foreign currencies All other . . 1,101 ,355 443,219 589 ,744 690,995 Interdistrict Settlement Account . 1,333,364 1,368,923 Total assets . 31,664,787 26 ,929,393 24,210 ,803 21 ,048 ,999 Liabilities Federal Re serve Notes Deposits: Total depository institutions-reserve accounts Foreign Other deposits . . . 4,979,368 23,550 106,447 4,412,694 24,600 57,996 Total deposits . 5,109,365 4,495 ,290 Deferred credit items Other liabilities . . 1,479,492 304 ,181 517,175 356,949 Total liabilities . 31,103,841 26,418,413 Capital paid in Surplus . . 280 ,473 280,473 255,490 255.490 Total liabilities and capital accounts . 31 ,664 ,787 26,929 ,393 Capital Accounts 30 Earnings and Expenses (Thousands of Doll ars) Decem ber 31, 1984 1985 Current Earnings Discounts a nd advances United State s Governmen t sec ur it ies Foreign currenc ies Income from ser vices All other . $ 4,106 . 2,219,340 . 35 ,859 . 69 ,524 . 1,740 $ 6,44 6 2,122,735 35,618 63,526 1,865 2,330 ,569 To ta l current ea rnings 2,230,190 Curren t Expenses Tot al current expen ses Less: re im bu rsemen t for certain fiscal agency a nd other expenses . . 128,391 10,589 120,473 8,979 Net expens es Cost of earnin gs credit . . 117,802 7,711 111,494 8,799 2,205 ,056 2,109,897 Curre nt net earnings Profit an d Lo ss Additions t o curren t net earnings Pr ofit on sales of U nited St at es Govern ment secu rities (net ) Profit on foreign exchange transactions (net ) . . 12,967 189,977 6,207 Total additi on s . 202 ,944 6,207 Ded uct ions fro m current net ea r ni ngs Loss on fore ign exchange transa cti ons (net ) All ot her . . 1,268 74,590 447 Tota l deducti ons . 1,268 75,037 + 20 1,676 -68,830 Ne t add iti o ns ( +) d e duc ti o n s ( - ) ° ° Asse ssmen ts by Boa rd of Governors Boa rd ex pendit ures F ederal Reserve cur re ncy costs Ne t ea rni ngs before paym ents to t he U ni ted States Treasu ry Di vid ends pa id Payments to t he U nite d States Treasu ry (interest on Feder a l Reserve notes) . . . . . -1 2,150 - 21 ,726 2,372 ,856 16,237 2,331,636 - 13,406 - 20,624 2,00 7,037 14,816 1,977,523 Transfer red t o surplus Surplus, J anua ry 1 Surplus, Decem ber 31 . . . 24,983 255 ,490 280 ,473 14,698 240,792 255 ,490 31 San Francisco Office P.O. Box 7702 , San Francisco, Ca liforn ia 94120 Los Angeles Branch P.O. Box 2077 , Terminal Annex, Los Angeles, California 90051 Portland Branch P .O. Box 3436, Portland, Oregon 97208 Salt Lake City Branch P.O . Box 30780, Salt Lake City, Utah 84125 Seattle Branch P.O. Box 3567, Terminal Annex, Seattle, Washingt on 98124 This report was prepared by the staff of t he Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco: produced by Karen Ru sk ; graphi cs designed by Willi am Rosenthal; edi ted by Barbara Bennett. Assist ance pr ovided by Economic Research ; Supervision, Regulation and Credit; and Cor pora te Planning, which coordinated the contributions of Distri ct Operations, Computer Services, Finance and Product Management, Statistical and Data Services and Personnel. 32 FE;D£RAL R£SERV€ BANK of SAN ~C. I'i:>co P. O. "Box ,702.. S' At.J FRA I\J Cl '5Co , BuLK RATE IPOSTA~E: (Y"I09IL u.s. ?AID C A L I FOR-N' A ?£KIY\ IT ~ 752 Simi "R<FlI'lCI'5("O > CAL IF .