View original document

The full text on this page is automatically extracted from the file linked above and may contain errors and inconsistencies.

l l★K

Federal Reserve Bank
of Dallas

DALLAS, TEXAS
75265-5906

September 24, 2001
Notice 01-68

TO: The Chief Executive Officer of each
financial institution and others concerned
in the Eleventh Federal Reserve District
SUBJECT
Final Rule Implementing the Financial Subsidiary Provisions
of the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act
DETAILS
The Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System has adopted a final rule
implementing the financial subsidiary provisions of the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act for state
member banks. The Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act authorizes qualifying state member banks to
establish financial subsidiaries and engage in certain activities determined to be financial in
nature or incidental to financial activities.
The final rule, which became effective September 17, 2001, is substantially similar to
the interim rule that the Board adopted in March 2000.
ATTACHMENT
A copy of the Board’s notice as it appears on pages 42929–37, Vol. 66, No. 159 of the
Federal Register dated August 16, 2001, is attached.
MORE INFORMATION
For more information, please contact Rob Jolley, Banking Supervision Department,
(214) 922-6071. For additional copies of this Bank’s notice, contact the Public Affairs Department at (214) 922-5254 or access District Notices on our web site at
http://www.dallasfed.org/banking/notices/index.html.

For additional copies, bankers and others are encouraged to use one of the following toll-free numbers in contacting the Federal
Reserve Bank of Dallas: Dallas Office (800) 333-4460; El Paso Branch Intrastate (800) 592-1631, Interstate (800) 351-1012;
Houston Branch Intrastate (800) 392-4162, Interstate (800) 221-0363; San Antonio Branch Intrastate (800) 292-5810.

42929

Rules and Regulations

Federal Register
Vol. 66, No. 159
Thursday, August 16, 2001

FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM
12 CFR Part 208
[Regulation H; Docket No. R–1064]

Membership of State Banking
Institutions in the Federal Reserve
System: Financial Subsidiaries
AGENCY: Board of Governors of the
Federal Reserve System.
ACTION: Final rule.
SUMMARY: The Board has adopted a final
rule implementing the financial
subsidiary provisions of the GrammLeach-Bliley Act for state member
banks. The Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act
authorizes state member banks that
comply with the requirements of the
rule to control, or hold an interest in, a
financial subsidiary which may conduct
certain financial activities that are not
permissible for the parent bank to
conduct directly. The final rule is
substantially similar to the interim rule
that the Board adopted in March 2000.
DATES: The final rule is effective on
September 17, 2001.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Kieran J. Fallon, Senior Counsel (202/
452–5270), Michael J. O’Rourke,
Counsel (202/452–3288), Legal Division;
Betsy Cross, Deputy Associate Director
(202/452–2574), Division of Banking
Supervision and Regulation; Board of
Governors of the Federal Reserve
System, 20th Street and Constitution
Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20551.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background
Section 121 of the Gramm-LeachBliley Act (GLB Act) (Pub. L. 106–102;
113 Stat. 1373–82) authorizes qualifying
state member banks to own or control a
new type of subsidiary—referred to as a
financial subsidiary. A financial
subsidiary may engage in activities that
have been determined to be financial in

VerDate 11<MAY>2000

15:53 Aug 15, 2001

Jkt 194001

nature or incidental to financial
activities under the GLB Act, including
general insurance agency activities in
any location and travel agency
activities. In addition, a financial
subsidiary may engage in underwriting,
dealing in and making a market in all
types of securities—activities previously
prohibited for subsidiaries of state
member banks by the Glass-Steagall Act.
A financial subsidiary of a state member
bank also may conduct any activity that
the bank is permitted to conduct
directly.
The GLB Act prohibits financial
subsidiaries from engaging in certain
types of activities. As a general matter,
a financial subsidiary may not engage as
principal in underwriting insurance,
providing or issuing annuities, real
estate development or real estate
investment, and merchant banking and
insurance company investment
activities.
In March 2000, the Board adopted and
requested comment on an interim rule
that implemented the financial
subsidiary provisions of the GLB Act for
state member banks (65 FR 14810). The
interim rule set forth the criteria that a
state member bank and its depository
institution affiliates must meet for the
bank to own or control a financial
subsidiary; the activities that a financial
subsidiary may and may not conduct;
the procedures that a state member bank
must follow to establish a financial
subsidiary; and the procedures and
restrictions that would apply if a state
member bank or any of its depository
institution affiliates ceased to continue
to meet the requirements of the rule.
The interim rule paralleled the rule
adopted by the Office of the Comptroller
of the Currency (OCC) governing
financial subsidiaries of national banks.
(See 65 FR 12905.)
The Board received three comments
from the public on the interim rule,
each of which was submitted by a trade
association for the banking industry. All
commenters supported the interim rule
and one commenter noted that the
interim rule was conveniently formatted
and easy to understand. Commenters
also asked that the Board modify the
rule in minor respects or address issues
suggested by the commenter. For
example, one commenter suggested that
the Board make available a list of the
newly authorized financial activities
that may be conducted by a financial

PO 00000

Frm 00001

Fmt 4700

Sfmt 4700

subsidiary. Another commenter
requested that the Board further
streamline the 15-day prior notice
process established by the interim rule
for obtaining the Federal Reserve
System’s approval to establish a
financial subsidiary or commence a new
financial activity through an existing
financial subsidiary.
In addition, one commenter urged the
Board and the other Federal banking
agencies to closely monitor financial
subsidiaries of banks to ensure that
these newly authorized entities do not
threaten the safety and soundness of
affiliated depository institutions.
Another commenter asserted that the
Board should allow a state member bank
that has received a less-than-satisfactory
management rating or rating under the
Community Reinvestment Act (12
U.S.C. 2901 et seq.) (CRA) to request
that a follow-up examination occur
expeditiously and, thereby, permit the
bank the opportunity to quickly restore
its compliance with the rule’s criteria.
The Board has carefully reviewed the
comments received on the interim rule.
As described further below, the Board
has modified certain provisions of the
interim rule in light of these comments
and the Federal Reserve System’s
experience in administering the interim
rule since March 2000. The final rule
remains substantially similar to the
Board’s interim rule and the financial
subsidiary rule adopted by the OCC.
Description of Final Rule
The final rule, like the interim rule,
permits qualifying state member banks
to control, or hold an interest in, a new
type of subsidiary, referred to as a
‘‘financial subsidiary.’’ A financial
subsidiary is defined as any company
that is controlled by one or more
insured depository institutions, but does
not include (1) a subsidiary that the
state member bank is specifically
authorized to hold by the express terms
of a Federal statute (other than section
9 of the Federal Reserve Act), such as an
Edge Act subsidiary held under section
25 of the Federal Reserve Act, or (2) a
subsidiary that engages only in activities
that the parent bank may conduct
directly and that are conducted on the
same terms and conditions that govern
the conduct of the activity by the state
member bank. As discussed further
below, a financial subsidiary of a bank
may only engage in activities

E:\FR\FM\16AUR1.SGM

pfrm11

PsN: 16AUR1

42930

Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 159 / Thursday, August 16, 2001 / Rules and Regulations

permissible for the parent bank and
certain other financial activities. The
final rule clarifies that a financial
subsidiary includes any of its direct or
indirect subsidiaries.
The authority for a state member bank
to own or control a financial subsidiary
is in addition to the existing authority
of state member banks to establish
operations subsidiaries, which are
subsidiaries that engage only in
activities that the parent bank may
conduct directly and that are conducted
on the same terms and conditions that
govern the conduct of these activities by
the bank. See 12 CFR 250.141. State
member banks may continue to retain
and establish new operations
subsidiaries permitted under state law
and the Board’s interpretations without
complying with the requirements of this
rule.1
Section 208.71—What Are the
Requirements To Invest in or Control a
Financial Subsidiary?
Under the GLB Act, a state member
bank may control, or hold an interest in,
a financial subsidiary only if certain
criteria are met. Section 208.71 of the
rule sets forth these criteria.
Capital and Management Requirements
First, the state member bank and each
of its depository institution affiliates
must be well capitalized and well
managed. An insured depository
institution is well capitalized if it meets
or exceeds the capital levels designated
as ‘‘well capitalized’’ by the institution’s
appropriate Federal banking agency
under section 38 of the Federal Deposit
Insurance Act (12 U.S.C. 1831o) (FDI
Act). The final rule provides that an
uninsured depository institution will be
considered ‘‘well capitalized’’ if it has
and maintains at least the capital levels
its appropriate Federal banking agency
has established under section 38 of the
FDI Act for an insured depository
institution to be well capitalized.2
Well managed is defined by reference
to the achievement of specific
examination ratings.3 The FDI Act
allows the appropriate Federal banking
agency for a depository institution to
use an examination conducted by a state
banking agency in lieu of a Federal
examination if the state examination
1 The Board recently determined that a state
member bank may, consistent with Federal law and
12 CFR 250.141, acquire less than 100 percent of
the shares of an operations subsidiary so long as the
bank controls the subsidiary within the meaning of
the Bank Holding Company Act. See Letter from
Jennifer J. Johnson, Secretary of the Board, to
Ronald C. Mayer, The Chase Manhattan Bank, dated
August 16, 2000.
2 See 12 CFR 208.77(g)(2).
3 See 12 CFR 208.77(h).

VerDate 11<MAY>2000

15:53 Aug 15, 2001

Jkt 194001

meets the criteria set forth in section
10(d) of the FDI Act (12 U.S.C. 1820(d)).
Accordingly, the final rule allows a
depository institution to be deemed
‘‘well managed’’ on the basis of a
qualifying state examination.4 The final
rule continues to provide that a
depository institution that has not been
examined will be considered well
managed if its appropriate Federal
banking agency determines that the
institution’s managerial resources are
satisfactory.
In the course of administering the
interim rule, questions have arisen
concerning whether a well managed
depository institution would retain its
well managed status if it merged with
another depository institution. The final
rule clarifies that a depository
institution that results from the merger
of two or more well managed depository
institutions will be considered well
managed unless the appropriate Federal
banking agency for the resulting
institution determines otherwise.
However, where a merger involves an
institution that is not well managed, the
managerial status of the combined
organization likely will depend on the
facts and circumstances of the particular
case. Accordingly, the final rule
provides that a depository institution
resulting from the merger of a well
managed institution with an institution
that is not well managed or that has not
been examined will be considered well
managed if the appropriate Federal
banking agency determines that the
resulting institution is well managed.
Asset Limitation
Under the GLB Act and the rule, the
aggregate consolidated total assets of the
bank’s financial subsidiaries may not
exceed the lesser of 45 percent of the
bank’s consolidated total assets or $50
billion. The GLB Act requires the Board
and the Secretary of the Treasury to
establish a mechanism for indexing the
$50 billion limit.5
Debt Rating or Alternative Requirement
for Large Banks
If the state member bank is one of the
largest 100 insured banks, the bank
must have at least one issue of
outstanding eligible debt that is
currently rated in one of the three
highest investment grade rating
categories by a nationally recognized
statistical rating organization. Eligible
debt refers to unsecured debt that has an
initial maturity of more than 360 days.
The debt must be issued and
outstanding, may not be supported by
12 CFR 208.77(h)(1).
5 See 12 U.S.C. 24a(a)(6).

Frm 00002

Fmt 4700

Notice to Federal Reserve
Finally, the state member bank must
obtain the Federal Reserve’s approval to
acquire control of, or an interest in, the
financial subsidiary using the
streamlined notice procedures set forth
in § 208.76 of the rule. The state
member bank also must obtain any
necessary approvals from its state
supervisory authority.
Section 208.72—What Activities May a
Financial Subsidiary Conduct?
A financial subsidiary of a state
member bank may conduct only three
types of activities.
First, a financial subsidiary may
engage in activities that section 4(k)(4)
of the Bank Holding Company Act of
1956 (BHC Act) defines by statute to be
financial in nature or incidental to a
financial activity and permissible for a
financial holding company. These
activities are listed in § 225.86(a), (b)
and (c) of the Board’s Regulation Y (12
CFR 225.86(a), (b) and (c)) and include
securities underwriting and dealing,
selling insurance as agent, and operating
a travel agency in connection with the
offering of other financial services.
Second, a financial subsidiary may
engage in activities that the Secretary of
the Treasury, in consultation with the
Board, determines to be financial in
nature or incidental to financial
activities and permissible for financial
6 See 66 FR 8748 for a discussion of the types of
ratings that qualify as a long-term issuer credit
rating.

4 See

PO 00000

any form of credit enhancement, and
may not be held in whole or in any
significant part by affiliates or insiders
of the bank or by any other person
acting on behalf of or with funds from
the bank or an affiliate.
If the state member bank is one of the
second 50 largest insured banks, the
GLB Act allows the bank to meet this
debt rating requirement or an alternative
criteria established jointly by the Board
and the Secretary of the Treasury by
regulation. The final rule includes the
alternative criteria established by the
Board and the Secretary of the Treasury
(see 66 FR 8748). A bank meets this
alternative criteria if the bank has a
current long-term issuer credit rating (as
defined in § 208.77(f) of the rule) from
at least one nationally recognized
statistical rating organization that is
within the three highest investment
grade rating categories used by the
organization.6 The debt rating and
alternative criteria do not apply to a
large bank if its financial subsidiaries do
not engage in any newly authorized
financial activity as principal.

Sfmt 4700

E:\FR\FM\16AUR1.SGM

pfrm11

PsN: 16AUR1

Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 159 / Thursday, August 16, 2001 / Rules and Regulations
subsidiaries of national banks pursuant
to section 5136A(b) of the Revised
Statutes of the United States (12 U.S.C.
24a(b)). These activities currently are
listed in 12 CFR 1501.2 of the Treasury
Department’s rules.7
Third, a financial subsidiary of a state
member bank may engage in activities
that the bank is permitted to engage in
directly, subject to the same terms and
conditions that govern the conduct of
the activity by the state member bank.
As required by the GLB Act, the rule
prohibits a financial subsidiary of a state
member bank from engaging as
principal in insurance underwriting
(except to the extent permitted under
state law and the GLB Act), providing or
issuing annuities, real estate investment
or development (except to the extent
expressly authorized by applicable state
and Federal law), and merchant banking
and insurance company investment
activities permitted for financial holding
companies under sections 4(k)(4)(H) or
(I) of the BHC Act.
As noted above, one commenter
requested that the Board make available
a list of the financial activities that a
financial subsidiary may conduct. The
Board expects to issue shortly a list of
the newly authorized financial activities
permissible for a financial subsidiary.
This list, which may be obtained from
the Reserve Banks, will not identify
activities that a state member bank may
be permitted to engage in directly and
that would, therefore, also be
permissible for a financial subsidiary of
the bank.
Section 208.73—What Additional
Restrictions Are Applicable to State
Member Banks With Financial
Subsidiaries?
The GLB Act requires that a state
member bank that owns or controls a
financial subsidiary comply with a
number of prudential safeguards.
Section 208.73 of the rule implements
these requirements.
For purposes of determining its
compliance with all applicable
regulatory capital standards, the state
member bank must ‘‘de-consolidate’’ the
assets and liabilities of its financial
subsidiaries from those of the bank and
7 See 66 FR 257. A financial subsidiary may not
engage in activities that the Board determines are
complementary to a financial activity and
permissible for financial holding companies under
section 4(k)(1) of the BHC Act (12 U.S.C.
1843(k)(1)). Similarly, a financial subsidiary may
not engage in activities that the Board determines
are financial in nature or incidental to financial
activities under section 4(k) of the BHC Act unless
the Secretary of the Treasury also finds that such
activities are financial in nature or incidental to
financial activities and permissible for financial
subsidiaries under 12 U.S.C. 24a(b).

VerDate 11<MAY>2000

15:53 Aug 15, 2001

Jkt 194001

then deduct the aggregate amount of its
equity investment (including retained
earnings) in all financial subsidiaries
from the bank’s capital and assets. The
final rule clarifies how to make the
capital adjustments required by the GLB
Act. Specifically, the bank must deduct
(i) 50 percent of the aggregate amount of
its equity investment (including
retained earnings) in all financial
subsidiaries from both the bank’s Tier 1
capital and Tier 2 capital for purposes
of determining its risk-based capital
ratios, (ii) 50 percent of the aggregate
amount of its equity investment
(including retained earnings) in all
financial subsidiaries from the bank’s
Tier 1 capital for purposes of
determining its leverage ratio, and (iii)
100 percent of the aggregate amount of
its equity investment (including
retained earnings) in all financial
subsidiaries from its tangible equity for
purposes of determining its tangible
equity capital ratio.8 In addition, the
bank must deduct the entire amount of
its equity investment (including
retained earnings) in all financial
subsidiaries from the bank’s riskweighted assets, average total assets and
total assets for purposes of determining
its risk-based, leverage and tangible
capital ratios, respectively.
The bank must meet all applicable
capital requirements—including the
well capitalized requirement of § 208.71
and the capital levels established by the
Board under section 38 of the FDI Act—
after these adjustments. In addition,
although the GLB Act requires a bank to
‘‘de-consolidate’’ the assets and
liabilities of any financial subsidiary for
regulatory capital purposes, a financial
subsidiary remains a subsidiary of a
state member bank and the Board will
continue to review the operations and
financial and managerial resources of
the bank on a consolidated basis as part
of the supervisory process. The Board
may take appropriate supervisory action
if the Board believes that the bank,
either on a fully consolidated basis or
on a basis that de-consolidates the
bank’s financial subsidiaries, does not
have the appropriate financial and
managerial resources (including capital
resources and risk management
controls) to conduct its direct or indirect
activities in a safe and sound manner.
The rule also requires that the state
member bank establish and maintain
8 See 12 CFR part 208 Appendix A (risk-based
ratios) and Appendix B (leverage ratio); 12 CFR
208.43(b)(5) (tangible equity ratio). The rule
provides that, if the deduction from Tier 2 capital
exceeds the bank’s Tier 2 capital, any excess must
be deducted from the bank’s Tier 1 capital for
purposes of determining its risk-based capital
ratios.

PO 00000

Frm 00003

Fmt 4700

Sfmt 4700

42931

policies and procedures to manage the
financial and operational risks arising
from its ownership of a financial
subsidiary and preserve the bank’s
separate corporate identity. A financial
subsidiary also is considered a
subsidiary of a bank holding company
(and not a subsidiary of a bank) for
purposes of the anti-tying prohibitions
of the Bank Holding Company Act
Amendments of 1970.
In addition, the rule specifies that a
financial subsidiary of a state member
bank is considered an affiliate (and not
a subsidiary) of the bank for purposes of
sections 23A and 23B of the Federal
Reserve Act, and includes the GLB Act’s
special provisions governing the
application of section 23A to
investments in, and extensions of credit
to, a financial subsidiary. The Board
recently requested comment on a new
rule (Regulation W) that would
implement all aspects of sections 23A
and 23B of the Federal Reserve Act,
including the provisions of sections 23A
and 23B that relate to financial
subsidiaries of banks.9 Proposed
Regulation W addresses, among other
things, the definition of a ‘‘financial
subsidiary’’ for purposes of sections 23A
and 23B, how to value a bank’s
investment in a financial subsidiary for
purposes of section 23A, and when
extensions of credit by an affiliate of a
state member bank to a financial
subsidiary of the bank will be
considered an extension of credit by the
bank itself under the GLB Act’s special
anti-evasion rules applicable to
financial subsidiaries.10 The Board may
make modifications to this rule as
appropriate in connection with the
adoption of a final Regulation W.
Section 208.74—What Happens If the
State Member Bank or a Depository
Institution Affiliate Fails To Continue
To Meet Certain Requirements?
The Board will give notice to a state
member bank that owns or controls a
financial subsidiary if the Board finds
that the state member bank or any of its
depository institution affiliates fails to
continue to be well capitalized and well
managed, that the assets of the bank’s
financial subsidiaries exceed the asset
limitation imposed on financial
subsidiaries, or that the state member
bank has failed to comply with the
operational safeguards required by the
rule.
To assist the Board in enforcing the
requirements of the GLB Act, the final
rule continues to require that a state
member bank notify the appropriate
9 See

66 FR 24186.
id. at 24194 and 24204.

10 See

E:\FR\FM\16AUR1.SGM

pfrm11

PsN: 16AUR1

42932

Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 159 / Thursday, August 16, 2001 / Rules and Regulations

examination under the CRA.11 Section
208.75 includes these prohibitions. The
rule clarifies that, if this prohibition is
in effect, the financial subsidiary may
not acquire control of another company
by acquiring substantially all of the
assets of the company. The rule also
provides that any prohibition under
§ 208.75 does not affect the ability of a
financial subsidiary to commence any
additional activity, or acquire control of
a company engaged only in activities,
that the state member bank is permitted
to engage in directly. The terms of the
GLB Act require the Board to apply the
prohibitions in § 208.75 if the state
member bank ‘‘or any of its insured
depository institution affiliates has
received in its most recent examination
under the [CRA] a rating of less than
‘satisfactory record of meeting
community credit needs’.’’12 The Board
recently considered how a parallel
provision in the GLB Act should apply
to a financial holding company that
acquires an insured depository
institution with a less-than-satisfactory
CRA rating. The Board concluded, based
on the Act’s language and purposes, that
the activity prohibitions would apply to
a financial holding company only when
an insured depository institution
receives a less-than-satisfactory CRA
rating while it is a subsidiary of the
financial holding company.13 For the
same reasons discussed in that
rulemaking, the Board believes that the
parallel restrictions in the GLB Act and
§ 208.75 concerning financial
subsidiaries apply only if the state
member bank has a less-thansatisfactory CRA rating or an insured
depository affiliate of the bank receives
a less-than-satisfactory CRA rating while
it is an affiliate of the state member
bank. If a state member bank becomes
affiliated with an insured depository
institution that, at the time of the
affiliation, has a less-than-satisfactory
CRA rating, the institution must achieve
at least a ‘‘satisfactory’’ CRA rating in its
first CRA examination after becoming
Section 208.75—What Happens if the
affiliated with the state member bank or
State Member Bank or Any of Its Insured the prohibitions in § 208.75 would
Depository Institution Affiliates
apply to the state member bank and its
Receives Less Than a ‘‘Satisfactory’’
financial subsidiaries.
CRA Rating?
The GLB Act’s CRA prohibitions
apply only if the state member bank or
The GLB Act requires the Board to
any of its insured depository institution
prohibit a state member bank from
affiliates has received less than a
acquiring control of a financial
‘‘satisfactory’’ CRA rating at its most
subsidiary, or commencing any
recent examination under the CRA.
additional activity or acquiring control
Accordingly, the CRA rating
of any company through an existing
requirement does not apply to special
financial subsidiary, if the bank or any
purpose banks that are not subject to
insured depository institution affiliate
has received less than a ‘‘satisfactory’’
11 See 12 U.S.C. 1843 (l)(2); 12 U.S.C. 24a(a)(7).
rating from its appropriate Federal
12 See 12 U.S.C. 1843(l)(2).
banking agency at its most recent
13 See 66 FR 400, 404 (Jan. 3, 2001).

Reserve Bank if the bank becomes aware
that any of its depository institution
affiliates has ceased to be well
capitalized and well managed. The final
rule provides that the bank must submit
this notice within 15 calendar days of
becoming aware of the change in the
affiliate’s capital or managerial status,
and that the notice must identify the
relevant depository institution affiliate
and the area(s) of noncompliance.
If a state member bank receives a
notice from the Board that it is not in
compliance with the rule’s
requirements, the bank must execute an
agreement with the Board to bring itself
back into compliance with the
requirements of the rule. The agreement
must explain the actions the bank will
take to correct the areas of
noncompliance and when such actions
will be taken and provide any other
information the Board may require. If
the notice relates to a depository
institution affiliate, the affiliate must
execute an agreement with its
appropriate Federal banking agency to
restore itself to well capitalized and
well managed status. The Board and the
appropriate Federal banking agency may
impose conditions on the direct or
indirect activities of the state member
bank or depository institution affiliate,
respectively, until the institution
restores its compliance with the rule’s
requirements. If the deficiencies are not
corrected within 180 days (or such
longer period as the Board may permit),
the Board may require the state member
bank to divest its financial subsidiaries.
If a state member bank that is one of
the largest 100 insured banks fails to
continue to meet the debt rating
requirement or alternative criteria of
§ 208.71(b), if applicable, the state
member bank may not acquire any
additional equity capital (including debt
qualifying as capital) of the financial
subsidiary until the bank once again
meets these requirements.

VerDate 11<MAY>2000

15:53 Aug 15, 2001

Jkt 194001

PO 00000

Frm 00004

Fmt 4700

Sfmt 4700

CRA examination under the Federal
banking agencies’ CRA regulations,14 or
to de novo insured depository
institutions that have not yet received
(and are not the successor of an
institution that has received) a CRA
rating.
One commenter recommended that
the Board allow a state member bank
that has received a less-than-satisfactory
management or CRA rating to request
that a follow-up examination occur on
an expedited basis. For many banks, the
Board’s rules and procedures already
provide for a shorter safety and
soundness and CRA examination cycle
if the bank has received a less-thansatisfactory rating.15 In addition, a
Reserve Bank may, on request, move
forward the scheduled date of a bank’s
next examination where such action is
appropriate and consistent with
available resources.
Section 208.76—What Federal Reserve
Approvals Are Necessary for Financial
Subsidiaries?
The final rule retains the streamlined
notice procedures included in the
interim rule for state member banks to
engage in newly authorized financial
activities through a financial subsidiary.
A state member bank must file a notice
with the appropriate Reserve Bank prior
to acquiring control of, or an interest in,
a financial subsidiary, or engaging in an
additional financial activity through an
existing financial subsidiary. A notice is
not required for a financial subsidiary to
engage in an additional activity that the
parent state member bank is permitted
to conduct directly. The notice must
provide basic information on the
financial subsidiary and its existing and
proposed activities and include a
certification that the state member bank
and its depository institution affiliates
meet the requirements of the GLB Act
and the rule. The final rule also
provides that a notice must provide the
capital ratios for the bank and its
depository institution affiliates. The
Board has found that the capital data
available to a banking organization at
times differs from the data available to
the Board, and that requiring the filing
organization to include this data in a
notice assists in ensuring that the
organization meets the relevant capital
levels required by statute.
If the notice relates to the initial
affiliation of the state member bank with
a company engaged in insurance
activities, the notice also must describe
the company’s insurance activities and
identify the states where the company
14 See

12 CFR 228.11(c)(3).
e.g. 12 CFR 208.64.

15 See,

E:\FR\FM\16AUR1.SGM

pfrm11

PsN: 16AUR1

Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 159 / Thursday, August 16, 2001 / Rules and Regulations
holds an insurance license. The Board
will use this information in fulfilling its
obligations to consult with the relevant
state insurance authorities under section
307(c) of the GLB Act (15 U.S.C.
6716(c)).
The rule provides that a notice will be
deemed approved on the fifteenth day
after receipt by the appropriate Reserve
Bank of an informationally complete
submission unless, prior to that time,
the notice is disapproved or the bank is
notified that additional time to review
the notice is needed. In addition, the
appropriate Reserve Bank may approve
the notice prior to the expiration of the
15-day period by informing the bank in
writing of such action. For purposes of
calculating the 15-day review period,
the day on which an informationally
complete notice is received is
considered day zero.
The Board believes that this
streamlined 15-day notice procedure
provides state member banks with the
ability to respond quickly to market
conditions while, at the same time,
providing the Board adequate time to
verify that the bank meets applicable
statutory criteria. Accordingly, the
Board has not adopted a procedure that
would allow a state member bank to
acquire a financial subsidiary (or
commence a new financial activity
through an existing financial subsidiary)
immediately upon the filing of a notice
with the Federal Reserve.
The GLB Act permits a state member
bank to acquire an interest in or control
a financial subsidiary if it meets the
criteria and requirements set forth in the
rule. The Board, however, retains its
general supervisory authority for state
member banks and may restrict or limit
the activities of, or the acquisition or
ownership of a subsidiary by, a state
member bank if the Board finds the
bank does not have the appropriate
financial and managerial resources to
conduct the activities or acquire or
retain ownership of the company.
II. Regulatory Flexibility Analysis
In accordance with section 4(a) of the
Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C.
604(a)), the Board must publish a final
regulatory flexibility analysis with this
rulemaking. The rule implements the
new authority granted by the GLB Act
to state member banks to acquire
financial subsidiaries. Because the rule
authorizes state member banks to
acquire this new type of subsidiary, and
thereby engage in new activities, the
rule does not place any additional
burden on state member banks and
should, in fact, enhance the overall
efficiency and flexibility of state
member banks. The GLB Act makes this

VerDate 11<MAY>2000

15:53 Aug 15, 2001

Jkt 194001

new authority available to all state
member banks, provided the bank meets
the qualifying criteria established by the
Act. Accordingly, the rule applies to all
state member banks, regardless of size.
As of December 31, 2000, there were
991 state member banks, of which 593
had total assets of less than $150
million. The rule permits a state
member bank to take advantage of this
new authority by following a
streamlined notice procedure, which
should impose minimal burdens on
small banking organizations.
III. Paperwork Reduction Act
The Board previously has reviewed,
under the authority delegated to the
Board by the Office of Management and
Budget (OMB), the collection of
information requirements of the final
rule in accordance with section 3506 of
the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995
(44 U.S.C. Ch. 35; 5 CFR 1320 Appendix
A.1). See 66 FR 29325. The OMB control
number for this rule is 7100–0292. The
Federal Reserve may not conduct or
sponsor, and an organization is not
required to respond to, any information
collection unless the Board has
displayed a currently valid OMB control
number.
The Federal Reserve has a continuing
interest in the public’s opinions of our
collections of information. At any time,
comments regarding the burden
estimate, or any other aspect of this
collection of information, including
suggestions for reducing the burden,
may be sent to: Secretary, Board of
Governors of the Federal Reserve
System, 20th and C Streets, NW.,
Washington, DC 20551; and to the
Office of Management and Budget,
Paperwork Reduction Project (7100–
0292), Washington, DC 20503.
IV. Administrative Procedure Act
The provisions of the rule are
effective on September 17, 2001, on a
final basis. The interim rule became
effective, on an interim basis, on March
11, 2000, in order to allow state member
banks to immediately take advantage of
the new authority granted by the GLB
Act to own or control financial
subsidiaries. This new statutory
authority became effective on March 11,
2000. Pursuant to the Administrative
Procedure Act (5 U.S.C. 553), the Board
requested comments on all aspects of
the interim rule and has amended the
rule as appropriate after reviewing the
comments received.
V. Use of ‘‘Plain Language’’
Section 722 of the GLB Act requires
the Board to use ‘‘plain language’’ in all
proposed and final rules published after

PO 00000

Frm 00005

Fmt 4700

Sfmt 4700

42933

January 1, 2000. The Board invited
comment on whether the interim rule
was written in ‘‘plain language’’ and
how to make the interim rule easier to
understand. Commenters stated that the
interim rule was effectively organized
and easy to understand. The final rule
is substantially similar to the interim
rule and the Board believes the final
rule is written plainly and clearly.
List of Subjects in 12 CFR Part 208
Accounting, Agriculture, Banks,
Banking, Confidential business
information, Crime, Currency, Federal
Reserve System, Mortgages, Reporting
and recordkeeping requirements,
Securities.
Authority and Issuance
For the reasons set forth in the
preamble, Title 12, Chapter II, Part 208
of the Code of Federal Regulations is
amended as follows:
PART 208—MEMBERSHIP OF STATE
BANKING INSTITUTIONS IN THE
FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM
(REGULATION H)
1. The authority citation for Part 208
is revised to read as follows:
Authority: 12 U.S.C. 24, 24a, 36, 92a, 93a,
248(a), 248(c), 321–338a, 371d, 461, 481–486,
601, 611, 1814, 1816, 1818, 1820(d)(9),
1823(j), 1828(o), 1831, 1831o, 1831p–1,
1831r–1, 1831w, 1835a, 1843(l)(2), 1882,
2901–2907, 3105, 3310, 3331–3351, and
3906–3909; 15 U.S.C. 78b, 78l(b), 78l(g),
78l(i), 78o–4(c)(5), 78q, 78q–1, and 78w; 31
U.S.C. 5318; 42 U.S.C. 4012a, 4104a, 4104b,
4106 and 4128.

2. Subpart G is revised to read as
follows:
Subpart G—Financial Subsidiaries of State
Member Banks
208.71 What are the requirements to invest
in or control a financial subsidiary?
208.72 What activities may a financial
subsidiary conduct?
207.73 What additional provisions are
applicable to state member banks with
financial subsidiaries?
208.74 What happens if the state member
bank or a depository institution affiliate
fails to continue to meet certain
requirements?
208.75 What happens if the state member
bank or any of its insured depository
institution affiliates receives less than a
‘‘satisfactory’’ CRA rating?
208.76 What Federal Reserve approvals are
necessary for financial subsidiaries?
208.77 Definitions.

E:\FR\FM\16AUR1.SGM

pfrm11

PsN: 16AUR1

42934

Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 159 / Thursday, August 16, 2001 / Rules and Regulations

Subpart G—Financial Subsidiaries of
State Member Banks
§ 208.71 What are the requirements to
invest in or control a financial subsidiary?

(a) In general. A state member bank
may control, or hold an interest in, a
financial subsidiary only if:
(1) The state member bank and each
depository institution affiliate of the
state member bank are well capitalized
and well managed;
(2) The aggregate consolidated total
assets of all financial subsidiaries of the
state member bank do not exceed the
lesser of:
(i) 45 percent of the consolidated total
assets of the parent bank; or
(ii) $50 billion, which dollar amount
shall be adjusted according to an
indexing mechanism jointly established
by the Board and the Secretary of the
Treasury;
(3) The state member bank, if it is one
of the largest 100 insured banks (based
on consolidated total assets as of the
end of the previous calendar year),
meets the debt rating or alternative
requirement of paragraph (b) of this
section, if applicable; and
(4) The Board or the appropriate
Reserve Bank has approved the bank to
acquire the interest in or control the
financial subsidiary under § 208.76.
(b) Debt rating or alternative
requirement for 100 largest insured
banks.—(1) General. A state member
bank meets the debt rating or alternative
requirement of this paragraph (b) if:
(i) The bank has at least one issue of
eligible debt outstanding that is
currently rated in one of the three
highest investment grade rating
categories by a nationally recognized
statistical rating organization; or
(ii) If the bank is one of the second 50
largest insured banks (based on
consolidated total assets as of the end of
the previous calendar year), the bank
has a current long-term issuer credit
rating from at least one nationally
recognized statistical rating organization
that is within the three highest
investment grade rating categories used
by the organization.
(2) Financial subsidiaries engaged in
financial activities only as agent. This
paragraph (b) does not apply to a state
member bank if the financial
subsidiaries of the bank engage in
financial activities described in
§ 208.72(a)(1) and (2) only in an agency
capacity and not directly or indirectly as
principal.
§ 208.72 What activities may a financial
subsidiary conduct?

(a) Authorized activities. A financial
subsidiary of a state member bank may
engage in only the following activities:

VerDate 11<MAY>2000

15:53 Aug 15, 2001

Jkt 194001

(1) Any financial activity listed in
§ 225.86(a), (b), or (c) of the Board’s
Regulation Y (12 CFR 225.86(a), (b), or
(c));
(2) Any activity that the Secretary of
the Treasury, in consultation with the
Board, has determined to be financial in
nature or incidental to a financial
activity and permissible for financial
subsidiaries pursuant to Section
5136A(b) of the Revised Statutes of the
United States (12 U.S.C. 24a(b)); and
(3) Any activity that the state member
bank is permitted to engage in directly
(subject to the same terms and
conditions that govern the conduct of
the activity by the state member bank).
(b) Impermissible activities.
Notwithstanding paragraph (a) of this
section, a financial subsidiary may not
engage as principal in the following
activities:
(1) Insuring, guaranteeing, or
indemnifying against loss, harm,
damage, illness, disability or death
(except to the extent permitted under
applicable state law and section 302 or
303(c) of the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act
(15 U.S.C. 6712 or 6713(c));
(2) Providing or issuing annuities the
income of which is subject to tax
treatment under section 72 of the
Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (26
U.S.C. 72);
(3) Real estate development or real
estate investment, unless otherwise
expressly authorized by applicable state
and Federal law; and
(4) Any merchant banking or
insurance company investment activity
permitted for financial holding
companies by section 4(k)(4)(H) or (I) of
the Bank Holding Company Act (12
U.S.C. 1843(k)(4)(H) and (I)).
§ 208.73 What additional provisions are
applicable to state member banks with
financial subsidiaries?

(a) Capital deduction required. A state
member bank that controls or holds an
interest in a financial subsidiary must
comply with the following rules in
determining its compliance with
applicable regulatory capital standards
(including the well capitalized standard
of § 208.71(a)(1)):
(1) The bank must not consolidate the
assets and liabilities of any financial
subsidiary with those of the bank.
(2) For purposes of determining the
bank’s risk-based capital ratios under
Appendix A of this part, the bank
must—
(i) Deduct 50 percent of the aggregate
amount of its outstanding equity
investment (including retained
earnings) in all financial subsidiaries
from both the bank’s Tier 1 capital and
Tier 2 capital; and

PO 00000

Frm 00006

Fmt 4700

Sfmt 4700

(ii) Deduct the entire amount of the
bank’s outstanding equity investment
(including retained earnings) in all
financial subsidiaries from the bank’s
risk-weighted assets.
(3) For purposes of determining the
bank’s leverage capital ratio under
Appendix B of this part, the bank
must—
(i) Deduct 50 percent of the aggregate
amount of its outstanding equity
investment (including retained
earnings) in all financial subsidiaries
from the bank’s Tier 1 capital; and
(ii) Deduct the entire amount of the
bank’s outstanding equity investment
(including retained earnings) in all
financial subsidiaries from the bank’s
average total assets.
(4) For purposes of determining the
bank’s ratio of tangible equity to total
assets under § 208.43(b)(5), the bank
must deduct the entire amount of the
bank’s outstanding equity investment
(including retained earnings) in all
financial subsidiaries from the bank’s
tangible equity and total assets.
(5) If the deduction from Tier 2 capital
required by paragraph (a)(2)(i) of this
section exceeds the bank’s Tier 2
capital, any excess must be deducted
from the bank’s Tier 1 capital.
(b) Financial statement disclosure of
capital deduction. Any published
financial statement of a state member
bank that controls or holds an interest
in a financial subsidiary must, in
addition to providing information
prepared in accordance with generally
accepted accounting principles,
separately present financial information
for the bank reflecting the capital
deduction and adjustments required by
paragraph (a) of this section.
(c) Safeguards for the bank. A state
member bank that establishes, controls
or holds an interest in a financial
subsidiary must:
(1) Establish and maintain procedures
for identifying and managing financial
and operational risks within the state
member bank and the financial
subsidiary that adequately protect the
state member bank from such risks; and
(2) Establish and maintain reasonable
policies and procedures to preserve the
separate corporate identity and limited
liability of the state member bank and
the financial subsidiary.
(d) Application of Sections 23A and
23B of the Federal Reserve Act. For
purposes of sections 23A and 23B of the
Federal Reserve Act (12 U.S.C. 371c,
371c–1):
(1) A financial subsidiary of a state
member bank shall be deemed an
affiliate, and not a subsidiary, of the
bank;

E:\FR\FM\16AUR1.SGM

pfrm11

PsN: 16AUR1

Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 159 / Thursday, August 16, 2001 / Rules and Regulations
(2) The restrictions contained in
section 23A(a)(1)(A) of the Federal
Reserve Act (12 U.S.C. 371c(a)(1)(A))
shall not apply with respect to covered
transactions between the bank and any
individual financial subsidiary of the
bank;
(3) The bank’s investment in a
financial subsidiary shall not include
retained earnings of the financial
subsidiary;
(4) Any purchase of, or investment in,
the securities of a financial subsidiary
by an affiliate of the bank will be
considered to be a purchase of, or
investment in, such securities by the
bank; and
(5) Any extension of credit by an
affiliate of the bank to a financial
subsidiary of the bank will be
considered to be an extension of credit
by the bank to the financial subsidiary
if the Board determines that such
treatment is necessary or appropriate to
prevent evasions of the Federal Reserve
Act and the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act.
(e) Application of anti-tying
prohibitions. A financial subsidiary of a
state member bank shall be deemed a
subsidiary of a bank holding company
and not a subsidiary of the bank for
purposes of the anti-tying prohibitions
of section 106 of the Bank Holding
Company Act Amendments of 1970 (12
U.S.C. 1971 et seq.).
§ 208.74 What happens if the state
member bank or a depository institution
affiliate fails to continue to meet certain
requirements?

(a) Qualifications and safeguards. The
following procedures apply to a state
member bank that controls or holds an
interest in a financial subsidiary.
(1) Notice by Board. If the Board finds
that a state member bank or any of its
depository institution affiliates fails to
continue to be well capitalized and well
managed, or the state member bank is
not in compliance with the asset
limitation set forth in § 208.71(a)(2) or
the safeguards set forth in § 208.73(c),
the Board will notify the state member
bank in writing and identify the areas of
noncompliance. The Board may provide
this notice at any time before or after
receiving notice from the state member
bank under paragraph (a)(2) of this
section.
(2) Notification by state member bank.
A state member bank must notify the
appropriate Reserve Bank in writing
within 15 calendar days of becoming
aware that any depository institution
affiliate of the bank has ceased to be
well capitalized or well managed. The
notification must identify the depository
institution affiliate and the area(s) of
noncompliance.

VerDate 11<MAY>2000

15:53 Aug 15, 2001

Jkt 194001

(3) Execution of agreement. Within 45
days after receiving a notice from the
Board under paragraph (a)(1) of this
section, or such additional period of
time as the Board may permit, the:
(i) State member bank must execute
an agreement acceptable to the Board to
comply with all applicable capital,
management, asset and safeguard
requirements; and
(ii) Any relevant depository
institution affiliate of the state member
bank must execute an agreement
acceptable to its appropriate Federal
banking agency to comply with all
applicable capital and management
requirements.
(4) Agreement requirements. Any
agreement required by paragraph
(a)(3)(i) of this section must:
(i) Explain the specific actions that
the state member bank will take to
correct all areas of noncompliance;
(ii) Provide a schedule within which
each action will be taken; and
(iii) Provide any other information the
Board may require.
(5) Imposition of limits. Until the
Board determines that the conditions
described in the notice under paragraph
(a)(1) of this section are corrected:
(i) The Board may impose any
limitations on the conduct or activities
of the state member bank or any
subsidiary of the bank as the Board
determines to be appropriate under the
circumstances and consistent with the
purposes of section 121 of the GrammLeach-Bliley Act, including requiring
the Board’s prior approval for any
financial subsidiary of the bank to
acquire any company or engage in any
additional activity; and
(ii) The appropriate Federal banking
agency for any relevant depository
institution affiliate may impose any
limitations on the conduct or activities
of the depository institution or any
subsidiary of that institution as the
agency determines to be appropriate
under the circumstances and consistent
with the purposes of section 121 of the
Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act.
(6) Divestiture. The Board may require
a state member bank to divest control of
any financial subsidiary if the
conditions described in a notice under
paragraph (a)(1) of this section are not
corrected within 180 days of receipt of
the notice or such additional period of
time as the Board may permit. Any
divestiture must be completed in
accordance with any terms and
conditions established by the Board.
(7) Consultation. The Board will
consult with all relevant Federal and
state regulatory authorities in taking any
action under this paragraph (a).

PO 00000

Frm 00007

Fmt 4700

Sfmt 4700

42935

(b) Debt rating or alternative
requirement. If a state member bank
does not continue to meet any
applicable debt rating or alternative
requirement of § 208.71(b), the bank
may not, directly or through a
subsidiary, purchase or acquire any
additional equity capital of any
financial subsidiary until the bank
restores its compliance with the
requirements of that section. For
purposes of this paragraph (b), the term
‘‘equity capital’’ includes, in addition to
any equity instrument, any debt
instrument issued by the financial
subsidiary if the debt instrument
qualifies as capital of the subsidiary
under any Federal or state law,
regulation or interpretation applicable
to the subsidiary.
§ 208.75 What happens if the state
member bank or any of its insured
depository institution affiliates receives
less than a ‘‘satisfactory’’ CRA rating?

(a) Limits on establishment of
financial subsidiaries and expansion of
existing financial subsidiaries. If a state
member bank, or any insured depository
institution affiliate of the bank, has
received less than a ‘‘satisfactory’’ rating
in meeting community credit needs in
its most recent examination under the
Community Reinvestment Act of 1977
(12 U.S.C. 2901 et seq.):
(1) The state member bank may not,
directly or indirectly, acquire control of
any financial subsidiary; and
(2) Any financial subsidiary
controlled by the state member bank
may not commence any additional
activity or acquire control, including all
or substantially all of the assets, of any
company.
(b) Exception for certain activities.
The prohibition in paragraph (a)(2) of
this section does not apply to any
activity, or to the acquisition of control
of any company that is engaged only in
activities, that the state member bank is
permitted to conduct directly and that
are conducted on the same terms and
conditions that govern the conduct of
the activity by the state member bank.
(c) Duration of prohibitions. The
prohibitions described in paragraph (a)
of this section shall continue in effect
until such time as the state member
bank and each insured depository
institution affiliate of the state member
bank has achieved at least a
‘‘satisfactory’’ rating in meeting
community credit needs in its most
recent examination under the
Community Reinvestment Act.
§ 208.76 What Federal Reserve approvals
are necessary for financial subsidiaries?

(a) Notice requirements. (1) A state
member bank may not acquire control

E:\FR\FM\16AUR1.SGM

pfrm11

PsN: 16AUR1

42936

Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 159 / Thursday, August 16, 2001 / Rules and Regulations

of, or an interest in, a financial
subsidiary unless it files a notice (in
letter form, with enclosures) with the
appropriate Reserve Bank.
(2) A state member bank may not
engage in any additional activity
pursuant to § 208.72(a)(1) or (2) through
an existing financial subsidiary unless
the state member bank files a notice (in
letter form, with enclosures) with the
appropriate Reserve Bank.
(b) Contents of Notice. Any notice
required by paragraph (a) of this section
must:
(1) In the case of a notice filed under
paragraph (a)(1) of this section, describe
the transaction(s) through which the
bank proposes to acquire control of, or
an interest in, the financial subsidiary;
(2) Provide the name and head office
address of the financial subsidiary;
(3) Provide a description of the
current and proposed activities of the
financial subsidiary and the specific
authority permitting each activity;
(4) Provide the capital ratios as of the
close of the previous calendar quarter
for all relevant capital measures, as
defined in section 38 of the Federal
Deposit Insurance Act (12 U.S.C.
1831o), for the bank and each of its
depository institution affiliates;
(5) Certify that the bank and each of
its depository institution affiliates was
well capitalized at the close of the
previous calendar quarter and is well
capitalized as of the date the bank files
its notice;
(6) Certify that the bank and each of
its depository institution affiliates is
well managed as of the date the bank
files its notice;
(7) Certify that the bank meets the
debt rating or alternative requirement of
§ 208.71(b), if applicable; and
(8) Certify that the bank and its
financial subsidiaries are in compliance
with the asset limit set forth in
§ 208.71(a)(2) both before the proposal
and on a pro forma basis.
(c) Insurance activities. (1) If a notice
filed under paragraph (a) of this section
relates to the initial affiliation of the
bank with a company engaged in
insurance activities, the notice must
describe the type of insurance activity
that the company is engaged in or plans
to conduct and identify each state where
the company holds an insurance license
and the state insurance regulatory
authority that issued the license.
(2) The appropriate Reserve Bank will
send a copy of any notice described in
paragraph (c)(1) of this section to the
appropriate state insurance regulatory
authorities and provide such authorities
with an opportunity to comment on the
proposal.

VerDate 11<MAY>2000

15:53 Aug 15, 2001

Jkt 194001

(d) Approval procedures. A notice
filed with the appropriate Reserve Bank
under paragraph (a) of this section will
be deemed approved on the fifteenth
day after receipt of a complete notice by
the appropriate Reserve Bank, unless
prior to that date the Board or the
appropriate Reserve Bank notifies the
bank that the notice is approved, that
the notice will require additional
review, or that the bank does not meet
the requirements of this subpart. Any
notification of early approval of a notice
must be in writing.
§ 208.77

Definitions.

The following definitions shall apply
for purposes of this subpart:
(a) Affiliate, Company, Control, and
Subsidiary. The terms ‘‘affiliate’’,
‘‘company’’, ‘‘control’’, and
‘‘subsidiary’’ have the meanings given
those terms in section 2 of the Bank
Holding Company Act of 1956 (12
U.S.C. 1841).
(b) Appropriate Federal Banking
Agency, Depository Institution, Insured
Bank and Insured Depository
Institution. The terms ‘‘appropriate
Federal banking agency’’, ‘‘depository
institution’’, ‘‘insured bank’’ and
‘‘insured depository institution’’ have
the meanings given those terms in
section 3 of the Federal Deposit
Insurance Act (12 U.S.C. 1813).
(c) Capital-related definitions.
(1) The terms ‘‘Tier 1 capital’’,
‘‘tangible equity’’, ‘‘risk-weighted
assets’’ and ‘‘total assets’’ have the
meanings given those terms in § 208.41
of this part.
(2) The terms ‘‘Tier 2 capital’’ and
‘‘average total assets’’ have the meanings
given those terms in Appendix A and
Appendix B of this part, respectively.
(d) Eligible Debt. The term ‘‘eligible
debt’’ means unsecured debt with an
initial maturity of more than 360 days
that:
(1) Is not supported by any form of
credit enhancement, including a
guarantee or standby letter of credit; and
(2) Is not held in whole or in any
significant part by any affiliate, officer,
director, principal shareholder, or
employee of the bank or any other
person acting on behalf of or with funds
from the bank or an affiliate of the bank.
(e) Financial Subsidiary—(1) In
general. The term ‘‘financial subsidiary’’
means any company that is controlled
by one or more insured depository
institutions other than:
(i) A subsidiary that engages only in
activities that the state member bank is
permitted to engage in directly and that
are conducted on the same terms and
conditions that govern the conduct of

PO 00000

Frm 00008

Fmt 4700

Sfmt 4700

the activities by the state member bank;
or
(ii) A subsidiary that the state member
bank is specifically authorized by the
express terms of a Federal statute (other
than section 9 of the Federal Reserve
Act (12 U.S.C. 335)), and not by
implication or interpretation, to control,
such as by section 25 or 25A of the
Federal Reserve Act (12 U.S.C. 601–
604a, 611–631) or the Bank Service
Company Act (12 U.S.C. 1861 et seq.).
(2) Subsidiaries of financial
subsidiaries. A financial subsidiary
includes any company that is directly or
indirectly controlled by the financial
subsidiary.
(f) Long-term Issuer Credit Rating. The
term ‘‘long-term issuer credit rating’’
means a written opinion issued by a
nationally recognized statistical rating
organization of the bank’s overall
capacity and willingness to pay on a
timely basis its unsecured, dollardenominated financial obligations
maturing in not less than one year.
(g) Well Capitalized—(1) Insured
depository institutions. An insured
depository institution is ‘‘well
capitalized’’ if it has and maintains at
least the capital levels required to be
well capitalized under the capital
adequacy regulations or guidelines
adopted by the institution’s appropriate
Federal banking agency under section
38 of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act
(12 U.S.C. 1831o).
(2) Uninsured depository institutions.
A depository institution the deposits of
which are not insured by the Federal
Deposit Insurance Corporation is ‘‘well
capitalized’’ if the institution has and
maintains at least the capital levels
required for an insured depository
institution to be well capitalized.
(h) Well Managed—(1) In general. The
term ‘‘well managed’’ means:
(i) Unless otherwise determined in
writing by the appropriate Federal
banking agency, the institution has
received a composite rating of 1 or 2
under the Uniform Financial
Institutions Rating System (or an
equivalent rating under an equivalent
rating system) and at least a rating of 2
for management (if such rating is given)
in connection with its most recent
examination or subsequent review by
the institution’s appropriate Federal
banking agency (or the appropriate state
banking agency in an examination
described in section 10(d) of the Federal
Deposit Insurance Act (12 U.S.C.
1820(d)); or
(ii) In the case of any depository
institution that has not been examined
by its appropriate Federal banking
agency or been subject to an
examination by its appropriate state

E:\FR\FM\16AUR1.SGM

pfrm11

PsN: 16AUR1

Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 159 / Thursday, August 16, 2001 / Rules and Regulations
banking agency that meets the
requirements of section 10(d) of the
Federal Deposit Insurance Act (18
U.S.C. 1820(d)), the existence and use of
managerial resources that the
appropriate Federal banking agency
determines are satisfactory.
(2) Merged depository institutions—(i)
Merger involving well managed
institutions. A depository institution
that results from the merger of two or
more depository institutions that are
well managed will be considered to be
well managed unless the appropriate
Federal banking agency for the resulting
depository institution determines
otherwise.
(ii) Merger involving a poorly rated
institution. A depository institution that
results from the merger of a well
managed depository institution with
one or more depository institutions that
are not well managed or that have not
been examined shall be considered to be
well managed if the appropriate Federal
banking agency for the resulting
depository institution determines that
the institution is well managed.
By order of the Board of Governors of the
Federal Reserve System, August 13, 2001.
Jennifer J. Johnson,
Secretary of the Board.
[FR Doc. 01–20656 Filed 8–15–01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6210–01–P

42937