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FED ER A L RESERVE BANK OF N EW YORK C Circular No.8344 May 11, 1978 AMENDMENT TO REGULATION Q Two New Types of Time Certificates To All Member Banks, and Others Concerned, in the Second Federal Reserve District: Following is the text of a statement issued today by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, announcing an amendment to its Regulation Q, “Interest on Deposits” : Commercial banks, mutual savings banks and savings and loan associations will be able to offer their customers two new types of time certificates at interest rates higher than those presently permitted, under action announced jointly today by the Federal Home Loan Bank Board, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and the Federal Reserve Board. The action, which is effective June 1, will provide more flexibility for financial institutions to compete for funds to assure an adequate flow of credit into housing and to meet other borrowing needs. The two new instruments are (1) a short-term money market certificate with a ceiling interest rate that changes weekly for new deposits with changes in the average yield [on a discount basis] on new issues of 6-month Treasury bills, and (2) an 8-year certificate with a fixed maximum rate of interest. Interest rates available on Treasury securities in the open market now exceed the maximum rates that banks and savings and loan associations are permitted to pay on comparable deposit maturities. The two new certificates will provide these institutions with the tools to make them more competitive with interest rates in the open market. The action by the Federal Home Loan Bank Board applies to members of the Federal Home Loan Bank System, principally federally insured savings and loan associations; the FDIC’s, to federally insured mutual savings banks and commercial banks that are not members of the Federal Reserve System; and the Federal Reserve’s, to commercial banks that are members of the Federal Reserve System, including all national banks. Today’s announcement was made after consultation among the three agencies and with the U.S. Treasury Department and the Comptroller of the Currency. No change was made in the savings passbook rates or in the maximum permissible rates that may be paid by banks or savings and loan associations on time deposits ranging from 30 days to less than 8 years. The main features of the two new instruments are: 1. Money M arket Certificate — This will have many of the characteristics of a 6-month Treasury bill. It must be issued in minimum denominations of $10,000 with a 6-month (26-week) maturity. The maximum permissible rate of interest that may be paid will be tied to the average (auction) yield for the 6-month Treasury bill in the most recent weekly auction. Treasury bills are auctioned weekly, normally on Monday, and are issued three business days later, normally on Thursday. The ceiling rate on the money market certificates — which are nonnegotiable — will be adjusted each week effective on the day the new 6-month bills are issued. Commercial banks may pay a rate not to exceed the auction average (auction average on a discount basis), and savings and loan associations and mutual savings banks may pay one-quarter of one per cent more. If a holiday falls on Monday, the auction is held the previous Friday. (Over) The average yield [on a discount basis] on Treasury bills is announced by the Treasury Department late in the day of the auction. The average yield on 6-month Treasury bills auctioned last Monday was 6.986 per cent. Since Institutions may offer this new certificate for the first time beginning .Tune 1, the ceiling rate will be pegged initially to the Treasury bill auction to be held Friday, May 26. 2. Long-Term Certificate — This may be issued in minimum denominations of $1,000 at maturities of 8 years or more at a maximum rate of IV* per cent for commercial banks and 8 per cent for savings and loan associations and mutual savings banks. The introduction of an 8-year fixed-ceiling certificate will not only add to the ability of financial institutions to compete more effectively for funds but it will also have the advantage of lengthening the deposit structure of institutions, thus contributing to greater stability in the cost and availability of funds. Both the money market certificate and the new long-term certificate are subject to existing penalties for early withdrawal, namely a loss of 90 days’interest and the payment of any remaining interest at the passbook rate. All issuing institutions, however, are permitted tc lend on the collateral of their time deposits, so long as the loan carries an interest rate at least one per cent higher than the rate being paid on the deposit pledged. As a result of the joint action, the maximum permissible rate that may be paid by all depository institutions on new deposits of governmental units and Individual Retirement (IRA) and Keogh Accounts will move to 8 per cent. This ceiling rate is fixed at the highest rate a federally insured bank or savings and loan may pay on time deposits of maturities of more than 6 months (26 weeks). Rates on existing governmental, IRA and Keogh Accounts may not be increased until they mature. Following is a table showing the new ceiling rates on time and savings deposits: Maximum Permissible Rate For Commercial Banks For Savings and Loan Assoications and M utual Savings Banks Savings 5 5V* Negotiable Order of Withdrawal (New England only) 5 5 Type o f Deposit Money Market Certificate Average yield on 6-month Treasury bills in latest weekly auction V* per cent above the average yield on 6-month Treasury bills in latest weekly auction 5 51/2 no category Other Time Deposits — 30 to 89 days 90 days to 1 year 1-21/2 years 21/2-4 years 4-6 years 6-8 years 8 years or more Governmental Units, IRA and Keogh Accounts 53/4 6V2 6 61/2 63/4 IV* IV2 IV* IV2 IV* 8 8 8 The text o f the amendment to Regulation Q will be sent to you as soon as it becomes available. Questions regarding the amendment may be directed to our Consumer Affairs and Bank Regulations Department (Tel. No. 212-791-5919). PAUL A. VOLCKER, President.
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