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FEDERAL RESERVE BANK
OF NEW YORK

[c irc u la r No. 8 3 6 8 1
June 7, 1978

REGULATION Q
Board of Governors’ Order Extending the Applicability of 8% Interest Rate
Ceiling to Both New and Outstanding IRA and Keogh Deposits

To All Member Banks, and Others Concerned,
in the Second Federal Reserve District:

As indicated in our Circular No. 8363, dated May 31,1978, the Board of Governors of
the Federal Reserve System has ruled that member banks may pay up to 8% interest on all
Individual Retirement Account and Keogh Plan deposits (under $100,000) beginning
June 1, 1978.
Enclosed is a copy of the Board’s Order in this matter. Any questions thereon may be
directed to our Consumer Affairs and Bank Regulations Department (Tel. No. 212-7915919).




P a u l A. V o l c k e r ,
P re sid e n t.

Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System
REGULATION Q
SECTION 217.7 — MAXIMUM RATES OF INTEREST PAYABLE BY
MEMBER BANKS ON TIME AND SAVINGS DEPOSITS
(SUPPLEMENT TO REGULATION Q)
Order Extending 8% Interest Rate Ceiling to Both New and Outstanding IRA and Keogh Deposits

Maximum Rates of Interest Payable

of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, Washing­
ton, D.C. 20551.

AGENCY: Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve

System.
ACTION: Final Rule.
SUM M ARY: In its Order dated May 11, 1978 (43 FR

21453), the Board announced an amendment to Regu­
lation Q, effective June 1, 1978, that permits member
banks to offer to depositors two new categories of time
deposits and provided that member banks may pay
interest on Individual Retirement Account (IRA) or
Keogh (H.R. 10) Plan time deposits under $100,000 at a
rate not in excess of 8 per cent. The Board stated that
the 8 per cent rate could be paid only on new time
deposits or additional funds deposited to existing
accounts on or after June 1 and that rates paid by
member banks on funds currently on deposit in
IRA/Keogh time deposits could not be increased prior
to the maturity of such funds. After consideration of the
operational problems member banks would face as a
result of this decision, the Board has determined to
permit member banks to pay the new 8 per cent rate,
effective June 1, 1978, on any outstanding time deposits
held in IRA or Keogh Plan accounts.
EFFECTIVE DATE: June 1, 1978.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT: Gilbert

T. Schwartz, Senior Attorney, (202-452-3623) or Anthony
F. Cole, Attorney, (202-452-3711) Legal Division, Board

SUPPLEM ENTARY INFORMATION: Effective June

1, 1978, the Board amended section 217.7 of Regulation
Q (12 CFR 217.7) to establish two new categories of
time deposits. Under the provisions of the first new
deposit category, member banks are permitted to pay
interest to depositors at a maximum rate of IVa per cent
on deposits of $1,000 or more maturing in eight years or
more. The second new deposit category established by
the Board authorizes member banks to pay interest on
nonnegotiable time deposits of $10,000 or more with
maturities of 26 weeks at a maximum rate equal to the
discount rate (auction average) on the most recently
issued six-month United States Treasury bills.
In addition, the Board amended, effective June 1,
1978, the existing provisions of Regulation Q that
provide that member banks may pay interest on
Individual Retirement Account and Keogh (H.R. 10)
Plan time deposits of less than $100,000 with maturities
of three years or more (12 CFR 217.7(e)) at a rate not in
excess of the highest of any of the permissible rates that
can be paid on time deposits under $100,000 by any
Federally insured commercial bank, mutual savings
bank or savings and loan association. The provision was
amended to provide that the rate paid on such time
deposits shall be at a rate not in excess of the highest of
any of the permissible rates that can be paid on time
deposits under $100,000 with maturities in excess of six
months (26 weeks) by any Federally insured commercial
bank, mutual savings bank or savings and loan
association.

For this Regulation to be complete, retain:
1) Regulation Q pam phlet, effective D ecem ber 4, 1975.
2) A m endm ents effective M arch 1, 1976, July 26, 1976, November 8, 1976, M arch 24, 1977,
July 6, 1977, November 23, 1977, D ecem ber 1, 1977, June 1, 1978, July 6, 1978, and
November 1, 1978.
3) Supplem ent effective Decem ber 4, 1975.
4) This slip sheet.
PRINTED IN NEW YORK

[Enc. Cir. No. 8368]




(OVER)

In this connection, the Board stated that since the
Federal Home Loan Bank Board and the Federal
Deposit Insurance Corporation were taking action,
effective June 1, to establish a new category of time
deposit with a maturity of eight or more years for
Federally insured savings and loan associations and
mutual savings banks at a ceiling rate of 8 per cent,
member banks may pay 8 per cent on IRA/Keogh time
deposits with maturities of three or more years. The
Board further stated, however, that the new 8 per cent
rate may be paid only on new time deposits or addi­
tional funds deposited to existing accounts, and that
rates paid by member banks on funds currently on
deposit in IRA/Keogh time deposits may not be
increased prior to the maturity of such funds.
The Board has now determined to permit member
banks, effective June 1, to increase the rate of interest
paid on existing IRA and Keogh Plan time deposit
funds with original maturities of three years or more.
The rate of interest paid on existing IRA and Keogh
funds with maturities of less than three years may also
be increased to 8 per cent, effective June 1, if the
maturities of such obligations are extended to three
years or more from the date of the increase in the rate
of interest paid.
The Board is taking this action on the basis of




comments received which indicate that the Board’s
earlier determination not to permit an increase in the
rates of interest paid on outstanding IRA and Keogh
funds would cause substantial and costly operational
problems with no offsetting benefit to either banks or
consumers. The Board stated, however, that its action
should not be regarded as establishing a precedent and
that should ceiling rates of interest be changed in the
future, the Board may not necessarily permit the ceiling
rate of interest payable on existing retirement savings to
change.
It is anticipated that this action will alleviate opera­
tional problems and will result in substantial public
benefits by permitting existing retirement savers to
obtain the most advantageous IRA and Keogh pro­
grams. In order to facilitate the achievement of these
objectives and since this action relieves an existing
regulatory restriction, the Board finds that application
of the notice and public participation provisions of 5
U.S.C. § 553 to this action would be contrary to the
public interest and that good cause exists for making
this action effective in less than 30 days. The Board’s
action is taken at this time, after consultation with the
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and the Federal
Home Loan Bank Board, pursuant to its authority
under Section 19(j) of the Federal Reserve Act (12
U.S.C. § 371b).