On Monday, the Office of the Special Inspector General for the Troubled Asset Relief Program (SIGTARP) released a report entitled “Factors Affecting Efforts to Limit Payments to AIG Counterparties.” The report examines certain transactions related to the rescue of AIG, including the creation of Maiden Lane III, a limited liability company formed last year to facilitate the purchase of assets from counterparties of AIG Financia
Yesterday, Daniel K. Tarullo, a governor of the Federal Reserve System, continued his vigorous speaking schedule with a speech at the Institute of International Bankers Conference on Cross-Border Insolvency Issues in New York.
Over the past two weeks, the federal government has relied on nearly every legal authority available to address the unfolding crisis in financial institutions with large mortgage-related holdings — direct and indirect financial assistance, government takeovers and even a decision to let the bankruptcy process run its course have all come into play. Today, several new actions have been announced, together with proposals that would require Congressional action.
I. Introduction
The US Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) and the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (FRB) have jointly approved a proposed rule requiring certain companies to periodically submit Resolution Plans (also referred to as “living wills”) and Credit Exposure Reports (the “Proposed Rule”) to the FRB and FDIC.1
On September 13th, the FDIC voted to approve a final rule to be issued jointly with the Federal Reserve Board that would implement Section 165(d) of the Dodd-Frank Act. That provision requires bank holding companies with assets of $50 billion or more and companies designated as systemic by the Financial Stability Oversight Council to report periodically to the FDIC and the Federal Reserve the company's plan for its rapid and orderly resolution in the event of material financial distress or failure. The Federal Reserve will consider whether to adopt the rule shortly.
On August 22nd, the Federal Reserve Board proposed a two-year phase-in period for most savings and loan holding companies ("SLHCs") to file Federal Reserve regulatory reports with the Board and an exemption for some SLHCs from initially filing Federal Reserve regulatory reports. Under the Dodd-Frank Act, supervisory and rulemaking authority for SLHCs and their non-depository subsidiaries was transferred from the OTS to the Board. The Board previously sought comment on whether to require SLHCs to submit the same reports as bank holding companies.
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) announced that Residential Credit Solutions was the winning bidder in a pilot sale of receivership assets conducted to test the funding mechanism for the Legacy Loans Program. The FDIC, as a receiver of Franklin Bank, SSB, owns a portfolio of residential mortgage loans with an unpaid principal balance of approximately $1.3 billion, which the FDIC will convey to a limited liability company. Residential Credit Solutions will pay $64,215,000 in cash for a 50% stake in the limited liability company using 6-to-1 leverage.
The Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System proposed a rule that would require US global systemically important banking institutions to amend their contracts for certain common financial transactions to preclude the immediate termination of such contracts if a firm enters bankruptcy or a resolution process. Relevant contracts – termed “qualified financial contracts” – that would have to be amended include those used for derivatives, securities lending and short time financing such as repurchase agreements.