On November 2, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) amended its rules governing exempt offerings. The amendments intend to harmonize the “patchwork” framework currently in place that governs exempt offerings. Among other things, the amendments increase the offering limits for Regulation A, Regulation Crowdfunding and Rule 504 offerings, revise certain individual investment limits, and set clear and consistent rules regarding certain offering communications. Release.
On November 2, the SEC adopted final rule 18f-4 under the Investment Company Act. The new rule intends to update the regulation of funds’ use of derivatives. Under the new framework, funds using derivatives will generally have to adopt a derivatives risk-management program administered by a derivatives risk manager and comply with an outer limit on fund leverage risk based on certain calculations. Final Rule.
On October 29, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) issued a final rule amending its disclosure of records and information regulation. The new rule intends to increase protection of confidential information and improve clarity and transparency with agency partners and others. Final Rule.
On October 28, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) adopted a new rule 18f-4 under the Investment Company Act of 1940 allowing registered funds to enter into derivative transactions, provided they comply with certain conditions intended to protect investors. The rule will become effective 60 days after publication with an 18-month transition period for compliance with the provisions and related reporting requirements. Release.
On October 27, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) submitted a final rule for publication to determine when a national bank or federal savings association makes a loan to a third party and is the “true lender.” The rule clarifies that a bank is a “true lender” if, as of the date of origination, the bank (1) is named as the lender in the loan agreement or (2) funds the loan. OCC Bulletin.
On October 20, the federal bank regulatory agencies finalized a rule to limit the impact of the failure of large banking organizations. The final rule requires a more stringent regulatory capital treatment for holdings of total loss-absorbing capacity (TLAC) debt, which is issued by U.S. global systemically important bank holding companies (GSIBs). This is intended to discourage large banking organizations from purchasing such debt and reduce the interconnectedness between large banking organizations. The final rule is effective on April 1, 2021. Release.
On September 29, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (Federal Reserve) and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), together with the OCC and the Federal Reserve (the “Agencies”), published final rules temporarily deferring real estate appraisal requirements for financial institutions and mitigating the regulatory capital and liquidity effects for banks that participate in certain COVID-related Federal Reserve liquidity facilities. The final rules are identical or substantially similar to interim final rules currently in effect that were issued earlier this year. The final rule on real estate appraisals temporarily allows financial institutions to defer completion of appraisals and evaluations on certain residential and commercial real estate transactions for up to 120 days after closing. The final rule on the Federal Reserve liquidity facilities provides that banking organizations that participate in the Federal Reserve’s Money Market Mutual Fund Liquidity Facility and Paycheck Protection Program Liquidity Facility are permitted to exclude exposures acquired through their participation in such programs when determining their compliance with the Agencies’ regulatory capital rule and/or liquidity coverage ratio rule. OCC Release. Federal Reserve Release. FDIC Release.
On September 11, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) announced the Division of Swap Dealer Intermediary Oversight (DSIO) and the Division of Market Oversight (DMO) are further extending certain elements of the temporary no-action relief issued in response to the COVID-19 pandemic that are set to expire on September 30. The extended relief expires January 15. Such relief includes relief for affected firms from CFTC regulations related to voice trading and other telephonic communications, as well as time-stamping requirements when located in remote, socially-distanced locations. No-action relief will also be extended for SEFs and DCMs from certain CFTC regulations regarding audit trails, recording of oral communications, and related requirements as a result of the displacement of trading personnel from their normal business sites. Release.
On September 11, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced that it has adopted rules to update and expand the statistical disclosures that bank and savings and loan registrants provide to investors. The rules also eliminate certain disclosure items that are duplicative of other Commission rules and requirements of U.S. GAPP or IFRS. Release.
On August 18, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) to create a new category of qualified mortgage (QM) loans exempt from Regulation Z’s ability-to-repay requirements. The new “Seasoned QM” category would include certain fixed rate, first lien loans that the creditor has held in portfolio for a seasoning period of 36 months and that meet certain performance requirements at the end of such period. The proposal would also permit loans in temporary forbearance as a result of disaster or pandemic-related emergencies to qualify for Seasoned QM status if certain conditions are met. Comments on the proposal will be due 30 days after publication in the Federal Register. Release. NPRM.
