On March 31, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (Federal Reserve Board) published six sets of responses to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) consisting of existing legal interpretations regarding Regulations H, K, L, O, W and Y. Additional FAQs will be released periodically and posted to the agency’s website as part of an ongoing effort to increase transparency and enhance accessibility to Federal Reserve Board legal interpretations. Release. FAQs.
On March 8, the Federal Reserve Board announced it will extend its Paycheck Protection Program Liquidity Facility (PPPLF) by three months to June 30, 2021. The Commercial Paper Funding Facility (CPFF), the Money Market Mutual Fund Liquidity Facility (MMLF) and the Primary Dealer Credit Facility (PDCF) have not had significant usage since last summer and will expire as scheduled on March 31. Release.
On March 5, the Federal Reserve Board clarified guidance as it relates to definitions for minority depository institutions (MDIs) by expanding the MDI definition to include women-owned financial institutions, and highlighting resources available to MDIs through its Partnership for Progress (PFP) program. Release.
On February 9, The Federal Reserve Board announced the second extension to a temporary modification of the Board’s rules that allows certain bank directors and shareholders to apply to their banks for Small Business Administration Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans for their small businesses. The modification is intended to improve the effectiveness of the PPP. Prior to this modification, limits on the types and quantity of loans that bank directors, shareholders, officers and businesses owned by these persons can receive from their affiliated banks prevented some small business owners from accessing PPP loans. The rule extension is effective immediately and applies to PPP loans made through March 31, 2021. Release.
On November 18, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), the Federal Reserve Board (FRB), and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) (collectively, the “Agencies”) announced that the threshold for exempting loans from special appraisal requirements for higher-priced mortgage loans during 2021 will remain at $27,200, as it was in 2020. Release.
On October 30, the Federal Reserve Board (FRB) announced adjustments to the Main Street Lending Program in an effort to better support smaller businesses. The changes include reducing the minimum required loan size to $100,000 from $250,000 and adjusting the fees to encourage eligible lenders to provide these smaller loans. Release.
On September 17, the Federal Reserve Board released its hypothetical scenarios for a second round of bank stress tests. Earlier this year, the Board’s first round of stress tests found that large banks were well capitalized under a range of hypothetical events. An additional round of stress tests is being performed due to the continued uncertainty from the COVID event. Release.
On July 15, the Federal Reserve Board (FRB) announced it was extending a recent rule change relating to the Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program. The rule change will allow certain bank directors and shareholders to apply to their banks for PPP loans for their small businesses. The rule change is effective immediately and will remain effective while the PPP is active. Release.
On June 8, the Federal Reserve Board (the “Board”) announced that it was expanding its Main Street Lending Program to allow more small and medium-sized business to qualify for the program. Among the changes, the Board lowered the minimum loan size for certain loans from $500,000 to $250,000, increased the maximum loan size for all facilities, increased the term of each loan option from four years to five years and extended the repayment period for all loans by delaying principal payments for two years rather than one year. Release.
On June 3, the Federal Reserve Board announced an expansion in the number and type of entities eligible to directly use its Municipal Liquidity Facility (MLF). Under the new terms, all U.S. states will be able to have at least two cities or counties eligible to directly issue notes to the MLF, regardless of population. Governors of each state will also be able to designate two issuers in their jurisdictions whose revenues are generally derived from operating government activities to be eligible to directly use the facility. Release.
