On March 22, the Board of Governors of the FRB, FDIC, the National Credit Union Administration, OCC, CFPB and the State Banking Regulators issued an interagency statement encouraging financial institution cooperation with borrowers during the COVID-19 pandemic. The statement provided guidance on the troubled debt restructurings and related accounting requirements. Release.
On October 3, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the National Credit Union Administration, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network issued a statement to address instances in which certain banks and credit unions may decide to enter into collaborative arrangements to share resources to manage their Bank Secrecy Act and anti-money laundering obligations more efficiently and effectively. Joint Statement.
On September 27, 2016, the Royal Bank of Scotland (“RBS”) announced a $1.1 billion settlement with the National Credit Union Administration (“NCUA”) in connection with two federal securities litigations concerning RBS’s underwriting and sale of RMBS. The NCUA, as liquidating agent for Western Corporate Federal Credit Union and U.S. Central Federal Credit Union, brought these actions against RBS and other defendants, claiming that the defendants had misled the credit unions about the risks of RMBS and made various misrepresentations in the offering documents. Further details of the settlement are not publicly available.
On May 16, 2016, six federal agencies – the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Federal Housing Finance Agency, the Federal Reserve Board of Governors, the National Credit Union Administration, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and the Securities and Exchange Commission – requested public comments on proposed rule that would “prohibit incentive-based compensation arrangements that encourage inappropriate risks at covered financial institutions.” Comments must be submitted by July 22, 2016. Release.
On May 6, 2016, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, Treasury (OCC), the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (Board), the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA), and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) issued and sought comment on a joint proposed rule to implement section 956 of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (Dodd-Frank Act) relating to the prohibition on and the disclosure of information of incentive-based compensation arrangements. The deadline for comments is July 22, 2016. Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and Request for Comment.
Nat’l Credit Union Admin. Bd. v. RBS Sec. Inc. et al., No. 2:11-cv-05887 (C.D. Cal. July 18, 2011)
On March 16, 2015, Judge George Wu of the United States District Court for the Central District of California denied RBS Securities Inc.’s motion to dismiss the National Credit Union Administration’s second amended complaint. In July 2011, NCUA sued RBS on behalf of WesCorp, a federal credit union, in order to recover billions of dollars for failed wholesale credit unions claiming investment banks misled them about the nature and quality of offered RMBS. NCUA alleges that RBS’ underwriters downplayed investment risks and made misrepresentations in offering documents by underestimating the likelihood that borrowers would default on their mortgages. Judge Wu said that the court would not consider a motion to dismiss parts of claims under F.R.C.P. 12(b)(6). He noted that his approach differed from that of Judge John W. Lungstrum of the District of Kansas, who agreed to hear motions to dismiss portions of a claim in NCUA v. RBS Secs., Inc., No. 11-2340-JWL (D. Kan. June 20, 2011), denying and granting those motions in part. Order.
On January 29, the federal financial regulatory agencies (the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the National Credit Union Administration, and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency), in partnership with the State Liaison Committee (SLC) of the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council, issued guidance for financial institutions on private student loans with graduated repayment terms at origination.
This guidance provides principles that financial institutions should consider in their policies and procedures for originating private student loans with graduated repayment terms which are structured to provide for lower initial monthly payments that gradually increase. The Agencies issued this guidance because they recognize that the competitive job market, traditionally low entry-level salaries, and higher student debt loads can contribute to some borrowers preferring greater flexibility with their payments as they transition into the labor market. Press Release. Published Guidance.
On December 16, National Credit Union Administration filed a lawsuit in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York against U.S. Bank N.A. and Bank of America N.A., in their capacity as trustees for 99 RMBS trusts. NCUA filed the suit as liquidating agent for five failed credit unions collectively alleged to have purchased certificates in the trusts at issue. NCUA alleges that U.S. Bank and Bank of America breached their duties under the governing trust agreements by failing to properly review and monitor the loans backing the RMBS, failing to notify the investors of deficiencies in the loans, failing to take action to address those alleged deficiencies, and failing to require the repurchase of defective loans. The complaint asserts causes of action under the Trust Indenture Act and the Streit Act, a New York statute that governs administration of mortgage trusts, and seeks compensatory damages and unspecified equitable relief. Complaint.
The National Credit Union Administration, acting as liquidating agent for five failed credit unions, sued Deutsche Bank National Trust Company (DBNTC) for allegedly breaching its duties as trustee under the governing trust agreements for 121 RMBS trusts with a total original face value of approximately $140 billion. The complaint, filed November 10, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, asserts causes of action under the Trust Indenture Act and a provision of the New York Real Property Law known as the Streit Act. The complaint alleges that DBNTC failed to properly review and monitor the loans underlying the RMBS, notify the investors of deficiencies in the loans, take action to address those alleged deficiencies, and enforce the repurchase of defective loans as provided for in the governing agreements. The complaint also alleges that DBNTC failed to exercise proper oversight over the loans’ servicers, including by failing to declare the servicers and master services in default under the agreements. NCUA seeks unspecified damages, equitable relief, pre- and post-judgment interest, and fees and costs. Complaint.
On November 19, the U.S. Department of Justice announced that JPMorgan Chase & Co. has agreed to pay $13 billion to settle a number of federal and state RMBS-related civil claims against JPMorgan and two institutions that JPMorgan acquired, Bear Stearns and Washington Mutual Inc. (WaMu). Under the terms of the settlement, $4 billion will be distributed in consumer-related relief for mortgage writedowns, anti-blight work and mortgage payment reductions. The agreement also includes a previously-announced $4 billion settlement with the Federal Housing Finance Agency. Additionally, JPMorgan will pay a $2 billion civil penalty to the Justice Department for claims brought under the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery and Enforcement Act, $1.4 billion to the National Credit Union Administration, $515.4 million to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. and over $1 billion combined to the states of California, Illinois, Massachusetts, Delaware and New York. JPMorgan acknowledged in a statement of facts that its employees and employees of Bear Stearns and WaMu failed to disclose to securitization investors that certain loans did not comply with underwriting guidelines. The settlement does not resolve any potential criminal liability of JPMorgan or its employees. Settlement Agreement. Statement of Facts.
