To: All Member Banks and Others Concerned in the Third Federal Reserve District
Attention: Chief Executive Officer and Chief Compliance Officer
Subject: PROPOSED REVISED BANK HOLDING COMPANY RATING SYSTEM: NOTICE AND REQUEST FOR COMMENT
Summary:
The Board of
Governors of the Federal Reserve System requests public
comment on proposed revisions that would better align
the bank holding company rating system with current
supervisory practices. The proposed rating system incorporates
an increased emphasis on risk management, a more flexible
and comprehensive evaluation of financial condition,
and an explicit determination of the likelihood that
the nondepository entities of a holding company will
have a significant negative impact on the depository
subsidiaries.
Under the revised rating system, each holding company
would be assigned a composite rating (C) based on an
evaluation and rating of three essential components
of an institution’s financial condition and operations:
risk management (R); financial condition (F); and potential
impact (I) of the parent company and nondepository subsidiaries
on the subsidiary depository institutions. A fourth
component in the rating system, (D), would generally
mirror the primary supervisors’ assessment of
the subsidiary depository institutions. (A simplified
version of the rating system would be applied to noncomplex
bank holding companies with assets of less than $1 billion.)
To provide a consistent framework for assessing risk management, the risk management component is supported by four qualitatively rated subcomponents: competence of board and senior management; policies, procedures, and limits; risk monitoring and management information systems; and internal controls. The financial condition component is supported by four numerically rated subcomponents: capital adequacy; asset quality; earnings; and liquidity. The proposal also contains guidance on implementation of the revised rating system based on holding company size and complexity.
The Federal Register notice, published July 23,
2004, is available here (320 KB, 26 pages).
Date: Comments must be submitted by September 21, 2004.
For Further Information: Deborah Bailey, Associate Director, (202-452-2634), Barbara Bouchard, Deputy Associate Director, (202-452-3072), Molly Mahar, Senior Supervisory Financial Analyst, (202-452-2568), or Anna Lee Hewko, Supervisory Financial Analyst, (202-530-6260). For users of Telecommunications Device for the Deaf (“TDD”) only, contact (202) 263-4869.