
Trump reforms, euro clearing and FRTB
The week on Risk.net, June 9–15, 2017
TRUMP REFORMS dilute banking rules
EURO CLEARING relocation proposed
FRTB could hit syndicated loans
COMMENTARY: Less stress, more angst
The US was accused this week of attempting to water down banking regulation.
A recommendation by the US Treasury to dilute the Federal Reserve’s annual stress-testing programme would return bank oversight to the “bad old days”, when the supervisor had less power to force banks to improve their risk management, according to critics. They argue the Fed should not be neutered, and that it needs tough sanctions that can hurt banks through their share prices.
Under the proposals, the Fed would conduct the Comprehensive Capital Analysis and Review every two years instead of annually, and it could not fail a bank on qualitative grounds alone.
The recommendation surfaced in a 147-page report on regulatory reforms to the US financial system sought by President Donald Trump’s administration.
The same document proposed to bring prudential regulation of US banks into line with existing global standards – largely ending the country’s practice of gold-plating rules agreed at international level. Bankers claim a delay to the implementation of new market risk rules and the net stable funding ratio will allow time for recalibration, rather than signalling the US will stall on implementation altogether. But the proposed exemption of US Treasury bonds from the leverage ratio represents a major departure from international standards, and this could cause difficulties in the final round of Basel negotiations.
Meanwhile, if the recommendations are adopted by prudential regulators, the US repo market could receive a liquidity boost. Cash on deposit with central banks, US Treasuries, and initial margin for centrally cleared derivatives would be removed from the calculation of a bank’s leverage exposure in the supplementary leverage ratio (SLR) and the enhanced SLR. But the move would undermine new clearing services that aim to shore up the market, and would see the US depart from internationally agreed standards.
Passing legislation to enact the recommendations, however, is likely to be “complicated”, admits Republican senator Mike Crapo, chair of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs. Around a fifth of the recommendations are estimated to require legislative change and Democrats are in no mood to support their Republican counterparts.
STAT OF THE WEEK
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“An attempt to frighten politicians” – One of LCH’s opponents describes the barrage of statistics from London that estimate the cost of relocating euro clearing.
Further reading
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7 days in 60 seconds
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The week on Risk.net, April 7–13, 2018
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