The Fed - Supervisory Policy and Guidance Topics (2024)

Securities

Banks invest in securities to promote earnings growth and liquidity. Investment securities provide liquidity because of their marketability. However, lightly traded or exotic securities (such as structured notes) may lose their marketability over time and become less liquid. Institutions must ensure that their investment and end-user activities are permissible and appropriate within established limitations and restrictions on bank holdings of these instruments. Institutions should also employ sound risk-management practices consistently across these varying product categories, regardless of their legal characteristics or nomenclature.

Policy Letters

Securities Activities

Uniform Agreement on the Classification and Appraisal of Securities Held by Depository Institutions

Interagency Policy on Banks/Thrifts Providing Financial Support to Funds Advised by the Banking Organization

Overnight Hold-In-Custody Repurchase Transactions

Department of the Treasury Interpretation Regarding Allocation of Securities to Customer Accounts in Hold-in-Custody Repurchase Transactions

Violations of Federal Reserve Margin Regulations in Custodial Agency Accounts Resulting From "Free-Riding" Schemes

Sale of Uninsured Debt Obligations and Securities Issued by Bank Holding Companies, Nonbank Affiliates, or State Member Banks on Retail Banking Premises

Regulation G

SEC Matters & Brokerage Firm Operations

Interpretation of Interagency Statement on Retail Sales of Nondeposit Investment Products

Examination Procedures for Retail Sales of Nondeposit Investment Products

Interagency Statement on Retail Sales of Nondeposit Investment Products

Government Securities Activities

Reports of Examinations of Government Securities Activities

Government Securities Act Amendments of 1993

Examination of State Branches and Agencies of Foreign Banks for Compliance with Regulations Related to Government Securities Activities

Additional Resources

Manual References

  • Bank Holding Company Supervision Manual
    • Section 2126.1, "Investment Securities and End-User Derivatives Activities"
    • Section 2140.0, "Securities Lending"
    • Section 2150.0, "Repurchase Transactions"
    • Section 2187.0, "Violations of Federal Reserve Margin Regulations Resulting from Free-Riding Schemes"
    • Section 3240.0, "4(c)(8) – Underwriting and Dealing in U.S. Obligations, Municipal Securities, and Money Market Instruments"
  • Commercial Bank Examination Manual
    • Section 2500.1, "Investment Securities and End-User Activities"
    • Section 5230.1, "Bank Dealer Activities"
  • Trading and Capital Markets Activities Manual
    • Section 3000.1, "Investment Securities and End User Activities"
The Fed - Supervisory Policy and Guidance Topics (2024)

FAQs

What are the three main responsibilities of the Federal Reserve providing policy and supervising? ›

You have learned about the Fed's three main responsibilities—conducting monetary policy, supervising banks, and providing financial services.

What are the Fed supervisory actions? ›

The Federal Reserve may take informal and formal enforcement actions against entities it supervises and individuals affiliated with such entities, for violations of laws, rules or regulations, unsafe or unsound practices, breaches of fiduciary duty, and violations of written commitments.

What is the main purpose of the Fed in its supervisory role? ›

The Federal Reserve is responsible for supervising--monitoring, inspecting, and examining--certain financial institutions to ensure that they comply with rules and regulations, and that they operate in a safe and sound manner.

What are 3 things the Federal Reserve is responsible for regulating? ›

Today, the Fed is tasked with managing U.S. monetary policy, regulating bank holding companies and other member banks, and monitoring systemic risk in the financial system. The seven-member Board of Governors, the system's seat of power, is based in Washington, DC, and currently led by Fed Chair Jerome Powell.

What are two examples of what the Federal Reserve supervises and regulates? ›

Supervision and Regulation
  • supervising the activities of financial institutions to ensure their safety and soundness.
  • developing regulatory policy (for example, rulemakings, policy statements, and guidance) and acting on applications filed by banking organizations.

What are the 3 main purposes roles of the Federal Reserve? ›

It is the Federal Reserve's actions, as a central bank, to achieve three goals specified by Congress: maximum employment, stable prices, and moderate long-term interest rates in the United States (figure 3.1).

What is the most severe supervisory action? ›

Cease and desist orders are typically the most severe and can be issued either with or without consent.

What are the 5 key functions of the Fed? ›

The Fed performs five general functions:
  • Conducting the nation's monetary policy.
  • Regulating banking institutions.
  • Monitoring and protecting the credit rights of consumers.
  • Maintaining the stability of the financial system.
  • Providing financial services to the U.S. government2.

What are the four functions of the Fed as regulator? ›

The Fed's main duties include conducting national monetary policy, supervising and regulating banks, maintaining financial stability, and providing banking services.

What is the difference between supervisory and regulatory? ›

Supervision and Regulation: An Introduction

Bank regulation refers to the written rules that define acceptable behavior and conduct for financial institutions. The Board of Governors, along with other bank regulatory agencies, carries out this responsibility. Bank supervision refers to the enforcement of these rules.

What is the most powerful job of the Federal Reserve system? ›

Conducting monetary policy: The U.S. central bank's most well-known function. Monetary policy primarily refers to the Fed's interest rate decisions, which help steer the U.S. economy toward its two main goals: stable prices and maximum employment.

What supervisory and regulatory authority does the Fed have under current law? ›

The Federal Reserve supervises, among other entities, state-chartered banks that are members of the Federal Reserve System (state member banks). Further, the Federal Reserve has supervisory and regulatory authority for all bank holding companies (BHCs) and savings and loan holding companies.

What are the main purposes of regulatory policies? ›

‌‌Regulatory policy is about achieving government's objectives through the use of regulations, laws, and other instruments to deliver better economic and social outcomes and thus enhance the life of citizens and business.

What is the primary focus of the Fed's monetary policy? ›

Monetary policy in the United States comprises the Federal Reserve's actions and communications to promote maximum employment, stable prices, and moderate long-term interest rates--the economic goals the Congress has instructed the Federal Reserve to pursue.

What are the three 3 major goals of the Federal Reserve Fed )? ›

The Federal Reserve Act mandates that the Federal Reserve conduct monetary policy "so as to promote effectively the goals of maximum employment, stable prices, and moderate long-term interest rates."1 Even though the act lists three distinct goals of monetary policy, the Fed's mandate for monetary policy is commonly ...

What are the three main responsibilities of the federal government? ›

The three main responsibilities of the federal government include providing for the national defense, promoting general welfare through social programs, and managing federal finances including taxation and budget allocation.

What are the three main components of the Federal Reserve System? ›

The Federal Reserve System performs five functions to promote the effective operation of the U.S. economy and, more generally, to serve the public interest. It includes three key entities: the Board of Governors, 12 Federal Reserve Banks, and the Federal Open Market Committee.

What are three major responsibilities of the Fed quizlet? ›

The three duties of the Fed are: Holding Reserves, Assuring Stability and Lending Money.

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