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News Release 2020-34 | March 17, 2020
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Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve SystemFederal Deposit Insurance CorporationOffice of the Comptroller of the Currency
The federal bank regulatory agencies today announced two actions to support the U.S. economy and allow banks to continue lending to households and businesses. They are:
The statement notes that banks have more than doubled their capital and liquidity levels over the past decade and are now substantially safer and stronger than they were previously. As a result, the agencies are encouraging banks to use that strength to support households and businesses. The statement is substantially similar to one issued by the Federal Reserve Board earlier this week.
The technical change is an interim final rule that, if a bank's capital declines by a certain amount, phases in the agencies' automatic distribution restrictions gradually, as intended. Like the statement, the interim final rule facilitates the use of firms' capital buffers to promote lending activity to households and businesses.
FDICDavid Barr(202) 898-6895 Federal Reserve Eric Kollig(202) 452-2955 OCCBryan Hubbard (202) 649-6747