The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) published a final rule on October 27 that adopts a “bright line test” for determining when a national bank or federal savings bank (bank) is the “true lender” in connection with a loan originated pursuant to a third-party partnership (Final Rule). Under the Final Rule, a Bank makes a loan when it, as of the date of origination, (1) is named as the lender in the loan agreement; or (2) funds the loan. In cases where one bank is named as the lender in the loan agreement and another bank funds the loan, the bank named as the lender in the loan agreement is deemed to have “made” the loan.
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third-party relationships
MiFID II: ESMA Publishes Final Report on Third-Country Firm Regime
On September 28, the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) published its final report (Final Report), accompanied by draft regulatory and implementing technical standards (RTS and ITS) on the provision of investment services and activities in the European Union (EU) by third-country firms under the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (MiFID II) (600/2014) and the associated Markets in Financial Instruments Regulation (MiFIR).
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NFA Issues Guidance Regarding Coronavirus
On March 4, National Futures Association (NFA) published a Notice to Members with information regarding the Coronavirus. In the notice, NFA acknowledged that Members may be concerned about their ability to meet Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and NFA regulatory requirements in light of the potential impact of the Coronavirus.
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FCA Publishes LIBOR Dear CEO Letter
On February 27, the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) published a “Dear CEO” letter regarding the London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) (the Letter). In the Letter, Head of Asset Management Supervision at the FCA, Nick Miller, noted that “LIBOR will cease after December 2021” and that asset managers must “prepare now for the end of LIBOR.”
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EBA Announces 2020 Digital Finance Priorities
On March 3, the European Banking Authority (EBA) published a speech by Chair of the EBA, José Manuel Campa, at the 4th Annual Conference on “FinTech and Digital Innovation: Delivering for the Future” (the Speech).
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Joint Audit Committee Releases Two Regulatory Alerts
On May 14, the Joint Audit Committee (JAC), a representative committee of US futures exchanges and the National Futures Association (NFA), released two regulatory alerts of particular importance to futures commission merchants (FCMs) that clear for customers whose accounts are managed by third-party advisers. The regulatory alerts “reconfirm and reiterate” the JAC’s view of existing law regarding guarantees against loss and margin in the context of multiple accounts of a single beneficial owner at an FCM, which accounts are managed by different advisers and/or traded pursuant to different programs of the same adviser.
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OCC Issues FAQs on Managing Third-Party Relationships
On June 7, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) issued frequently asked questions (FAQs) to supplement OCC Bulletin 2013-29, “Third-Party Relationships: Risk Management Guidance,” which was originally issued on October 30, 2013. These FAQs address questions from national banks and federal savings associations. The FAQs and underlying OCC Bulletin 2013-29 apply to …