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☆ Deposit insurance is addiction not medication
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( John Foley | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

NEW YORK, March 16 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Deposit insurance is as American as apple pie, and twice as unhealthy. Bank deposits in the United States are guaranteed up to $250,000, and over 90% of SVB’s accounts held more than that sum. Alternatively, regulators could invite the market to provide a solution – say, with privately funded insurance for deposits over the guaranteed limit. The trouble is that deposit insurance is like Novocaine – the higher the dose, the more the patient becomes numb. For that reason the best option is probably to do nothing – or better still, lower the deposit insurance limit.

☆ Tech pressure, Yellen everywhere: How Washington scrambled as SVB collapsed
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( Andrea Shalal | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

Yellen heads to the White House, Brainard meets with her staff and holds Zoom calls in her wood-paneled office in the West Wing. Treasury staff hustle to get Yellen on CBS News' "Face the Nation" program on Sunday, in an attempt to reassure markets. White House officials draft news releases with various scenarios, uncertain until shortly before 6 p.m. if an acquisition can still happen. As he leaves Delaware to return to the White House, Biden tells reporters he will make a statement on Monday. Treasury and White House officials reach out to members of Congress and their staffs throughout the evening to explain the plan, with discussions continuing into Monday.

☆ U.S. House Financial Services chair urges confidence, says financial agencies acting within law
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The FDIC is doing what the FDIC is supposed to do in conformance with the law," Representative Patrick McHenry told CNBC, adding Americans should "have confidence in their financial system." "You have the decisions of the institution, and you have decisions of the supervisors," the Republican committee chairman told Punchbowl late on Monday after briefing Republicans on the matter. His administration stepped in over the weekend to shore up the banks, with the FDIC taking over receivership. Biden also vowed new bank rules after regulations enacted after the 2008 financial crisis were rolled back under former Republican President Donald Trump. The panel's ranking Democrat, Maxine Waters, on Monday urged bipartisan work to ensure the stability of the financial system.

REUTERS/Brendan McDermidORLANDO, Florida, March 14 (Reuters) - When the U.S. yield curve inverts bad things tend to happen. chartCARRY THAT WEIGHTWhile SVB's failure may not be a direct casualty of the inverted yield curve, an inverted curve is a sign that wider financial conditions are not so easy, presenting banks with a far more challenging economic and financial environment. The two-year Treasury yield has been higher than the 10-year yield since last July as the Fed has embarked on its most aggressive rate-raising campaign in decades. Banks make money when the yield curve slopes positively, borrowing cheaply via customer deposits, central bank windows or the short end of the curve, and lending longer term at higher rates - a classic 'carry trade'. A downward-sloping curve stymies this 'carry' and curbs lending, and the consequences are clear when that lasts for as long as eight months.

☆ Live updates: Silicon Valley Bank collapses
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-13 | by ( Mark Thompson | Aditi Sangal | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

US banks were sitting on $620 billion in unrealized losses (assets that have decreased in price but haven’t been sold yet) at the end of 2022, according to the FDIC. What’s happening: Back when interest rates were near zero, US banks scooped up lots of Treasuries and bonds. When interest rates rise, newly issued bonds start paying higher rates to investors, which makes the older bonds with lower rates less attractive and less valuable. The result is that most banks have some amount of unrealized losses on their books. Shares of larger banks stabilized Friday after plunging to their worst day in nearly three years on Thursday.

WASHINGTON/SINGAPORE, March 13 (Reuters) - U.S. authorities launched emergency measures on Sunday to shore up confidence in the banking system after the failure of Silicon Valley Bank (SIVB.O) threatened to trigger a broader financial crisis. Silicon Valley Bank (SVB), a mainstay for the startup economy, was a product of the decades-long era of cheap money, with unique risks that made it especially vulnerable. With the Fed poised to continue raising interest rates, investors said the financial system may not be fully out of the woods just yet. Goldman Sachs' analysts said they no longer expect it to raise rates at that meeting, amid the stress in the banking sector. A senior U.S. Treasury official said the actions taken would protect depositors, while providing additional support to the broader banking system, but officials and regulators were continuing to monitor financial system stability.

☆ Bank-rule pendulum swings back to 'safety first'
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-13 | by ( John Foley | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

NEW YORK, March 13 (Reuters Breakingviews) - The crisis that struck the U.S. banking system over the weekend had many causes. After the 2008 crisis, Congress bound up the financial system with rules to prevent bank death spirals. The major financial authorities – the Fed, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency – applied the lighter touch. The Fed was permitted to retain tough rules for banks with assets over $100 billion, but decided not to. There are, after all, only 17 banks with assets between $100 billion and $250 billion – two fewer than last week.

☆ Biden’s Bank Bailout Whoppers
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-13 | by ( The Editorial Board | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

President Biden tried to reassure Americans early Monday morning that the banking system is safe and not to worry about the failures of Silicon Valley ( SVB ) and Signature banks. Markets didn’t believe him because bank stocks took another plunge, with some down 60% or more. Perhaps investors don’t believe the Administration’s Sunday interventions solve the problems. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. says it couldn’t find a private buyer for SVB, though a source tells us Treasury and the Federal Reserve favored one. FDIC Chairman Martin Gruenberg nixed it owing to hostility to bank mergers.

The move will not lead to losses by American taxpayers and all depositors will be made whole, the statement said. “Today we are taking decisive actions to protect the U.S. economy by strengthening public confidence in our banking system,” the statement said. SVB equity and bondholders would be wiped out, said the official, who briefed reporters after the announcement. The Biden administration will work with Congress and financial regulators to consider additional actions to further strengthen the financial system, the official said. The official said the economy remains in good shape but officials would continue to take steps to ensure the financial system remains strong.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. administration stepped in on Sunday with a series of emergency measures to shore up confidence in the banking system after the failure of Silicon Valley Bank threatened to trigger a broader systemic crisis. “The American people and American businesses can have confidence that their bank deposits will be there when they need them,” Biden said in a statement. Silicon Valley Bank (SVB), a mainstay for the startup economy, was a product of the decades-long era of cheap money, with unique risks that made it especially vulnerable. With the Fed poised to continue raising interest rates, investors said the financial system may not be fully out of the woods just yet. “Going forward, we will work with Congress and the financial regulators to consider additional actions we could take in the future to strengthen the financial system,” the official said.

☆ Stocks week ahead: US banks sitting on unrealized losses of $620 billion
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-12 | by ( Nicole Goodkind | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

US banks were sitting on $620 billion in unrealized losses (assets that have decreased in price but haven’t been sold yet) at the end of 2022, according to the FDIC. What’s happening: Back when interest rates were near zero, US banks scooped up lots of Treasuries and bonds. The result is that most banks have some amount of unrealized losses on their books. “Unrealized losses weaken a bank’s future ability to meet unexpected liquidity needs,” he added. Before the Bell: Do we need unemployment to rise in order to ease inflation rates?

☆ U.S. government steps in and says people with funds deposited at SVB will be able to access their money
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-12 | by ( Jeff Cox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Those with money at the bank will have full access starting Monday. The Treasury Department designated both SVB and Signature as systemic risks, giving it authority to unwind both institutions in a way that it said "fully protects all depositors." The Fed facility will offer loans of up to one year to banks, saving associations, credit unions and other institutions. The SVB failure was the nation's largest collapse of a financial institution since Washington Mutual went under in 2008. Authorities had spent the weekend looking for a larger institution to buy SVB, but came up short.

WASHINGTON/NEW YORK, March 11 (Reuters) - The rapid unraveling of SVB Financial Group (SIVB.O) has blindsided the banking industry after years of stability. Investors and customers now face a nervous wait to see if SVB bank finds a buyer quickly. During the 2008 financial crisis, Washington Mutual found a buyer immediately. One area of particular focus could be larger regional banks, which saw some rule relief under the Trump administration. U.S. banking regulators said in October they were considering new requirements on large regional banks, including holding more long-term debt to weather losses.

☆ Higher expenses weigh down U.S. bank profits in 2022 - FDIC
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( Pete Schroeder | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON, Feb 28 (Reuters) - U.S. banks reported a 5.8% decline in profits in 2022 as firms spent more on noninterest items and provision expenses against future losses, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation reported Tuesday. Bank profits dropped 4.6% in the last quarter of 2022, but overall profits remain above average profits seen by the sector before the pandemic, the bank regulator said. "Key banking industry metrics remain favorable at this time," said FDIC Chairman Martin Gruenberg in a statement. The FDIC said the higher spending on noninterest items and provision expenses, particularly at larger firms, were behind the slowdown in industry profits. But the sector overall appeared strong, as the FDIC's "problem bank list" fell to 39 firms, the lowest level the agency had ever recorded.

☆ Senate Confirms Martin Gruenberg to New Term Atop FDIC
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-19 | by ( Andrew Ackerman | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Martin Gruenberg, chair of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, first joined the FDIC board in 2005, during the George W. Bush administration. WASHINGTON—The Senate confirmed Martin Gruenberg for a second term as the head of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., capping a turbulent period for the agency and cementing Democratic leadership on the bank regulator’s board. The Senate move officially wraps up an episode from a year ago in which the board’s Democratic majority put pressure on its Republican chairwoman at the time, Jelena McWilliams , prompting her to resign more than a year before her term ended. The chamber on Monday also added two Republicans, Travis Hill and Jonathan McKernan, to the banking regulator’s board, in a deal that provided the five-member agency with a full complement of board members for the first time since 2015.

☆ U.S. lawmakers press federal banking regulators on the industry’s exposure to crypto after Alameda stake in bank comes to light
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Chelsey Cox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Top Senate Democrats pressed key banking regulators on possible ties between the industry and digital currency exchanges following the bankruptcy of major cryptocurrency firm, FTX. "Banks' relationships with crypto firms raise questions about the safety and soundness of our banking system and highlight potential loopholes that crypto firms may try to exploit to gain further access." Silvergate Capital Corp., Provident Bancorp Inc., Metropolitan Commercial Bank, Signature Bank, Customers Bancorp Inc. are among several noted banks experiencing heightened volatility after the FTX failure. "Banks' relationships with crypto firms raise questions about the safety and soundness of our banking system and highlight potential loopholes that crypto firms may try to exploit to gain further access to banks," the senators wrote. To better understand the banking industry's exposure to crypto, the senators asked for responses to a roster of questions, including all business relationships between FTX, Alameda and Moonstone, by Dec. 21.

☆ Bank regulators tell Citigroup to take urgent action to fix resolution plan
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-23 | by ( Hannah Lang | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The regulators gave Citi a January 2023 deadline to submit its plan to address the shortcomings, while giving the all clear to seven other large banks that submitted resolution plans. The problems related to earlier concerns the Fed had identified with Citi’s data quality and data management in an October 2020 enforcement action against the bank. Eric Compton, a banking analyst at Morningstar, said regulators often highlight data management issues at banks because they can be interrelated, potentially having wide-ranging impact. “Citi is not the first bank to have its resolution plan dinged," he said. Those problems related to the banks' abilities to produce data in stressed conditions to implement their resolution plans.

☆ FTX crash shares eerie similarities with Bernie Madoff, ex-regulator Sheila Bair says
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( Matt Egan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Sheila Bair, a top regulator during the 2008 financial crisis, told CNN there are eerie similarities between the dramatic rise and fall of Bankman-Fried and FTX and that of infamous Ponzi scheme mastermind Bernie Madoff. Bair notes that 30-year-old Bankman-Fried, like Madoff, proved adept at using his pedigree and connections to seduce sophisticated investors and regulators into missing “red flags” hiding in plain sight. Up until the bankruptcy filing, FTX even had an application pending with federal regulators to clear derivatives, The Wall Street Journal reported. FTX’s bankruptcy filing indicates it had liabilities of $10 billion to $50 billion at the time of the filing. — If you are an FTX customer and want to discuss how you have been impacted by the bankruptcy, please reach out to Matt.Egan@CNN.com

☆ White House to Nominate Martin Gruenberg for New Term as FDIC Chairman
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-14 | by ( Andrew Ackerman | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Martin Gruenberg, acting chairman of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., in Washington in June. WASHINGTON—The White House on Monday said it would tap Martin Gruenberg , the acting head of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., for a second term as the banking regulator’s leader. The move comes during a lengthy period of uncertainty over leadership at the agency and is certain to please progressive Democrats, who favor Mr. Gruenberg as an experienced policy hand generally favoring stricter industry oversight.

☆ Banking agencies to provide guidance on crypto after better understanding risks- FDIC head
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Oct 20 (Reuters) - Banking regulators expect to provide industry guidance to financial institutions on crypto-related activities once agencies better understand the associated risks, said the acting chairman of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp."We must understand and assess the risks associated with these activities the same way that we would assess the risks related to any other new activity," said Martin Gruenberg on Thursday during a speech at the Brookings Institution. Gruenberg also added that a potential future payments system based on the use of stablecoin, which are crypto-assets typically pegged to the U.S. dollar, should complement the Federal Reserve's forthcoming FedNow service, as well as a possible U.S. central bank digital currency. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Hannah Lang in WashingtonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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