Title: FIRST QUARTER SUMMARY
1INSIDE WASHINGTON A CREDIT UNION UPDATE
Allied Solutions Summer Networking Conference
Beaver Creek, Colorado August 31, 2009
Presented by Dan Berger Executive Vice
President, Government Affairs National
Association of Federal Credit Unions
2OVERVIEW
- Congress Today
- Legislative Issues
- Regulatory Issues
3CONGRESS TODAY
- Focus on Consumer Issues!
4LEGISLATIVE ISSUES
5Legislative Issues
- CURIA
- Declining interest in reg relief presents
uncertain future in 111th Congress - Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) announces intention
to introduce bill to remove CU Business lending
cap - Congressmen Kanjorski and Royce introduced H.R.
3380, Promoting Lending to Americas Small
Business Act of 2009, on July 29, 2009
6Legislative Issues (cont.)
- NCUA Corporate Plan
- NAFCU Testifies on Deposit Insurance Issues
before Senate Banking FI Subcommittee on 3/19/09 - NAFCU testifies on House plan as part of H.R.
2351 on 5/20/09 - Stabilization plan part of S. 896, became law on
5/20/09
7Legislative Issues (cont.)
- EESA/TARP/CLF in 111th Congress
- (Emergency Economic Stabilization Act/Troubled
Assets Relief Program/Central Liquidity Facility) - NCUA and NAFCU led efforts to allow the CLF to
borrow up to its authorized amount of 41.5
billion by removing artificial cap.
Appropriations Omnibus allows that level until
end of FY 09 FY 10 Appropriations bills
continue to remove cap -
8Legislative Issues (cont.)
- Regulatory Restructuring
- Push to restructure financial regulators
- NAFCU working to protect NCUA/NCUSIF
- Frank, Dodd both have stated CUs not at fault for
crisis - Administration Proposal maintains federal charter
and independent NCUA
9Legislative Issues (cont.)
- Regulatory Restructuring
- Focus on Systemic Risk Regulator, Consumer
Protection, Executive Compensation - H.R. 3126 would create new Consumer Financial
Protection Agency - Would transfer NCUA consumer authority to CFPA
- NAFCU letter to HFSC on 6/23/09 Create CFPA for
unregulated create consumer office at NCUA - Direct and indirect cost to credit unions
- House attempting to complete a package of bills
by Fall Senate likely to take up one large bill
by end of year.
10Legislative Issues (cont.)
- Credit Cards
- H.R. 627, The Credit Card Accountability
Responsibility and Disclosure Act of 2009 signed
into law on 5/22/09 - Issue with provision requiring 21-day statement
notice on all open-end lines of credit in order
to charge a late fee - Could eliminate consolidated statements and due
date flexibility - Effective August 20, 2009
- NAFCU has contacted key House and Senate members
on this issue working with them, NCUA and Fed in
effort to resolve - NAFCU seeking legislative fix when Congress
returns in September
11Legislative Issues (cont.)
- Interchange Fees
- Merchants announce campaign targeting 7 key
lawmakers on 3/30/09 - NAFCU responded with grassroots effort with CUs
in those districts - Study passed as part of Credit Card bill (H.R.
627) - No action yet on introduced bills
- H.R. 2362 (Rep. Welch)
- H.R. 2695 (Rep. Conyers)
- H.R. 1212 (Sen. Durbin)
- NAFCU successful in fending off attempts to
attach interchange legislation to credit card
bill and appropriations legislation
12Merchants Newspaper Ad
13NAFCUs Newspaper Ad
14NAFCU/CUNA Newspaper Ad
The giant retailers are lobbying Congress for a
sweetheart deal - H.R. 5546. WHO WINS The
giant retailers who reap higher profits and
get exemptions from antitrust laws that could
lead to abuse. WHO LOSES Consumers who will
never see the savings. Small credit unions that
get squeezed. Local communities that will have
fewer choices for credit services. Tell
Congress H.R. 5546 means consumers lose.
15Legislative Issues (cont.)
- Overdraft Fees
- Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.), Chair of the House
Financial Institutions Subcommittee, reintroduced
legislation H.R. 1456, on 3/12/09 to make the
overdraft process as transparent as possible - Could eliminate credit union overdraft programs
- GAO Report released 3/3/08 some disclosure
issues for CUs, but CU fees generally lower - Payday lenders tying their fees to costs of
overdraft in payday lending debate - Chairman Dodd has indicated he may want to look
at issue as well
16Legislative Issues (cont.)
- Mortgage Bankruptcy Reform
- House passed broad cram-down measure as part of
H.R. 1106 this Spring - Senate Defeats Durbin Amendment to S. 896 by vote
of 45-51 - Durbin amendment would have used Obama
modification program as a screen giving lenders
a veto over bankruptcy by offering a
modification - NAFCU letter led efforts expressing concerns
about negative impact on credit unions - Senator Durbin, Chairman Conyers, and Chairman
Frank have all said issue could arise again in
the Fall if foreclosure and modification numbers
dont improve
17Legislative Issues (cont.)
- CRA
- Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) introduced H.R.
1479, the Community Reinvestment Modernization
Act of 2009 on 3/12/09 - Goal to modernize and expand CRA
- Would extend CRA requirements to Credit Unions
and other institutions - Currently has 46 co-sponsors
- No companion bill in the Senate
18Legislative Issues (cont.)
- CRA
- State Chartered CUs in Mass and CT have CRA
- Barney Frank in 3/2007 Independent Banker (ICBA
Magazine) CRA to credit unions - HFSC Hearing on 30th Anniversary of CRA on
2/13/08 - NCRCs John Taylor says CUs discriminating
- NAFCU letter in record
- Issue could arise as part of Reg Reform
19REGULATORY ISSUES
20TREASURY PLAN FOR REGULATORY RESTRUCTURING
-
- The goal is to create a more stable regulatory
regime that is flexible and effective that is
able to secure the benefits of financial
innovation while guarding the system against its
own excess. - Timothy Geithner and Lawrence Summers,
- The Washington Post, Monday, June 15,
2009
21TREASURY PLAN FOR REGULATORY RESTRUCTURING
- Financial Regulatory Reform
- The creation of a new Financial Services
Oversight Council of financial regulators - The enhanced regulation of securitization markets
- The creation of a new Consumer Financial
Protection Agency to focus on consumer protection
in credit, savings and payments markets - The creation of a National Bank Supervisor Agency
with separate status in Treasury with
responsibility for federally chartered depository
institutions - Raise international regulatory standards and
improve international cooperation
22NCUA Board Composition
- Deborah Matz-D
- Chairman
- Term expires April 10, 2015
- Gigi Hyland-D
- Expected vice chair
- Term expires August 2, 2011
- Michael E. Fryzel-R
- Term expires August 2, 2013
23Corporate System Restructuring
- Corporate credit unions should continue to serve
the liquidity and operational/payment systems
needs of natural person credit unions - Any solvent corporate credit union should be
permitted to survive voluntary mergers will
achieve economies of scale - Corporates investment authority should be
carefully regulated for investment authority
going forward, knowledge is key and independent
risk analysis must be performed - Corporate credit unions should operate under a
risk-based capital system - Maintaining membership capital should not be
mandatory - Voluntary membership capital should be structured
with a maximum cap and assessments based on usage
24Corporate System Restructuring
- Corporate credit unions should operate under
corporate governance standards created and
policed within the industry - Board members should consist of only qualified
natural person credit union directors and staff - There should be term limit requirements such as 3
years, 3 terms - There should be no trade association or league
staff members allowed on corporate boards - There should be an independent supervisory
committee that can hire outside expertise as
needed - There should be an investment oversight
committee it should be permissible for outsiders
to be members of the committee to access
requisite expertise
25Corporate System Restructuring
- NCUA will issue their proposed rule this fall.
They have announced that they will hold a series
of town hall meetings to discuss the rule. It
will likely include - Concentration risk amendments
- Changes to Capital requirements
- At present there is not a plan to require natural
person credit unions to recapitalize the
corporate system
26Corporate Stabilization Implementation
- Borrowed 1 billion from Treasury to pay for the
acquisition of the 1 billion U.S. Central
Capital Note from the NCUSIF as a result, the
NCUSIF will no longer hold the capital note, will
recognize a recovery of the 1 billion expense,
and thus will have an increase in equity of 1
billion - The NCUA Board directed NCUA staff to take
necessary actions to legally transfer the
obligation for performance of the Temporary
Corporate Credit Union Share Guarantee Program
(TCCUSGP) from the NCUSIF to the Stabilization
Fund - The NCUA Board directed NCUA staff to take
necessary actions to legally transfer the
obligations of the NCUSIF under the Temporary
Corporate Credit Union Liquidity Guarantee
Program (TCCULGP) to the Stabilization Fund
27Corporate Stabilization Implementation
- Credit Unions will be billed in September to
increase the insurance fund to its normal
operating level
28Proposed Rule Implementing the S.A.F.E. Act
- The proposed rule would implement provisions of
the Secure and Fair Enforcement for Mortgage
Licensing Act - The SAFE Act requires that federal agencies that
regulate financial institutions promulgate rules
governing the registration of mortgage loan
originators employed by the institutions they
regulate - The SAFE Act requires states to create a system
of licensing all other mortgage loan originators - Under the proposed rule, employees of
federally-insured credit unions would be required
to register with the Nationwide Mortgage License
System and Registry (Registry). Similarly,
federal credit unions would be required to
register with the Registry - State-chartered CUSOs would have to be licensed
under state law - NAFCU supports amendments to the rule to broaden
the exemption for loan originators
29Unfair or Deceptive Acts or Practices (UDAP)
- NCUA, along with the Federal Reserve and the
Office of Thrift Supervision issued a joint final
rule prohibiting certain credit card practices - The rule is effective July 1, 2010
- Part 706 of NCUAs regulations
- Only FCUs not to state-chartered CUs
- Overlaps with Credit Card Act
30Credit CARD Act
- Amends TILA, supersedes UDAP Regulation Z
- Most provisions effective February 22, 2010
- Two provisions were effective August 20, 2009
- 45-day advance notice
- Statement sent 21 days before due date
- Open end consumer credit plan (not just credit
cards)
31Credit Card Act-21-Day Notification
- No payment shall be charged a late fee unless
statement is sent 21 days before the due date - Applies to all open end consumer credit plans
- Not limited to credit card accounts
- Loanliner and other open-end billing issues
- If the CU offers a grace period, must be at least
21 days - Grace periods are not mandated by the Act
3221-Day Notification
- NAFCU Response
- Letter to Chairman of the Federal Reserve, July
30, 2009 - Letter to the NCUA Board, July 31, 2009
- Meeting with the Federal Reserve, August 6, 2009
- Ongoing discussions with NCUA regarding
examination issues - Letter to NCUA, August 19, 2009 regarding issuing
more guidance
33Internet Credit Reports
- CUs will be required to post their credit card
agreements on their websites - Fed collects and aggregates agreements from the
industry (including CUs) and posts on a public
website - Needs Regulations from Fed
- Ads for free credit reports must include
reference to AnnualCreditReport.com
34Credit Cards to Under 21
- Applications by a person under 21 for open end
consumer credit must include - Submission of financial info indicating
independent means of repaying obligation (needs
Fed regulations), OR - Signature of cosigner (parent, guardian, spouse,
or other person over 21) - Prescreen offers to persons under 21 prohibited
- Joint credit cards no increase in credit card
limit unless approved by parent, guardian,
spouse, etc
35Central Liquidity Facility
- Background
- CLF a source of backup liquidity for CUs
- By statute, CLF can borrow up to 12 times
subscription (currently at 43.8 B) - Recent Actions
- Changes in investment policy shift of funds from
US Central to U.S. Treasury securities - Shift due to accounting issue auditors finding
that current 1.8 B of funds in U.S. Central is
contra equity and not an asset, resulting in
reduction of CLFs borrowing authority - Change in future funding arrangement NCUA
examining ownership of stock (expected rulemaking
in near future) - Key issue the greater the subscription, the
greater the CLF borrowing authority to meet CUs
liquidity needs
36Home Valuation Code of Conduct
- What is the HVCC?
- The Home Valuation Code of Conduct (HVCC)
contains requirements related to appraisals,
including what lenders must do to ensure
appraiser independence and avoid conflict of
interest, that lenders that sell mortgage loans
to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac must agree to
follow - Resulted from an agreement between the GSEs,
OFHEO (predecessor of FHFA) and the NY Atty. Gen. - Applies to all lenders that sell to Fannie and
Freddie, not just those in NY, and became
effective on May 9, 2009 - Compliance and Cost Challenges CUs finding the
requirement of complete segregation of duties by
CU employees to be costly - NAFCU supporting moratorium until less costly
alternative found to ensure appraiser
independence and avoid conflict of interest
37Unrelated Business Income Tax (UBIT)
- General Rule Organizations exempt from federal
income taxation are subject to UBIT if the
activity in question is a trade or business
regularly carried on, and not substantially
related to furthering the exempt purpose of the
organization - Exception to the General Rule Federal Credit
Unions are U.S. instrumentalities (I.R.C.
501(c)(1)) and not subject to UBIT
38Unrelated Business Income Tax (UBIT)
- In recent years, the IRS has issued 26 technical
advice memoranda (TAM) and found that the income
derived from the following activities are subject
to UBIT - Sale of Accidental Death and Dismemberment
Insurance - Sale of Credit Life Credit Disability Insurance
- Sale of Members Financial Management Services
- Nonmember ATM Fees
- Sale of Guarantee Auto Protection Insurance
- Sale of Group Life Insurance, Health Insurance,
Dental Insurance and Cancer Insurance - Sale of Car Warranties
- Car Buying Services
- Shared-branching arrangements, management
services to other credit unions, certain CUSOs,
and sales of financial management services - Check sales, collateral protection insurance and
interchange income are not subject to UBIT - Outstanding litigation is challenging whether
accidental death and disability insurance is
subject to UBIT - Another court found in favor of a credit union
and held that revenue from the sale of credit
life insurance, credit disability insurance and
guaranteed asset protection (GAP) should not be
taxed under UBIT
39INSIDE WASHINGTON A CREDIT UNION UPDATE
Allied Solutions Summer Networking Conference
Beaver Creek, Colorado August 31, 2009
Presented by Dan Berger Executive Vice
President, Government Affairs National
Association of Federal Credit Unions