[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 56 (Wednesday, March 23, 2011)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 16235-16236]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-6755]


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NATIONAL CREDIT UNION ADMINISTRATION

12 CFR Part 707

RIN 3133-AD58


Corporate Credit Unions, Technical Corrections

AGENCY: National Credit Union Administration (NCUA).

ACTION: Final rule.

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SUMMARY: In 2010, NCUA issued technical corrections to its corporate 
credit union rule, published in the Federal Register of October 20, 
2010. NCUA is issuing this final rule adopting the technical 
corrections without alteration.

DATES: This rule is effective March 23, 2011.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Elizabeth Wirick, Staff Attorney, 
Office of General Counsel, National Credit Union Administration, 1775 
Duke Street, Alexandria, Virginia 22314-3428, or telephone: (703) 518-
6540.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

    In October 2010, NCUA published a comprehensive overhaul to its 
corporate credit union rule, 12 CFR part 704. 75 FR 64786 (Oct. 20, 
2010). After publication, NCUA discovered that three technical 
corrections were necessary, and NCUA issued an interim final rule 
containing the corrections in December. 75 FR 47173 (Dec. 20, 2010). 
The technical corrections are as follows:

Section 704.2 Definition of ``collateralized debt obligation''

    The final revisions to part 704 prohibited corporate credit unions 
(corporates) from purchasing certain overly complex or leveraged 
investments, including collateralized debt obligations (CDOs). 75 FR 
64786, 64793 (October 20, 2010). These prohibitions were intended to 
protect the corporates from the potential for excessive investment 
losses. 74 FR 65210, 65237 (December 9, 2009)

[[Page 16236]]

(preamble to proposed part 704 revisions). The definition of CDO, 
however, was overly broad, in that it inadvertently included particular 
investments that did not--when subject to the other credit risk and 
asset liability management limitations of part 704--present the risk of 
excessive losses. This final rule amends the CDO definition to ensure 
the following are not prohibited: Commercial mortgage backed 
securities; securities collateralized by Agency mortgage-backed 
securities (Agency MBS); and securities that are fully guaranteed as to 
principal and interest by the United States Government and its agencies 
and government sponsored enterprises.

Paragraph 704.6(b) Exemptions to Sec.  704.6

    Section 704.6 generally requires corporate investments meet certain 
single obligor concentration limits, sector concentration limits, and 
credit rating requirements. Paragraph 704.6(b) exempts certain 
investments, including investments generally issued by or guaranteed by 
the U.S. Government or its agencies or sponsored enterprises, from the 
requirements of Sec.  704.6. As stated in the preamble to the recent 
corporate rule revisions, however, the Board did not intend for this 
exemption to apply to agency MBS in the context of sector limits. 75 FR 
64786, 64806 (Oct. 20, 2010) (discussing paragraph 704.6(d)(1)(i)). As 
drafted, however, not only the sector limits apply to agency MBS, but 
the other requirements, including single obligor limits and credit 
rating requirements, inadvertently apply to agency MBS. This correction 
clarifies the list of exemptions in Sec.  704.6(b) to make clear that 
Agency MBS are subject to the sector concentration limits in 704.6(d) 
but not the other requirements of Sec.  704.6.

Appendix A, Model Form H

    The rule as published included an incorrect date instruction on 
Model Form H in Appendix A. Id. at 64851. Model Form H included 
introductory text indicating that the form was for use before October 
20, 2011. In fact, because Model Form H deals with perpetual 
contributed capital, the form should be used only on and after October 
20, 2011. The correction replaces the phrase ``before'' with the phrase 
``on or after.''

II. Interim Final Rule

    NCUA issued an interim final rule with request for comment on 
November 24, 2010. As discussed in the preamble to the interim final 
rule, the Board issued the rule as an interim final rule because the 
changes were technical in nature and it was in the public interest to 
have these corrections become effective on the same date as the other 
revisions to the corporate rule. 75 FR 47173, 47174 (Oct. 20, 2010).

III. Summary of Comments

    NCUA received two comments on the interim final rule, both from 
credit union trade associations. Neither commenter suggested changes to 
the rule text, but one of the commenters sought additional 
clarification regarding NCUA's treatment of commercial mortgage backed 
securities (CMBS) under the revised definition of CDO. The commenter 
requested that NCUA state its reasoning for the exclusion of CMBS from 
the definition of CDO and also state that if the structure of CMBS 
changes in a way that increases the corporates' risk of loss on these 
investments, NCUA will remove this exclusion.
    This commenter appears to have misunderstood the effect of the 
change in the definition. The change operates to make CMBS a 
permissible investment for corporate credit unions--that is, securities 
collateralized by commercial mortgage loans. CDOs collateralized by 
mortgage securities, commercial or residential, remain prohibited under 
the definition of CDO. Investments in plain-vanilla CMBS, which are 
collateralized by loans, do not pose the same risk as investments in 
securities collateralized by other securities where an investor cannot 
as easily determine the quality of the underlying loans. Also, as the 
commenter correctly noted, corporate credit union investments in CMBS 
are subject to the sector concentration limits imposed under Sec.  
704.6(d). Finally, NCUA will continually monitor corporates' 
investments and make adjustments to the corporates' investment 
authorities where appropriate.

IV. Regulatory Procedures

    Section D of the Supplementary Information to the November 2010 
interim final rule sets forth the Board's analyses under the Regulatory 
Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 601 et seq.), the Paperwork Reduction Act of 
1995 (44 U.S.C. 3506; 5 CFR part 1320 Appendix A.1), the Small Business 
Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act (Pub. L. 104-121), Executive Order 
13132, and the Treasury and General Government Appropriations Act (Pub. 
L. 105-277, 112 Stat. 2681 1998). See 75 FR 71527--71528. Because the 
final amendments are clarifications and do not alter the substance of 
the analyses and determinations accompanying that final rule, the Board 
continues to rely on those analyses and determinations for purposes of 
this rulemaking.

List of Subjects in 12 CFR Part 704

    Credit unions, Corporate Credit Union, Reporting and recordkeeping 
requirements.

    By the National Credit Union Administration Board on March 17, 
2011.
Mary F. Rupp,
Secretary of the Board.
    Accordingly, the interim final rule amending 12 CFR Part 704, which 
was published at 75 FR 71526 on November 24, 2010, is adopted as a 
final rule without change.

[FR Doc. 2011-6755 Filed 3-22-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7535-01-P