Source: https://www.scribd.com/document/299967397/FDIC-SI-Winter2015-Marketplace-Lending
Timestamp: 2019-04-23 04:17:41
Document Index: 387076461

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 364', 'art 1', 'art 1', 'art 2', 'art 2', 'art 3', 'art 3', 'art 4', 'art 4']

FDIC SI_Winter2015 Marketplace Lending | Loans | Online Safety & Privacy
FDIC SI_Winter2015 Marketplace Lending
Supervisory Insights is published by the Division of Risk Management Supervision of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation to promote sound principles and practices for bank supervision. This issue includes a discussion of Marketplace Lending platform risk.
b Intelligence Report 01 2015 en Us
Devoted to Advancing the Practice of Bank Supervision
Vol. 12, Issue 2
Lending Viewpoint: Results from the
FDICs Credit and Consumer Products/
Corporation to promote sound principles
and practices for bank supervision.
Director, Division of Risk Management
George E. French, Deputy Director and
James C. Watkins, Senior Deputy
Brent D. Hoyer, Deputy Director
Mark S. Moylan, Deputy Director
Melinda West, Deputy Director
Division of Depositor and Consumer
Michael J. Dean, Atlanta Region
John F. Vogel, New York Region
Michael S. Beshara
Scott M. Jertberg
Supervisory Insights is available on-line
by visiting the FDICs Web site at
www.fdic.gov. To provide comments or
suggestions for future articles, request
permission to reprint individual articles,
or request print copies, send an e-mail to
SupervisoryJournal@fdic.gov.
The views expressed in Supervisory Insights are
official positions of the Federal Deposit Insurance
Corporation. In particular, articles should not be
construed as definitive regulatory or supervisory
guidance. Some of the information used in the
preparation of this publication was obtained from
publicly available sources that are considered
reliable. However, the use of this information does
not constitute an endorsement of its accuracy by
Volume 12, Issue 2
Letter from the Director 2
Due to the increase in number and sophistication of cyber threats, cybersecurity has become a critical issue facing the
financial services sector. This article discusses the cyber threat landscape and how financial institutions information
security programs can be enhanced to address evolving cybersecurity risks. The article concludes with a discussion of
actions taken by the federal banking agencies in response to the increase in cyber threats.
Some banks are finding the small, but growing arena of marketplace lending to be an attractive source of revenue.
This article provides an overview of the marketplace lending model and the associated risks, including those that arise
in third-party arrangements. The article also highlights the importance of a pragmatic business strategy and offers
resources for bank boards of directors and management teams to consider when engaging in marketplace lending
Lending Viewpoint: Results from the FDICs Credit and Consumer Products/Services Survey
Prudent loan risk selection and close monitoring of the lending portfolio remain critical components of a well-managed
bank. Therefore, FDIC examiners continue to carefully assess lending and the related risks during the post-crisis
rebound in lending. This article describes recent lending conditions and risks as reported through the Credit and
Consumer Products/Services Survey.
Supervisory Insights
he banking industry continues
to face challenges in traditional
business lines, new product
offerings, and from cyber attacks on
information security systems. The
articles in this issue of Supervisory
Insights provide information and
resources for bankers and examiners
in three areas the evolving arena of
cybersecurity, marketplace lending,
and current lending portfolio conditions and risks.
Due to the growing sophistication
and number of cyber attacks, cyber
security has become a critical issue
facing the financial services sector.
provides an overview of the current
cyber threat landscape, and discusses
how banks can enhance and leverage existing security and governance
practices into effective information security programs. The article
concludes with a review of actions the
federal banking agencies have taken in
response to cyber threats.
point: Results from the FDICs Credit/
Survey provides an overview of
current lending conditions as reported
by this survey following FDIC risk
management examinations. Data from
the survey continue to help the FDIC
assess lending trends at the banks we
supervise and proactively address any
areas of heightened risk.
This issue of Supervisory Insights
also includes an overview of recently
released regulatory and supervisory
I hope you find the articles in this
issue to be informative and useful.
We encourage our readers to provide
feedback and suggest topics for
future issues. Please e-mail your
Marketplace lending is a small but
growing component of the financial
services industry that some banks are
viewing as an opportunity to increase
revenue. Marketplace Lending
describes the marketplace lending
model and highlights the risks banks
may face in dealing with marketplace
lenders, particularly when those associations are in the form of third-party
arrangements. The article identifies
resources for bank management and
directors to consider when participating in marketplace lending activity.
Careful monitoring of the loan portfolio and identification of potential
risks remain characteristics of a
well-managed bank. Lending View-
uring the past decade, cybersecurity has become one of the
the financial services sector due to
the frequency and increasing sophistication of cyber attacks. In response,
financial institutions and their service
providers are continually challenged
to assess and strengthen information
security programs and refocus efforts
and resources to address cybersecurity risks.
This article describes the evolving
cyber threat landscape and the U.S.
governments response to enhance the
security and resilience of the nations
critical infrastructure sectors. The
article discusses how components
of financial institutions information
security programs, including corporate
governance, security awareness training, and patch-management programs,
should be enhanced to address cybersecurity risks, and concludes with
federal banking agencies to respond to
Historically, a banks primary security concern centered on protecting
physical data assets such as posted
ledger cards, promissory notes, and
critical documents in the vault as
well as securing the perimeter of the
bank premises. In todays banking
environment, business functions and
technologies are increasingly interconnected, requiring financial institutions to secure a greater number of
access points. Innovation has resulted
in greater use of automated core
processing, document imaging, distributed computing, automated teller
machines, networking technologies,
electronic payments, online banking,
mobile banking, and other emerg-
ing technologies. At the same time,
physical data assets have been automated and a banks sensitive customer
information stored on computers has
become as valuable as currency
a different kind of asset that needs
Cyber criminals use a variety of
tactics. Some more common attack
strategies in recent years include malicious software deployment, distributed
denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks, and
Malicious software, commonly
referred to as malware, is a broad
class of software generally used to gain
access to or to damage a computer
or system. Malware may infect a
computer from a variety of access
points. Perpetrators often include
malware as an attachment to an
email, or it is delivered from websites
referenced in emails. The perpetrator
tricks the email recipient into reading
the email and opening the attachment
or clicking on the link by crafting the
email to look as though it came from a
These emails that deliver the
malware are often referred to as
phishing emails as they are fishing
for victims. A spear phishing email
campaign is a subset of phishing in
which the email content is tailored
to the interests of a smaller group or
a single recipient. Phishing and spear
phishing campaigns mislead targets
into providing sensitive information
such as user names, passwords, credit
card details, or personal sensitive
information, such as date of birth
and Social Security number, that
can be used to commit identity theft
against the individual or gain access to
bank systems for theft, disruption, or
Examples of malware include
ransomware and wiper programs.
Ransomware generally restricts all
access to a computer and demands
a ransom be paid for access to be
restored. Wiper programs destroy
data from the infected computers
hard drive and, in some cases, may be
used to cover the attackers tracks.
A DDoS attack attempts to make a
machine or network connected to the
Internet unavailable to its intended
users by overloading it with excessive
Internet traffic. Given the nature of
these attacks, DDoS attacks cannot be
prevented, but they can be successfully mitigated. The ability to effectively manage a DDoS attack comes
from the targets ability to control and
recover from the attack, possibly by
redirecting Internet traffic to a different server or engaging a DDoS mitigation service.
Another attack strategy is the use of
compound attacks, in which more
than one method of attack is deployed
simultaneously. For example, criminals have used DDoS attacks to
distract a target organization while
perpetrating another form of attack.
Or a phishing email may contain an
attachment or link that, if clicked by
the target, downloads a seemingly
harmless file that contains hidden
malicious software with delayed
As the banking industry necessarily
innovates to take advantage of new
technologies and delivery channels,
it needs to be alert to any related
new avenues of cyber attacks. Banks
can help mitigate these attacks by
developing an effective cybersecurity
awareness campaign for employees
and customers, a comprehensive
patching program, and a strong detection program. A sound risk-management program and corresponding
controls will help mitigate the threat
On February 12, 2013, the President issued Executive Order 13636,
Cybersecurity, which established
that [i]t is the policy of the United
States to enhance the security and
resilience of the Nations critical
infrastructure and to maintain a
cyber environment that encourages
efficiency, innovation, and economic
prosperity while promoting safety,
security, business confidentiality,
privacy, and civil liberties. The
Executive Order directed the National
(NIST) to develop a risk-based cybersecurity framework to serve as a set
of voluntary consensus standards and
industry best practices to help organizations manage cybersecurity risks.
The NIST1 defines cybersecurity as
the process of protecting information
by preventing, detecting, and responding to attacks.
The NIST Framework for Improving
Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity2
was created through collaboration
NIST is a non-regulatory, federal agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce. See: www.nist.gov.
The Framework for Improving Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity can be found at: http://www.nist.gov/cyberframework/.
between industry and government and
consists of standards, guidelines, and
practices to promote the protection of
critical infrastructure. The first version
of the cybersecurity framework was
released on February 12, 2014, and
consisted of five core areas: Identify,
The cybersecurity definition and the
components in the framework are similar to the concepts found in Appendix
B to Part 364 of the FDICs Rules and
Regulations. Appendix B was established as a result of the enactment of
the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act in 1999
and required each financial institution to develop an information security program. Use of the cybersecurity
framework is not intended to replace
a banks traditional information security program, but rather modify the
program to address emerging cyber
risks. A banks information security
program should evolve as the operating
environment and the threat landscape
change. An effective information security program is not static and should be
regularly evaluated and updated.
Bank management must incorporate
cybersecurity into the banks overall
risk-management framework; design
and implement appropriate mitigating
controls; update respective policies and
procedures and, ultimately, validate the
intended control structure through an
audit program. When designing a cyber
risk control structure, four components
of traditional information security
programs are critical: Corporate Governance, Threat Intelligence, Security
Awareness Training, and Patch-Management Programs.
Corporate Governance of
An institutions executive management and Board of Directors (board)
play a key role in overseeing programs
to protect data and technology assets
and establishing a corporate culture
consistent with the banks risk tolerance. A bank should evaluate and
manage cyber risk as it does any other
business risk. It is not simply the obligation of those employees in the server
room, but rather an enterprise-wide
initiative involving all employees. It is
critical the board institute a corporate
culture prioritizing cybersecurity.
Examination Council (FFIEC) on
November 3, 2014, issued Cybersecurity Threat and Vulnerability Monitoring and Sharing Statement. The
statement indicates that, [f]inancial
institution management is expected
to monitor and maintain sufficient
awareness of cybersecurity threats and
vulnerability information so they may
evaluate risk and respond accordingly.
Essentially, it states that each financial institution should have a program
for gathering, analyzing, understanding, and sharing information about
vulnerabilities and threats to arrive at
actionable intelligence. Actionable
intelligence can be gathered from various public and private sources.
The FFIEC statement encouraged
financial institutions to participate
in the Financial Services Information
Sharing and Analysis Center (FS-ISAC)3
The FS-ISAC is a non-profit, information-sharing forum established by financial services industry participants to
facilitate the public and private sectors sharing of physical and cybersecurity threat and vulnerability information. See: www.fsisac.com.
FS-ISAC is a public-private partnership that operates as an informationsharing forum. It was established by
a Presidential directive to facilitate
the sharing of threat and vulnerability
information among critical infrastructure sectors. FS-ISAC information
includes analysis and mitigation
strategies about a multitude of topics
including, but not limited to, information security, physical security, business continuity and disaster recovery,
fraud investigations, and payment
system risk. FS-ISAC also provides
additional services and membership
benefits including participation in
webinars, workshops, threat exercises,
and assistance in creating information filters to ensure an institution is
receiving the threat and intelligence
information it needs without experiencing information overload. To
obtain this assistance, an institution
need only call FS-ISAC toll-free at
(800) 464-0085. In addition, FS-ISAC
has created a community bank working group and sends weekly cyber
updates to community bank executives. These updates use laymans
language to explain the most pertinent cyber events of the week and
to provide strategies for making the
information actionable.
Another source of cyber intelligence
is the U.S. Computer Emergency
Readiness Team (US-CERT). US-CERT
is part of the Department of Homeland
Security and is focused on information regarding current security issues,
vulnerabilities, and exploits. In addition to alerts, which an institution can
receive by subscribing at www.us-cert.
gov, US-CERT offers publications,
educational material, and some assistance with cyber threats.
Even the best-designed security
controls cannot fully protect a financial institution from one uninformed
employee, contractor, or customer
who unwittingly visits a malicious Web
site, opens a malicious email attachment, or clicks on a malicious email
link. Effective cybersecurity awareness
programs should educate employees,
contractors, and customers about the
threat environment and encourage
them to Think Before You Click.
should highlight the importance of
guarding against cyber risks across all
business lines and functions. Employees from entry-level staff to the board
should participate in mandatory
cybersecurity awareness training, as
one uninformed employee can be the
banks weakest link.
Security awareness training should
be role-specific, as job functions
require access to different systems
and types of information with varying
levels of sensitivity. Cyber attacks may
be customized and targeted at employees with greater access to data or the
ability to modify security settings or
install new applications, or those with
the ability to initiate or authorize
the transfer of funds. For example,
frequent targets include information
security professionals, executives,
comptrollers, and cashiers.
should be available to bank personnel and contractors as well as bank
customers, merchants, and other third
parties, as they represent additional
access points to a banks data systems
and can be targets of cyber criminals.
For example, corporate account takeovers are typically perpetrated by the
theft of a customers login credentials
that are used to transfer money from
The lack of an effective patchmanagement program has contributed
significantly to the increase in the
number of security incidents. Patches
are software updates designed to fix
known vulnerabilities or security
weaknesses in applications and operating systems.
An effective patch-management
program should include written policies and procedures to identify,
prioritize, test, and apply patches in
a timely manner. The first step is to
create an asset inventory cataloging
the systems requiring patch-management oversight. The asset inventory
should capture all software and firmware, such as routers and firewall
operating systems, which are subject
to periodic patches from vendors.
An effective program also should use
information received from threat intelligence sources that report on identified vulnerabilities. Bank management
should be aware of products reaching
or at the end-of-life or those no longer
supported by a vendor. Management
should also establish strategies to
migrate from unsupported or obsolete
systems and applications and, in the
interim, implement strategies to mitigate any risk associated with the use
of unsupported or obsolete products.
should require regular, standard
reporting (metrics) on the status
of the patch-management program,
including reports that monitor the
identification and installation of available patches. Independent audits and
internal reviews should validate the
effectiveness of patch-management
Regulatory Response and
The FDIC monitors cybersecurity
issues on a regular basis through
on-site bank examinations, regulatory
reports, and intelligence reports. The
Corporation continually evaluates its
own supervisory policies for potential
improvement and encourages practices to protect against threats at the
banks it supervises. The FDIC has
taken a number of steps to increase
industry awareness of cyber risks and
to provide practical tools to help mitigate the risk of cyber attack.
In the spring of 2014, the FDIC
issued a press release urging institutions to actively utilize available
resources to identify and help mitigate potential cyber-related risks.
It is important for financial institutions of all sizes to be aware of the
constantly emerging cyber threats
and government-sponsored resources
available to help identify these threats
on a real-time basis. The press release
contained a number of examples of
free resources available to institutions
and their website addresses.
In the summer of 2014, the FDIC
developed and issued the Cyber
Challenge exercise, a resource for
community banks to use in assessing
their preparedness for a cyber-related
incident, through a series of videos
and simulation exercises that depicted
actual events experienced by institu-
tions. The Cyber Challenge exercise is
available free to all institutions on the
FDIC website, www.fdic.gov, under the
Community Banking Initiative link.4
In the summer of 2015, the FDIC
created a cybersecurity awareness
training program for FDIC-supervised
institutions, as well as FDIC supervision staff and management. These
sessions were held in each of the
FDICs regional offices during August
2015. One banker stated that during
his examination after the session, he
found great benefit in discussing what
both he and his examiner heard at
the cyber awareness training the week
before. The training program was
followed by a teleconference in October 2015 to provide an overview of
the program and to share commonly
Lastly, in November 2015, the FDIC
added three additional video simulation exercises to Cyber Challenge as
well as a Cybersecurity Awareness
video that provides an overview of
the threat environment and steps
community financial institutions can
take to be better prepared should a
cyber-attack occur. These materials
are available free on the FDIC website,
www.fdic.gov, under the Community
Banking Initiative link.
(CCIWG). The CCIWGs first major
undertaking was to work to determine
how well banks, particularly community banks, manage cybersecurity and
to assess banks preparedness to mitigate cyber risks. The FFIEC members
conducted a pilot cybersecurity
assessment during 2014 at more than
500 community institutions to evaluate preparedness. The results were
reflected in the FFIEC document,
Cybersecurity Assessment General
Observations, which provided
themes from the assessment and
suggested questions for chief executive officers and boards of directors to
consider when assessing institutions
cybersecurity preparedness.5
The CCIWG also reviewed all
outstanding regulatory guidance to
identify any gaps and, as a result, the
FFIEC IT Examination Handbook and
other relevant regulatory guidance are
being updated to address cybersecurity concerns. The CCIWG publishes
cybersecurity information at http://
www.ffiec.gov/cybersecurity.htm. The
chart below provides an overview of
recently released supervisory guidance
and other FDIC or FFIEC resources
that bank management may find
useful in addressing cybersecurity
The FDIC has also participated
in a number of other activities as
a member of the Federal Financial
Institutions Examination Committee or FFIEC. In June 2013, the
FFIEC created the Cybersecurity and
https://www.fdic.gov/regulations/resources/director/technical/cyber/purpose.html.
The FFIEC Cybersecurity Assessment General Observations presents general observations from the Cybersecurity Assessment about the range of inherent risks and the varied risk management practices among financial
institutions. See: http://www.ffiec.gov/press/pr110314.htm.
Regulatory Action/Resource
Cybersecurity Awareness Technical
This video series titled Cybersecurity Awareness is designed to assist bank directors with
understanding cybersecurity risks and related risk management programs and to elevate cybersecurity discussions from the server room to the board room. The first video covers the evolution of data security, defines cybersecurity, and reviews the current cybersecurity threat
environment. The second video reviews the components of traditional information security
programs and discusses how elements of the program should be refocused in the current cybersecurity threat environment.
See https://www.fdic.gov/regulations/resources/director/technical/cybersecurity.html
Vendor Management Technical
This video titled Outsourcing Technology Services is designed to assist bank directors with
understanding responsibilities for governing their institutions vendor risk management
program. The components of a program include a risk assessment process, service provider
selection, contract negotiation and evaluation, and an ongoing monitoring framework. The video
also discusses business continuity planning and testing and resources to assist with establishing and maintaining a vendor risk management program.
To be released in early 2016.
Cyber Challenge: A Community
Bank Cyber Exercise
The FDICs simulation exercise, Cyber Challenge, is designed to encourage community financial
institutions to discuss operational risk issues and the potential impact of information technology
disruptions on common banking functions. Using seven unique scenarios, the Cyber Challenge
helps start an important dialogue among bank management and staff about ways they address
operational risk today and techniques they can use to mitigate this risk in the future. Cyber Challenge is not a regulatory requirement; it is a technical assistance tool designed to help assess
See https://www.fdic.gov/regulations/resources/director/technical/cyber/purpose.html
Corporate Governance Technical
This presentation reviews corporate governance principles that are vital to a directors role in
setting the direction of the bank. It focuses on three areas: (1) the role of a bank director, the
associated responsibilities, and the importance of independent decision making; (2) direction on
the supervision of bank operations; and (3) guidance to help directors stay informed.
See https://www.fdic.gov/regulations/resources/director/virtual/governance.html
Technical Assistance Video
The IT video is designed to enhance bank directors awareness of effective risk management
practices. The video illustrates key IT governance programs, discusses select emerging and
significant IT risks, and provides relevant questions to consider at the directorate level. By
doing so, it provides a reasonable foundation for bank directors to exercise their fiduciary oversight over ever-changing and challenging IT risks.
See https://www.fdic.gov/regulations/resources/director/virtual/it.html
FFIEC Statement on Cyber Attacks
Involving Extortion
This FFIEC statement, dated November 3, 2015, notified financial institutions of the increasing
frequency and severity of cyber attacks involving extortion. It advised financial institutions to
develop and implement effective programs to ensure the institutions are able to identify, protect,
detect, respond to, and recover from these types of attacks.
See http://www.ffiec.gov/press/PDF/FFIEC_Joint_Statement_Cyber_Attacks_Involving_
Extortion_-_Interactive_Ve%20%20%20.pdf
On June 30, 2015, the FDIC, in coordination with the other FFIEC member agencies, issued the
FFIEC Cybersecurity Assessment Tool to help institutions identify cybersecurity risks and determine their preparedness. Similar to a banks information security program risk assessment, this
voluntary tool provides management with a repeatable and measurable process to assess an
institutions risks and cybersecurity preparedness.
See http://www.ffiec.gov/cyberassessmenttool.htm
FFIEC Webinar: Executive Leadership
of Cybersecurity: What Today's CEOs
Need to Know About the Threats They
On May 7, 2014, the FFIECs CCIWG hosted a Webinar entitled, Executive Leadership of Cybersecurity: What Today's CEOs Need to Know About the Threats They Don't See. The webinar was
intended to raise awareness about the pervasiveness of cyber threats, discuss the role of executive leadership in managing these risks, and to share actions being taken by the FFIEC.
See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1ZgWKjynXI&feature=youtu.be
FFIEC Statement on Destructive
This FFIEC statement, dated March 30, 2015, notified financial institutions of the increasing
threat of cyber attacks involving destructive malware. It warned that financial institutions and
technology service providers should enhance information security programs to ensure they are
able to identify, mitigate, and respond to this type of attack. In addition, the statement recommended that business continuity planning and testing activities incorporate response and recovery capabilities and test resilience against cyber attacks involving destructive malware.
See http://www.ffiec.gov/press/PDF/2121759_FINAL_FFIEC%20Malware.pdf
This FFIEC statement, dated March 30, 2015, notified financial institutions of the growing trend
of cyber attacks for the purpose of obtaining online credentials for theft, fraud, or business
disruption and to recommend risk mitigation techniques. It said financial institutions should
address this threat by reviewing their risk management practices and controls over information
technology (IT) networks and authentication, authorization, fraud detection, and response
See http://www.ffiec.gov/press/PDF/2121758_FINAL_FFIEC%20Credentials.pdf
Appendix J to the Business Continuity
Planning IT Booklet: Strengthening
the Resilience of Outsourced
On February 6, 2015, the FFIEC issued an update (Appendix J) to the Business Continuity Planning IT Booklet entitled Strengthening the Resilience of Outsourced Technology Services. This
update stresses the importance of addressing and incorporating cybersecurity elements when
establishing and monitoring third-party relationships.
See http://ithandbook.ffiec.gov/it-booklets/business-continuity-planning/appendix-j-strengthening-the-resilience-of-outsourced-technology-services.aspx
FFIEC Statement on Cybersecurity
This statement, dated November 3, 2014, indicated that financial institution management is
expected to monitor and maintain sufficient awareness of cybersecurity threats and vulnerability information so they may evaluate risk and respond accordingly. It stated that each financial
institution should have programs for gathering cyber-related information about vulnerabilities
and threats in a timely manner, analyzing the data, and sharing information to arrive at actionable intelligence.
The statement also encouraged financial institutions to participate in the FS-ISAC as a source of
threat intelligence. FS-ISAC information includes analysis and solutions about a multitude of
topics including, but not limited to, information security, physical security, business continuity
and disaster recovery, fraud investigations, and payment system risk.
See http://www.ffiec.gov/press/pr110314.htm
Cyber risk is a substantial business risk. A banks board and senior
management must understand the
seriousness of the threat environment
and create a cybersecurity culture
effective identification and mitigation
of cyber risk must be grounded in a
strong governance structure with the
full support of the board and senior
Chief, Cyber Fraud and
mbenardo@fdic.gov
Cyber Fraud and Financial
kweatherby@fdic.gov
arketplace lending is a small
but growing alternative to
Attracted by opportunities for earnings
growth, some banks have entered the
marketplace lending business either
as investors or through third-party
arrangements. As with any new and
emerging line of business, marketplace
lending can present risks. Financial institutions can manage these
risks through proper risk identification, appropriate risk-management
practices, and effective oversight.
Conversely, failure to understand
and manage these risks may expose a
financial institution to financial loss,
regulatory action, and litigation, and
may even compromise an institutions ability to service new or existing
customer relationships. Before participating in marketplace lending, financial institution management should
identify potential vulnerabilities and
implement an effective risk-management strategy that protects the bank
from undue risk.
This article is intended to heighten
bankers and examiners understanding
of marketplace lending and potential
associated risks, including those arising in third-party arrangements. The
article also highlights the importance
of a pragmatic business strategy that
considers the degree of risk together
with the potential revenue stream, and
emphasizes the importance of banks
exercising the same due diligence they
practice whenever they extend credit
For purposes of this article, marketplace lending is broadly defined to
include any practice of pairing borrowers and lenders through the use of an
online platform without a traditional
bank intermediary. Although the
model, originally started as a peer-topeer concept for individuals to lend to
one another, the market has evolved
as more institutional investors have
become interested in funding the activity. As such, the term peer-to-peer
lending has become less descriptive of
the business model and current references to the activity generally use the
term marketplace lending.
Marketplace lending typically involves
a prospective borrower submitting
a loan application online where it
is assessed, graded, and assigned an
interest rate using the marketplace
lending companys proprietary credit
scoring tool. Credit grades are assigned
based on the marketplace lending
companys unique scoring algorithm,
which often gives consideration to a
borrowers credit score, debt-to-income
ratio, income, and other factors set
by the marketplace lender. Once the
application process is complete, the
loan request is advertised for retail
investors to review and pledge funds
based on their investment criteria.
A loan will fund from the monies
collected if investors pledge sufficient
capital before the deadline stated in
the loan request (e.g. 14 days after the
request is posted). As an alternative
to funding loans through such retail
investments, institutional investors can
provide funding through whole loan
purchases or direct securitizations.
When a borrowers requested loan
amount is fully pledged, the market-
Figure 1: Illustration of Direct Funding Model
Commits funds to a borrower
Loan disbursed to borrower
Investor receives security note
Loan repayment net service fee
Figure 2: Illustration of Bank Partnership Model
Refers loan request
Sells loan to marketplace
place lending company originates and
funds the loan through one of two
frameworks: 1) the company lends the
funds directly (subsequently referred
to as a direct marketplace lender)
or 2) the company partners with a
traditional bank to facilitate the loan
transaction (subsequently referred
to as a bank-affiliated marketplace
A direct marketplace lender typically is required to be registered and
licensed to lend in the respective
state(s) in which it conducts business.
Direct marketplace lenders facilitate
all elements of the transaction, including collecting borrower applications,
assigning credit ratings, advertising the
loan request, pairing borrowers with
interested investors, originating the
loan, and servicing any collected loan
payments. As part of the transaction,
direct marketplace lenders issue investors either registered or unregistered
security notes (subsequently referred
to as security notes) in exchange
for the investments used to fund the
loan. Consequently, the borrowers
repayment obligation remains with
the direct marketplace lender, the
security notes issued to investors
become the obligation of the direct
marketplace lender, and the investors
are unsecured creditors of the direct
marketplace lender. (See Figure 1 on
the previous page for an illustration of
Some marketplace lending companies operate under the second
framework by working through a
cooperative arrangement with a
partner bank. In these cases, the
bank-affiliated marketplace company
collects borrower applications, assigns
the credit grade, and solicits investor
interest. However, from that point the
refers the completed loan application
packages to the partner bank that
makes the loan to the borrower. The
partner bank typically holds the loan
on its books for 2-3 days before selling
it to the bank-affiliated marketplace
company. Once the bank-affiliated
marketplace company purchases the
loan from the partner bank, it issues
security notes up to the purchase
amount to its retail investors who
pledged to fund the loan. By the end
of the sequence of transactions, the
borrowers repayment obligation
transfers to the bank-affiliated marketplace company, and the security
noteholder maintains an unsecured
creditor status to the bank-affiliated
marketplace company, which mirrors
the outcomes described under the
direct funding framework (see Figure
2 on the previous page). In certain
circumstances, some institutional
investors may invest in whole loan
transactions, which are often arranged
directly between the interested parties
and outside any cooperative arrangement with a partner bank.
borrowers begin making fixed monthly
payments to the bank-affiliated
marketplace company which issues a
pro rata payment to the investor, less
loan servicing fees.
Common barriers to entry for banks
and other traditional financial services
entities include state licensure laws,
capital requirements, access to financing, regulatory compliance, and security concerns. Some of these barriers
may not exist for marketplace lending
companies. New start-up marketplace
lenders may be established quickly
and often with a unique niche to
capture a particular share of the
market. In 2009, industry analysts
with IBISWorld identified at least
three marketplace lending companies;
by 2014, the number had grown to 63
marketplace lending companies.1 As of
September 2015, the number of established marketplace lending companies totaled 163 with new entrants
continuing to join the competitive
Concomitant with the increasing number of market participants,
new or expanded product lines are
introduced as companies attempt
to establish a niche position in the
market. Some examples of marketplace loan products include unsecured
Omar Khedr, Front money: Revenue will rise, but regulations threaten industry profitability, IBISWorld Industry
Report OD4736 Peer-to-Peer Lending Platforms in the US, December 2014. (A subscription to IBISWorld is needed
to view this report.) http://clients1.ibisworld.com/reports/us/specializedreportsarchive/default.aspx?entid=4736.
Omar Khedr, Street credit: New industrys explosive growth may meet regulatory hurdles, IBISWorld Industry Report OD4736 Peer-to-Peer Lending Platforms in the US, September 2015. (A subscription to IBISWorld is
needed to view this report.) http://clients1.ibisworld.com/reports/us/industry/default.aspx?entid=4736.
consumer loans, debt consolidation
loans, auto loans, purchase financing,
education financing, real estate lending, merchant cash advance, medical
patient financing, and small business
The marketplace lending business
model depends largely on the willingness of investors to take on the credit
risk of an unsecured consumer, small
business owner, or other borrower.
Given the markets infancy and that
it has primarily existed in an environment of low and steady interest
rates, current credit loss reports or
loss-adjusted rates of return may not
provide an accurate picture of the
risks associated with each marketplace lending product.
Further, each marketplace lending
companys risk level and composition varies depending on the business
model or credit offering, with potentially significant variations across
credit products. Given the credit
model variations that exist, using a
nonspecific approach to risk identification could lead to an incomplete
risk analysis in the banks marketplace investments or critical gaps in
bank managements planning and
oversight of third-party arrangements.
As such, banks should perform a thorough pre-analysis and risk assessment
on each marketplace lending company
with which it transacts business,
whether acting as an institutional
investor or as a strategic partner.3
A comprehensive list of risks associated with marketplace lending is not
possible without an understanding
of the arranged lending activity and
the products offered. Although not
a complete list, some risks include
third-party, credit, compliance,
liquidity, transaction, servicing, and
bankruptcy risks. Before engaging in
marketplace activity, banks should
complete appropriate due diligence
and ensure effective risk identification
practices are in place as part of the
Third-party risk can vary greatly
depending on each third-party
arrangement, elevating the importance
for banks to conduct effective due
diligence. Banks are encouraged to
review the FDICs Financial Institution
Letter 44-2008 titled Guidance for
Managing Third-Party Risk,4 which
discusses the critical elements to an
process: (1) risk assessment, (2) due
diligence in selecting a third party, (3)
contract structuring and review, and
Before engaging in any third-party
arrangement, a financial institution
should consider whether the proposed
activities are consistent with the institutions overall business strategy and
risk tolerances. Bank management is
encouraged to develop a strong understanding of the marketplace lending
companys business model, establish
contractual agreements that protect
the bank from risk, regularly monitor the marketplace service provider,
and require the marketplace lending
company to take corrective action
See FIL-49-2015 Advisory on Effective Risk Management Practices for Purchased Loans and Purchased Loan
Participations, November 6, 2015 at https://www.fdic.gov/news/news/financial/2015/fil15049.html.
See FIL-44-2008Guidance for Managing Third-Party Risk, June 6, 2008 at https://www.fdic.gov/news/news/
financial/2008/fil08044.html.
What duties does the bank rely on the marketplace
lending company to perform?
What are the direct and indirect costs associated with
Is the bank exposed to possible loss, and are there any
protections provided to the bank by the marketplace
What are the banks rights to deny credit or limit loan
sales to the marketplace lending company?
Is all appropriate and required product-related information effectively and accurately communicated to
What procedures are in place to prevent identity theft
and satisfy other customer identification requirements?
What other risks is the bank exposed to through the
marketplace arrangement?
when gaps or deficiencies occur. This
due diligence may result in banks
requiring policies and procedures from
the marketplace lending company
with respect to legal and regulatory compliance prior to the banks
investment or before any services are
Some considerations include, but
are not limited to, compliance with
applicable federal laws such as lending
laws, consumer protection requirements, anti-money laundering rules,
and fair credit responsibilities along
with adherence to any applicable
state laws, licensing, or required
registrations. As with any third-party
arrangement, banks should monitor
marketplace activities and expect
marketplace servicers to undergo
independent audits and take corrective action on audit exceptions as
warranted. Failure to do so could
expose a bank to substantial financial
loss and an unacceptable level of risk.
For banks contemplating a funding
relationship with a marketplace lending company, management should
consider several issues that could
affect the banks risk profile. (See Due
Diligence sidebar.) Banks also should
consider validating the marketplace
lending companys compliance with
any applicable state or federal laws.
Negotiated contracts should consider
provisions allowing the financial
institution the ability to control and
monitor third-party activities (e.g.,
underwriting guidelines, outside
audits) and discontinue relationships
if contractual obligations are not met.
Compliance risk is inherent in any
marketplace lending activity. Banks
are accountable for complying with
all relevant consumer protection
and fair lending laws and regulatory
requirements and cannot assign this
responsibility to a marketplace lending company. Although marketplace
lending companies are required to
comply with many of these requirements, well-run bank programs should
include appropriate due diligence and
ongoing monitoring to validate that
demonstrates adherence to these
requirements. Relevant laws may
include the Truth in Lending Act5
(TILA) that, among other things,
requires the disclosure of standardized loan terms and conditions at
point of sale and in advertisements,
and Section 5 of the Federal Trade
Commission Act,6 which prohibits
unfair and deceptive acts or practices.
Consistent with the third-party risk
guidance,7 banks also should evaluate
whether a bank-affiliated marketplace
lending company complies with fair
lending and other related laws including the Equal Credit Opportunity
Act8 (ECOA), which prohibits lenders from taking action related to any
aspect of a credit transaction on the
basis of race, color, religion, and other
prohibited factors. Banks that partner
with marketplace lending companies should exercise due diligence to
ensure the marketplace loan underwriting and pricing policies and procedures are consistent with fair lending
Transaction risk is present given
problems or a marketplace lending
companys failure to fulfill its duties
as expected by the financial institution or its customers. Marketplace
loans may be subject to high levels
of transaction risk given the large
volume of loans, handling of documents, and movement of loan funds
between institutions or third-party
originators. Banks should anticipate
risks that could arise from problems
with customer service, product delivery, technology failures, inadequate
business continuity, and data security
Servicing risk exists given the passthrough nature of marketplace notes.
The investor becomes a creditor to
and has no access to the borrower.
Therefore, if a marketplace lending company that services the loans
becomes insolvent, investors may
become exposed not only to bankruptcy risk but also servicing risk if
the loan servicing process is disrupted.
In bankruptcy, a marketplace lending
company may be unable to fulfill its
note servicing obligations to investors even if the borrowers continue to
loans in which they invested are
fully performing, investors also may
be exposed to losses if other creditors seek rights to these borrower
payments in the bankruptcy proceeding. In the event a marketplace lending company becomes insolvent,
investors line up in bankruptcy court
to collect on monies owed on a pro
rata basis, with no investor having any
superior claim to a stream of payment
than any other, and often times with
interest halted once the bankruptcy
At a minimum, banks that invest in
marketplace loans should determine
whether back-up servicing agreements are in place with an unaffiliated
company before investment. Banks, as
investors, committing significant capital to marketplace loans should assess
the marketplace lending companys
creditworthiness with consideration
given to the businesss solvency prior
to investing the capital. Although this
See the Truth in Lending Act at https://www.fdic.gov/regulations/laws/rules/6500-3200.html#fdic65001026.1.
See Section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission Act at https://www.fdic.gov/regulations/laws/rules/8000-3000.
See the Equal Credit Opportunity Act at https://www.fdic.gov/regulations/laws/rules/6500-200.html.
condition may not afford complete
protection, it may mitigate some risk
Liquidity risk is present given the
limited secondary market opportunities available for marketplace loans.
Although there are a few known
aftermarket providers, the secondary
market for marketplace loans generally is limited with resale opportunities
available only to a select few marketplace lending companies. Partner
banks with loans in their marketplace
pipeline may also experience liquidity risk for those pipeline loans that
Other considerations include compliance with other state and federal
requirements, including anti-money
laundering laws. The partner bank
should evaluate the bank-affiliated
marketplace company as it would
any other customer or activity, and
financial institutions investing in
marketplace loans should exercise due
diligence in evaluating appropriate
compliance for any loan purchase.
Before engaging in any marketplace
lending third-party arrangement or
balance sheet investment, a financial
institution should ensure the proposed
risk tolerances. FDIC examiners assess
how financial institutions manage
third-party relationships and other
investments with marketplace lenders
through review of bank managements
record of and process for assessing,
measuring, monitoring, and controlling
the associated relationship and credit
risks. The depth of the examination
review depends on the scope of the
activity and the degree of risk associated with the activity and the relationship. The FDIC considers the results of
the review in its overall evaluation of
management, including managements
ability to effectively control risk.
FDIC examiners address findings
and recommendations relating to an
institutions third-party marketplace
lender relationships and marketplace
loan investments in the Report of
Examination and within the ongoing supervisory process. Appropriate
corrective actions, including formal
or informal enforcement actions, may
be pursued for deficiencies identified
that pose significant safety and soundness concerns or result in violations
of applicable federal or state laws or
Some banks are finding participation in the small but growing arena of
marketplace lending to be an attractive
source of revenue. With the markets
infancy and its lack of performance
history through a complete economic
cycle, bank management should look
beyond the revenue stream and determine whether the related risks align
with the institutions business strategy.
As noted earlier, financial institutions
can manage the risks through proper
risk identification, appropriate riskmanagement practices, and effective
oversight. With the rapidly evolving landscape in marketplace lending, institutions should ascertain the
degree of risk involved, remembering
they cannot abrogate responsibility for
complying with applicable rules and
Angela M. Herrboldt
aherrboldt@fdic.gov
Lending Viewpoint:
Results from the FDICs Credit and Consumer Products/
he lending landscape for banks
continues to evolve. What
hasnt changed is that the quality of a banks loan portfolio continues
to be of paramount importance to its
long-term financial health. Thus, the
assessment of lending and its related
risks continues to be a key focus of
the FDIC. This article describes the
assessments of lending conditions and
risks by FDIC risk-management examiners, based on Credit and Consumer
Products/Services Surveys (Credit
Surveys) submitted for examinations
completed through the first half of
As measured by bank loan growth,
recovery from the financial crisis and
great recession continues to gather
momentum. Total loans and leases
held by FDIC-insured institutions
rose to $8.5 trillion as of June 30,
2015, up 5.4 percent compared to one
year prior.1 This post-crisis rebound
in lending volume is likely attributable, in part, to the low interest rate
environment and a fair economic
outlook encouraging individuals and
businesses to tap into available credit.
Not only is loan volume growing, but
the proportion of institutions that
are growing their loan portfolios is
increasing. During the second quarter
of 2015, 78 percent of banks grew
their lending portfolios. This is up
from about 74 percent the year prior.
Further, the rise in loan volume is
broad-based. Acquisition, development, and construction (ADC) loans
stood at $256 billion at mid-year
2015, an increase of nearly 15 percent
from a year earlier. Commercial and
industrial (C&I) loans were $1.8
trillion, an 8 percent increase from
a year earlier. Consumer lending
increased 4 percent to $1.4 trillion.
Nonfarm, nonresidential commercial
real estate loans increased 4 percent
to about $1.2 trillion. In addition, 1-4
family residential mortgage loans held
on balance sheet grew about 2 percent
to a little less than $1.9 trillion.
Unused loan commitments are nearly
$6.7 trillion and are up 6 percent from
a year earlier, indicating continued
Loan performance continues to
improve, reflecting the ongoing recovery in the nations economy and bankers working through and/or selling off
many of the problem legacy credits.
The past due and nonaccrual (PDNA)
ratio as of June 30, 2015, is 2.38
percent, a 67 basis point improvement from the year prior. During the
12-month period, the PDNA ratio
improved for nearly all loan categories
except the All other loans and leases
(including farm) category, which
only increased six basis points to 0.45
Given that borrowers generally do
not immediately default after they
have received a loan, metrics such as
the PDNA ratio tend to be a lagging
indicator of loan quality, especially
in periods of rapid loan growth, and
may not effectively provide banks and
their regulators the lead time necessary to properly identify and address
emerging credit risk. Accordingly, to
facilitate earlier identification and
Financial data and banking statistics for this article obtained from Quarterly Banking Profile for second quarters
stronger tracking of lending conditions and risks, the FDIC reviews
and analyzes examiners responses
to the Credit Surveys.2
Credit Survey History
The FDIC implemented the current
Credit Survey in the fall of 2009.
The Credit Survey is required to
be completed by examiners at the
conclusion of all risk management
examinations. It solicits examiner
assessments about the level of risk
and quality of underwriting for loan
portfolios and gathers information on
new and evolving bank activities and
products, among other items, with
a focus on changes since the last
Credit Survey Results
The observations reported by
examiners in the Credit Survey
reflect continuing improvement in
the financial condition and overall
risk profile of the banking industry.
At the same time, Credit Survey
results suggest that just as loan
growth is returning, so to some
extent are riskier lending practices.
This development is not unusual in
a banking cycles upswing phase.
Moreover, while selected indicators suggest the direction of risk
is increasing, examiners are still
typically reporting these indicators
in the context of low to moderate
levels of overall risk.
Combining Credit Survey results
with financial, economic, and
examination data helps supervisory staff to better identify trends,
perform forward-looking analyses,
and prioritize the use of supervisory
resources. In addition, the results
are summarized for the banking
industry in articles such as this one.
the Winter 2010, Summer 2012, and
Winter 2013 issues of Supervisory
Insights (SIJ).
Overall loan portfolio risk
Credit Survey respondents
continue to label the degree of risk
in most lending portfolios as low
to moderate.3 Reports of high
risk portfolios declined substantially, from 23 percent of responses
for the first half of 2013 to 14
percent of responses for the first
half of 2015. For the first half of
2015, roughly 67 percent of Credit
Surveys reported moderate
risk in the loan portfolio, and 18
percent considered the risk level
low. Comparatively, for the first
half of 2013, responses were 62
percent for moderate risk and 15
percent for low risk, respectively.
The migration from the high risk
level in the past few years may
be due to the working through
or selling-off of many problem
credits and improvements in the
economy, but perhaps also to tightening of underwriting standards in
the aftermath of the recent financial crisis that was noted in prior
Credit Survey results.4
When assessing the level of risk
on a portfolio-type basis, an overall
improving trend is noted for nearly
all portfolios. Regardless, some
portfolios are reporting a slight
uptick in the proportion of high
risk designations in the first half
of 2015 (although the frequency
of such designations remains well
below those experienced with the
recent crisis), suggesting that lending risk may be in the very early
stages of increasing.
The Credit Survey results show
the level of risk in the Agricultural loan portfolio has increased
slightly during the past two years.
Since the Credit Survey was
implemented, the Agricultural
loan portfolio generally had one of
the highest percentages of low
risk responses. During the past
two years, there has been a slight
Past SIJ articles summarizing Credit Survey results include: Jeffrey A. Forbes, Margaret M. Hanrahan,
and Larry R. VonArb, Lending Trends: Results from the FDICs Credit and Consumer Products/Services
Survey, Winter 2013; Jeffrey A. Forbes, Margaret M. Hanrahan, Andrea N. Plante, and Paul S. Vigil,
Results from the FDICs Credit and Consumer Products/Services Survey: Focus on Lending Trends,
Summer 2012; and Jeffrey A. Forbes, David P. Lafleur, Paul S. Vigil, and Kenneth A. Weber, Insights from
the FDICs Credit and Consumer Products/Services Survey, Winter 2010.
These descriptors apply only to banks with lending portfolios representing more than two percent of total
assets (de minimis portfolio rule).
See articles in the Summer 2012 and Winter 2013 issues referenced in footnote 2.
but noticeable shift from low to
moderate and high risk. Such a
shift is to be expected as farm income
has declined after several years of
extraordinarily high levels. Although
farm income has declined, farm debt
levels remain manageable. That said,
the level of risk within the Agricultural loan portfolio is dependent on
how borrowers and bankers adjust to
the lower levels of farm income. As
a reminder, financial institutions are
encouraged to work with borrowers
experiencing financial difficulties. The
FDIC will continue to closely monitor the agricultural economy and the
quality and performance of the Agricultural loan portfolio.
Regulators are also keeping a close
eye on other portfolios, including
ADC and commercial real estate
(CRE) in general, which experienced
significant loan losses in the recent
financial crisis. Out-of-area lending
and concentrations also remain on
the regulatory radar and are discussed
Prudent loan risk selection remains
vital to a banks financial health, and
a banks first line of defense against
booking excessive credit risk is the
initial underwriting process. For the
first half of 2015, about 9 percent of
Credit Surveys reported generally
liberal underwriting in one or more
portfolios.5 This is a slight uptick from
the 8 percent reported in the second
half of 2014, but is still a lower incidence of generally liberal underwriting practices than reported in all other
prior six-month periods. The portfolio
most often cited as having generally
liberal underwriting is the consumer
portfolio (6 percent for the first half of
2015), with the C&I portfolio ranking
second (6 percent), and the ADC portfolio ranking third (5 percent).
The Credit Surveys indicate that
examiners are typically observing no
material changes in underwriting.
This has remained the case during the
past five years (see Chart 1). When
examiners have observed a material
change in loan underwriting practices,
they more often report tightening
than easing, again a trend that has
persisted during this period. Another
consistent trend is that the proportion of banks where examiners have
reported tighter standards has generally declined since 2011, leading to
an increase in no material change
observations. Whether tightening or
relaxing, the preponderance of the
material underwriting changes continues to be characterized by Credit
Chart 1: Changes in Underwriting Standards
Source: Credit Surveys of Satisfactorily Rated Institutions with
De minimis portfolio rule (see footnote 3).
Survey respondents as moderate
versus substantial.
On an aggregate portfolio basis,
and responses to regulatory observations and recommendations are
generally the most common factors
reported to be influencing changes
in underwriting practices. Lesser,
but still important, reported factors
include competitive forces, changes in
management, and growth goals.
The Credit Survey results described
thus far have indicated that in broad
terms, the banking industry continues
to exhibit a lower risk profile than it
did coming out of the financial crisis,
and that examiners generally are
describing the overall level of lending
risks as moderate. However, as noted
earlier, Credit Survey responses also
indicate that risks related to selected
portfolios or lending practices may
be starting to increase. Some of these
issues are described below.
About 10 percent of the applicable
surveys for satisfactorily rated banks
during the past 18 months reported
those banks loosening at least one of
the specified types of underwriting
standards for C&I and permanent CRE
loans. Reducing the spread between
the loan rate and cost of funds is the
most frequently reported area of loosening for this portfolio, followed by
increasing the maximum maturity of
As mentioned previously, ADC lending is on the rise, albeit from a lower
base following a post-crisis retrenchment of this sector. Examiners noted
higher-risk ADC lending activities in
about 22 percent of applicable Credit
during the past 18 months. This
remains elevated compared to other
loan portfolio types. Speculative lending is the most frequently reported
higher-risk activity. It is followed by
repayment source themes: funding
of ADC loans without consideration
of repayment sources other than the
sale of collateral and failing to verify
the quality of alternative repayment
The agricultural economy has been
strong; however, real net farm income
has been declining since the 2013
peak. The increases in the overall
level of risk in agricultural loan portfolios noted earlier is probably more
attributable to these economic developments rather than to weak lending
practices, since for most banks the
Credit Survey results do not show an
increase in higher-risk agricultural
lending practices. For some banks,
however, riskier practices are being
reported. One sign of a weaker agricultural economy is an increase in
Credit Surveys reporting institutions
that are extending or renewing unpaid
production/operating loans structured
to be paid in full at maturity and not
secured by marketable collateral, e.g.
carryover debt. Other agricultural
lending practices reported to be on
the rise at some banks, although less
frequently reported than carryover
debt, are making livestock loans without documenting livestock inspections and lending to borrowers who
lack documented financial strength to
support the loan.
As the banking industry continues its rebound from the crisis and
banks look to combat compressed net
interest margins, banks are growing
loans, sometimes by way of offering
new products or expanding existing
lending strategies. Credit Surveys
reporting new or evolving products,
activities, or strategies that could
pose risks to the institution increased
from about 10 percent between 2010
and 2011 to roughly 13 percent in
2014 and 2015. Examples of the most
frequently cited new and emphasized lending products in the Credit
Surveys include purchasing loans
(including out-of-area, participations, and Shared National Credits);
ADC and CRE lending; C&I lending;
Along with the uptick in new and
emphasized lending products, Credit
Survey results show that examiners
view the risks associated with loan
growth as somewhat greater than
in past Credit Surveys. Specifically,
for the first half of 2015, 47 percent
of Credit Surveys reported the risk
associated with loan growth and/
or changes in lending activities as
moderate or high. This is up from
43 percent two years prior and from
45 percent one year ago.
A variety of reasons for high risk
designations was observed. For satisfactorily rated institutions, many
comments focused on the rate of
growth, with CRE/ADC and residential
real estate being the most frequently
cited. Credit administration, merger/
acquisition activity, and participation
or brokered loans were also repeatedly cited as risk factors.
Many banks, such as some in
markets with sluggish loan demand,
consider out-of-area lending as a way
to grow loans. Over time, advances
in technology and partnerships with
third parties have made out-of-area
loans more readily available to banks.
As discussed in the Winter 2013
SIJ article, out-of-area lending grew
dramatically in the years before the
crisis, and those loans often were
purchased whole or in participations
underwritten by other financial institutions. Many failed banks had relatively large portfolios of out-of-area
loans that deteriorated quickly, and
the deterioration was exacerbated by
weak due diligence at origination, lack
of knowledge about the area where
the loan was made, and reliance on a
third party that poorly managed the
credit. The Winter 2013 SIJ article
also suggested that institutions were
implementing lessons learned from
the crisis as fewer banks were making
out-of-area loans at that time.
More recently, Credit Survey results
show that trend may be reversing. Reports of out-of-area lending
increased in the first half of 2015 (see
Chart 2). About 19 percent of Credit
Surveys for this period6 report outof-area lending as a standard practice
or a practice engaged in frequently
enough to warrant notice. This is up
from 15 percent for the first half of
2014 and from 14 percent for the
first half of 2013. Although out-ofarea lending is trending up, it has not
reached the levels reported for 2009
In January 2015, the Credit Survey
question for out-of-area lending was
revised, in part, to separate the lending categories into direct and indirect
lending.7 Commercial lending (including CRE/ADC) is the loan portfolio
Indirect lending includes purchased out-of-area participations and whole loans and all loans purchased from nonFDIC-insured entities regardless of the location.
Chart 2: Out-of-Area Lending Trended Up in 2015
Source: Credit Surveys
Chart 3: Out-of-Area Lending Type
most often associated with out-of-area
lending, on both direct and indirect
bases. In 13 percent of Credit Surveys
for the first half of 2015, institutions
were identified as being engaged in
direct or indirect out-of-area lending for their commercial portfolios
as a standard practice or frequently
enough to warrant notice. The
percentages reported for residential
and consumer portfolios were much
lower (see Chart 3). Depending on the
portfolio type, approximately 26 to 29
percent of the institutions identified
as engaged in out-of-area lending are
reported to be engaged in both direct
and indirect out-of-area lending.
Source: Credit Surveys (First Half 2015)
In early November 2015, the FDIC
issued FIL-49-2015 to update information contained in the FDIC Advisory
on Effective Credit Risk Management
Practices for Purchased Loan Participations (FIL-38-2012). The updated
advisory addresses purchased loans
and loan participations and reminds
FDIC-supervised institutions of the
importance of underwriting and
administering purchased credits as
if the loans were originated by the
purchasing institution. The updated
advisory also reminds institutions that
third-party arrangements to facilitate
loan and loan participation purchases
should be managed by an effective
third-party risk management process.
Loan growth has the potential to
create or exacerbate concentrations
of credit and/or funding. The FDIC
recognizes that concentration risk is
a reality for many institutions, and
is often a reflection of local econo-
mies, borrowing needs, and market
conditions. Concentrations are not
inherently problematic, but the associated risks need to be well-managed.
As discussed in the Winter 2013 SIJ
article, ineffective risk management
of growing concentrated portfolios has
been a key contributor to asset problems in many banking crises. As such,
the FDIC continues to closely track
trends in concentrations.
About 55 percent of Credit Surveys
for the first half of 2015 reported
at least one credit and/or funding
concentration. Moreover, many institutions that have concentrated loan
portfolios are growing those portfolios.
Based on June 30, 2015, Call Report
data, about 49 percent of institutions
with one or more loan portfolios that
exceed 300 percent of total capital8
grew such a portfolio over 10 percent.9
Credit Survey question for credit and
funding concentrations was revised
to provide more granular data on
concentrations including, among
other items, type. Chart 4 summarizes concentration types on a broad
category basis as reported through the
Credit Survey. More specifically, the
most frequently cited credit concentrations in the Credit Survey results
are CRE/ADC, individual borrower,
agriculture, residential/multi-family
real estate, hospitality, and out-ofarea/participations. On the funding side, the most frequently cited
concentrations are brokered deposits,
borrowings/wholesale funds, large
deposits, public funds, and internet/
listing service deposits. As indicated
in the Chart, survey responses characterized a subset of these concentra-
tions as displaying material growth or
vulnerability to economic stress.
Chart 4: Credit and Funding Concentrations
Vulnerable to Economic Stress
Individual, Project,
Industry, Product,
Source: Credit Surveys (First Half 2014 through First Half 2015)
Outlook and Viewpoint
The lending environment will
continue to change. Banks are growing loan portfolios, and there may
be early signs of emerging risk. In
the current environment, banks are
facing strong competition, earnings
pressure, and increasing deposits.
How well banks manage loan growth,
concentrations, funding, and new
products or services will be critical
to their successful operation going
forward. As banks revisit risk tolerances and market strategies to remain
competitive, management should
remember that prudent risk selection
and careful monitoring of the lending portfolio are integral components
of a well-managed institution. When
assessing proposed and new products
and activities, considerations should
include matters such as whether the
bank understands the risks associated with the market or product,
whether pricing is appropriate for
any increased risk, and whether the
For ADC lending, 100 percent of total capital is used.
For institutions with more than one portfolio exceeding the threshold, the highest growth rate is used.
Single Funding
proper resources, including technology and staffing, are available.
The data obtained from the Credit
Surveys are valuable to the supervisory process. The FDIC will continue
to evaluate the Credit Survey data
along with other sources of information to proactively identify and
address the continued evolution of
lending practices and risks at the
banks we supervise.
ligarcia@fdic.gov
kweber@fdic.gov
Overview of Selected Regulations
and Supervisory Guidance
This section provides an overview of recently released regulations and supervisory guidance, arranged in
reverse chronological order. Press Release (PR) and Financial Institution Letter (FIL) designations are
included so the reader can obtain more information.
CFPB, FDIC, FRB, NCUA, and OCC
FDIC Issues Additional
Resources (FIL-55-2015,
The FDIC is adding to its cybersecurity awareness resources for financial institutions. The
new resources include a Cybersecurity Awareness video and three vignettes for the Cyber
Challenge, which consist of exercises that encourage discussions of operational risk issues
and the potential impact of information technology (IT) disruptions on common banking
See https://www.fdic.gov/news/news/financial/2015/fil15055.html
FFIEC Issues Updated Management
Booklet as Part of IT Examination
Handbook Series (FIL-54-2015,
November 20, 2015)
The FFIEC has issued a revised Management booklet that provides guidance to assist examiners in evaluating the IT governance at financial institutions and service providers. The booklet is part of the IT Examination Handbook series.
See https://www.fdic.gov/news/news/financial/2015/fil15054.html
FDIC Board Approves Proposed Rule
to Increase Deposit Insurance Fund
To Statutorily Required Level (FIL53-2015, November 17, 2015)
On October 22, 2015, the FDIC Board of Directors adopted a proposal to increase the Deposit
Insurance Fund to the statutorily required minimum level of 1.35 percent. The proposed rule
would impose on banks with at least $10 billion in assets a surcharge of 4.5 cents per $100 of
their assessment base, after making certain adjustments. The FDIC expects the reserve ratio
would likely reach 1.35 percent after approximately two years of payments of the proposed
surcharges. Comments on the proposed rule are due January 5, 2016.
See https://www.fdic.gov/news/news/financial/2015/fil15053.html
FDIC Clarifies its Approach to Banks
Offering Certain Products and
Services to Non-Bank Payday
Lenders (FIL-52-2015, November 16,
The FDIC is reissuing its 2005 Payday Lending Guidance (FIL-14-2005) to ensure bankers and
others are aware that it does not apply to banks offering products and services, such as
deposit accounts and extensions of credit, to non-bank payday lenders. Financial institutions
that can properly manage customer relationships and effectively mitigate risks are neither
prohibited nor discouraged from providing services to any category of business customers or
individual customers operating in compliance with applicable state and federal laws.
See https://www.fdic.gov/news/news/financial/2015/fil15052.html
FDIC Seeking Comment on
Regarding Identifying, Accepting,
and Reporting Brokered Deposits
(FIL-51-2015, November 13, 2015)
The FDIC is seeking comment on a proposed update to a series of frequently asked questions
and an accompanying introductory letter regarding identifying, accepting and reporting
brokered deposits that were issued in January 2015 through FIL-2-2015. Comments on the
proposed update are due December 28, 2015.
See https://www.fdic.gov/news/news/financial/2015/fil15051.html
Agencies Announce Final EGRPRA
Outreach Meeting (PR-90-2015,
The federal banking agencies will hold the final outreach meeting on Wednesday, December 2,
2015, at the FDIC in Arlington, VA, as part of their regulatory review under the Economic
Growth and Regulatory Paperwork Reduction Act of 1996 (EGRPRA). The meeting will feature
panel presentations by bankers and consumer and community groups.
See https://www.fdic.gov/news/news/press/2015/pr15090.html
FDIC Issues Guidance on Capital
in Covered Funds (FIL-50-2015,
November 6, 2015)
The FDIC is issuing guidance to FDIC-supervised institutions to clarify the interaction between
the regulatory capital rule and the final rule implementing Section 13 of the Bank Holding
Company Act ("Volcker Rule" ) with respect to the appropriate capital treatment for investments
in certain private equity funds and hedge funds ("covered funds").
See https://www.fdic.gov/news/news/financial/2015/fil15050.html
FDIC Issues Advisory on Effective
Risk Management Practices for
Purchased Loans and Purchased
Loan Participations (FIL-49-2015,
The FDIC is issuing an Advisory to update information contained in the FDIC Advisory on
Effective Credit Risk Management Practices for Purchased Loan Participations (FIL-38-2012).
The updated Advisory addresses purchased loans and loan participations and reminds FDICsupervised institutions of the importance of underwriting and administering these purchased
credits as if the loans were originated by the purchasing institution. The updated Advisory also
reminds institutions that third-party arrangements to facilitate loan and loan participation
purchases should be managed by an effective third-party risk management process.
See https://www.fdic.gov/news/news/financial/2015/fil15049.html
Shared National Credits Review
Notes High Credit Risk and
Weaknesses Related to Leveraged
Lending and Oil and Gas (PR-892015, November 5, 2015)
Credit risk in the Shared National Credit portfolio remained at a high level, according to an
annual review of large shared credits released by the federal bank regulatory agencies. The
review found that leveraged lending transactions originated in the past year continue to exhibit
weak structures. The review also noted an increase in weakness among credits related to oil
and gas exploration, production, and energy services following the decline in energy prices
since mid-2014.
See https://www.fdic.gov/news/news/press/2015/pr15089.html
Five Federal Agencies Finalize Swap
Margin Rule (PR-86-2015, October
The FDIC, OCC, FRB, Farm Credit Administration, and Federal Housing Finance Agency issued a
final rule to establish capital and margin requirements for swap dealers, major swap
participants, security-based swap dealers, and major security-based swap participants
regulated by one of the agencies (covered swap entities), as required by the Dodd-Frank
Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (Dodd-Frank Act).
See https://www.fdic.gov/news/news/press/2015/pr15086.html
FDIC Hosts Industry Teleconference
in Recognition of Cybersecurity
Awareness Month (FIL-48-2015,
October 23, 2015)
In recognition of President Obamas designation of October as National Cybersecurity
Awareness month, the FDIC is hosting an informational call for FDIC-supervised institutions on
October 28, 2015. The call will address and discuss the FDICs regulatory expectations
regarding cybersecurity preparedness and allow industry participants to ask questions.
See https://www.fdic.gov/news/news/financial/2015/fil15048.html
FDIC Provides Guidance for
the Truth in Lending Act and Real
Integrated Disclosure Rule (FIL-432015, October 2, 2015)
The FDIC is providing guidance on its supervisory expectations in connection with
examinations of financial institutions for compliance with the Truth in Lending Act Real Estate
Settlement Procedures Act Integrated Disclosure Rule, which is effective October 3, 2015.
See https://www.fdic.gov/news/news/financial/2015/fil15043.html
FDIC to Conduct Deposit Insurance
Coverage Seminars (FIL-38-2015,
September 14, 2015)
The FDIC will conduct four live seminars on FDIC deposit insurance coverage for bank
employees and bank officers between September 24, 2015, and December 2, 2015. In addition,
the FDIC has developed three deposit insurance coverage seminars for bank officers and
employees, which are now available on FDICs YouTube channel. The live and the YouTube
deposit insurance coverage seminars will provide bank employees with an understanding of
how to calculate deposit insurance coverage.
See https://www.fdic.gov/news/news/financial/2015/fil15038.html
FDIC Updates its Money Smart
Financial Education Program for
Consumers/Individuals with Visual
Disabilities (PR-79-2015, October 5,
The FDIC announced two resources tailored to meet the financial education needs of
individuals with visual disabilities. The FDICs Money Smart curriculum for adults is available in
Braille and Large Print. In addition, the latest version of the Money Smart Podcast Network
the audio version of Money Smart is available in Spanish.
See https://www.fdic.gov/news/news/press/2015/pr15079.html
Agencies Announce EGRPRA
Outreach Meeting in Chicago
(PR-75-2015, September 28, 2015)
The federal bank regulatory agencies will hold an outreach meeting on Monday, October 19,
2015, at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago as part of their regulatory review under EGRPRA.
The meeting will feature panel presentations by bankers and consumer and community groups.
See https://www.fdic.gov/news/news/press/2015/pr15075.html
FDIC Consumer Newsletter Features
Tips on Choosing and Using Bank
"Rewards" (PR-68-2015, August 27,
The Summer 2015 edition of FDIC Consumer News features tips when choosing a bank rewards
program tied to credit or debit cards that earn points or provide cash back benefits. The
edition also has articles on mobile financial services, automated teller machines, credit scores,
reverse mortgages, and deposit insurance.
See https://www.fdic.gov/news/news/press/2015/pr15068.html
Released (FIL-36-2015, August 24,
The Summer 2015 issue of Supervisory Insights features two articles of interest to examiners,
bankers, and supervisors. One article highlights the critical role of corporate governance and
strategic planning in navigating a challenging operating environment. The second article
discusses the new requirements related to bank investment in securitizations as a result of the
See https://www.fdic.gov/news/news/financial/2015/fil15036.html
Agencies Issue Final Rule on Loans
in Special Flood Hazard Areas (FIL32-2015, July 21, 2015)
The FDIC, OCC, FRB, NCUA, and Farm Credit Administration approved the issuance of a joint
final rule to amend their respective regulations regarding loans in special flood hazard areas.
The final rule incorporates and implements certain provisions in the Biggert-Waters Flood
Insurance Reform Act of 2012 (BW Act) and the Homeowner Flood Insurance Affordability Act of
2014 (HFIAA) regarding detached structures, force placement of flood insurance, and
escrowing of flood insurance premiums and fees.
See https://www.fdic.gov/news/news/financial/2015/fil15032.html
Agencies Release List of Distressed
or Underserved Geographies (PR-592015, July 8, 2015)
The federal bank regulatory agencies announced the availability of the 2015 list of distressed
or underserved nonmetropolitan middle-income geographies, where revitalization or
stabilization activities will receive Community Reinvestment Act consideration as community
See https://www.fdic.gov/news/news/press/2015/pr15059.html
Agencies Post Public Sections of
Resolution Plans (PR-58-2015, July
The FDIC and FRB posted the public portions of annual resolution plans for 12 large financial
firms. Each plan must describe the companys strategy for rapid and orderly resolution under
the U.S. Bankruptcy Code in the event of material financial distress or failure of the company.
See https://www.fdic.gov/news/news/press/2015/pr15058.html
Outreach Meeting (PR-57-2015, July
The federal bank regulatory agencies will hold an outreach meeting on Tuesday, August 4,
2015, at the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City as part of their regulatory review under
EGRPRA. The meeting will focus on rural banking issues and will feature panel presentations
by industry participants and consumer and community groups.
See https://www.fdic.gov/news/news/press/2015/pr15057.html
FDIC Announces Meeting of
Advisory Committee on Community
Banking (PR-56-2015, July 6, 2015)
The FDIC announced that its Advisory Committee on Community Banking will meet on Friday,
July 10. Staff will provide an update on the FDICs Community Banking Initiatives and discuss a
number of issues, including examination frequency and offsite monitoring; call report
streamlining; the cybersecurity assessment tool; high volatility commercial real estate loans;
and the review of banking regulations under EGRPRA.
See https://www.fdic.gov/news/news/press/2015/pr15056.html
FDIC Issues Cybersecurity
Assessment Tool (FIL-28-2015, July
The FDIC, in coordination with the other members of the FFIEC, is issuing the FFIEC
Cybersecurity Assessment Tool to help institutions identify their cybersecurity risks and
determine their preparedness.
See https://www.fdic.gov/news/news/financial/2015/fil15028.html
FDIC Releases Interagency
Examination Procedures for Truth in
Lending Act and Real Estate
Mortgage Rules (FIL-27-2015,
The FDIC released revised interagency examination procedures for the new Truth in Lending
Act (TILA) - Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA) Integrated Disclosure Rule (TRID
Rule), as well as amendments to other provisions of TILA Regulation Z and RESPA Regulation X.
The CFPB issued a proposal for a TRID Rule effective on October 3, 2015.
See https://www.fdic.gov/news/news/financial/2015/fil15027.html
Agencies Issue Host State Loan-toDeposit Ratios. (PR-54-2015, June
The federal bank regulatory agencies issued the host state loan-to-deposit ratios they will use
to determine compliance with Section 109 of the Riegle-Neal Interstate Banking and Branching
Efficiency Act of 1994. These ratios update data released on July 2, 2014.
See https://www.fdic.gov/news/news/press/2015/pr15054.html
Agencies Announce Approval of
Final Rule that Modifies Regulations
that Apply to Loans Secured by
Properties in Flood Hazard Areas.
(PR-52-2015, June 22, 2015)
The FDIC, OCC, FRB, NCUA, and Farm Credit Administration announced the approval of a joint
final rule that modifies regulations that apply to loans secured by properties located in special
flood hazard areas. The final rule implements provisions of the HFIAA relating to the escrowing
of flood insurance payments and the exemption of certain detached structures from the
mandatory flood insurance purchase requirement. The final rule also implements provisions in
the BW Act relating to the force placement of flood insurance.
See https://www.fdic.gov/news/news/press/2015/pr15052.html
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