Investment Securities and End-User Derivatives; Interpretive Ruling and Policy Statement

The National Credit Union Administration (NCUA), the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (FRB), the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), and the Office of Thrift Supervision (OTS), (collectively referred to as the agencies) under the auspices of the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council (FFIEC) have approved the Supervisory Policy Statement on Investment Securities and End-User Derivatives Activities (1998 Statement) which provides guidance on sound practices for managing the risks of investment activities. This statement replaces the Supervisory Policy Statement on Securities Activities published on February 3, 1992 (1992 Statement). NCUA adopted the 1992 Statement as Interpretive Ruling and Policy Statement No. 92-1 (IRPS No. 92-1). Many elements of the prior statement are retained in the 1998 Statement, while other elements have been revised or eliminated. In adopting the 1998 Statement, the agencies are removing the specific constraints in the 1992 Statement concerning investments by insured depository institutions in "high risk" mortgage derivative products. The agencies believe that it is a sound practice for institutions to understand the risks related to all their investment holdings. Accordingly, the 1998 Statement substitutes broader guidance than the specific pass/fail requirements contained in the 1992 Statement. Other than for the supervisory guidance contained in the 1992 Statement, the 1998 Statement does not supersede any other requirements of the agencies' statutory rules, regulations, policies, or supervisory guidance. Because the 1998 Statement does not retain the elements of the 1992 Statement addressing the reporting of securities activities (Section II of the 1992 Statement), the agencies intend to separately issue supervisory guidance on the reporting of investment securities and end-user derivatives activities. Each agency may issue additional guidance to