Federal Reserve Could Improve the Efficiency of Bank Holding Company Inspections
GGD-81-79
Published: Aug 18, 1981. Publicly Released: Aug 18, 1981.
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Highlights
GAO reviewed the Federal Reserve's bank holding company supervision program. The report was done because the number of bank holding companies has grown rapidly, and the Federal Reserve has made a number of changes to improve its supervision and accommodate the increasing workload. GAO wanted to determine whether further revisions in holding company inspection procedures were needed.
Recommendations
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Board of Governors | The Chairman, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, should clarify inspection frequency guidelines to encourage district banks to inspect holding companies whenever there is a perceived need, regardless of inspection schedules. In assessing perceived need, the district banks should place greater reliance on surveillance and give more emphasis to companies which have nonbank subsidiaries that extend credit. |
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
|
| Board of Governors | The Chairman, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, should increase expertise in nonbank industries and improve training and control mechanisms to ensure that the risk of holding companies' nonbanking operations is uniformly and adequately considered in the surveillance and onsite inspection processes. |
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
|
| Board of Governors | The Chairman, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, should reassess reporting requirements to improve the information available on the activities of holding companies' nonbank subsidiaries, including peer group data for comparative peer group analysis. This reassessment should attempt to minimize any increased reporting burden by concentrating on collecting only those data required for effective holding company supervision. |
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
|
| Board of Governors | The Chairman, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, should establish procedures for evaluating district bank surveillance activities. Such evaluations should prompt establishment of more definitive guidelines and criteria for district bank activities and should ensure that the most appropriate practices, from a programmatic and economic standpoint, are adopted. |
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
|
| Board of Governors | The Chairman, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, should revise the inspection manual to limit onsite inspection tasks to those which are needed in each circumstance. |
The Federal Reserve believes that its present policy is adequate and no change is warranted.
|
| Board of Governors | The Chairman, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, should develop the concept under which the Federal Reserve would request the Federal bank examiners from each agency to perform needed holding company tasks in the course of their bank examinations. GAO recognized that this concept will not be appropriate in all cases and that its use will depend upon timing, examiner capability and availability, and the economics of each situation. GAO anticipates that this concept will be most appropriate for holding companies that do not conduct nonbanking activities and where the holding company and the subsidiary bank management are essentially the same. |
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
|
Full Report
Topics
Bank holding companiesFinancial institutionsFinancial managementRegulatory agenciesHolding companiesBank examinationFinancial conditionBank managementDeposit insuranceNonbank financial institutions