§ 704.6 - Credit risk management.

§ 704.6 Credit risk management.

Cross Reference

Link to an amendment published at 85 FR 71826, Nov. 12, 2020.

(a) Policies. A corporate credit union must operate according to a credit risk management policy that is commensurate with the investment risks and activities it undertakes. The policy must address at a minimum:

(1) The approval process associated with credit limits;

(2) Due diligence analysis requirements;

(3) Maximum credit limits with each obligor and transaction counterparty, set as a percentage of capital. In addition to addressing deposits and securities, limits with transaction counterparties must address aggregate exposures of all transactions including, but not limited to, repurchase agreements, securities lending, and forward settlement of purchases or sales of investments; and

(4) Concentrations of credit risk (e.g., originator of receivables, servicer of receivables, insurer, industry type, sector type, geographic, collateral type, and tranche priority).

(b) Exemption. The limitations and requirements of this section do not apply to certain assets, whether or not considered investments under this part, including fixed assets, individual loans and loan participation interests, investments in CUSOs, investments that are issued or fully guaranteed as to principal and interest by the U.S. government or its agencies or its sponsored enterprises (but not exempting, for purposes of paragraph (d) of this section, mortgage backed securities), investments that are fully insured or guaranteed (including accumulated dividends and interest) by the NCUSIF or the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, and settlement funds in federally insured depository institutions.

(c) Issuer concentration limits -

(1) General rule. The aggregate value recorded on the books of the corporate credit union of all investments in any single obligor is limited to 25 percent of total capital or $5 million, whichever is greater.

(2) Exceptions.

(i) Investments in one obligor where the remaining maturity of all obligations is less than 30 days are limited to 50 percent of total capital;

(ii) Investments in credit card master trust asset-backed securities are limited to 50 percent of total capital in any single obligor;

(iii) Aggregate investments in repurchase and securities lending agreements with any one counterparty are limited to 200 percent of total capital;

(iv) Investments in non-money market registered investment companies are limited to 50 percent of total capital in any single obligor;

(v) Investments in money market registered investment companies are limited to 100 percent of total capital in any single obligor; and

(vi) Investments in corporate CUSOs are subject to the limitations of section 11 of this part.

(d) Sector concentration limits.

(1) A corporate credit union must establish sector limits based on the value recorded on the books of the corporate credit union that do not exceed the following maximums:

(i) Mortgage-backed securities (inclusive of commercial mortgage-backed securities) - the lower of 1000 percent of total capital or 50 percent of assets;

(ii) Commercial mortgage-backed securities - the lower of 300 percent of total capital or 15 percent of assets;

(iii) Federal Family Education Loan Program student loan asset-backed securities - the lower of 1000 percent of total capital or 50 percent of assets;

(iv) Private student loan asset-backed securities - the lower of 500 percent of total capital or 25 percent of assets;

(v) Auto loan/lease asset-backed securities - the lower of 500 percent of total capital or 25 percent of assets;

(vi) Credit card asset-backed securities - the lower of 500 percent of total capital or 25 percent of assets;

(vii) Other asset-backed securities not listed in paragraphs (d)(1)(ii) through (vi) of this section - the lower of 500 percent of total capital or 25 percent of assets;

(viii) Corporate debt obligations - the lower of 1000 percent of total capital or 50 percent of assets; and

(ix) Municipal securities - the lower of 1000 percent of total capital or 50 percent of assets.

(2) Registered investment companies - A corporate credit union must limit its investment in registered investment companies to the lower of 1000 percent of total capital or 50 percent of assets. In addition to applying the limit in this paragraph, a corporate credit union must also include the underlying assets in each registered investment company in the relevant sectors described in paragraph (d)(1) of this section when calculating those sector limits.

(3) A corporate credit union must limit its aggregate holdings in any investments not described in paragraphs (d)(1) or (2) of this section to the lower of 100 percent of total capital or 5 percent of assets. The NCUA may approve a higher percentage in appropriate cases.

(4) Investments in other federally insured credit unions, deposits and federal funds investments in other federally insured depository institutions, and investment repurchase agreements are excluded from the concentration limits in paragraphs (d)(1), (2), and (3) of this section.

(e) Corporate debt obligation subsector limits. In addition to the limitations in paragraph (d)(1)(viii) of this section, a corporate credit union must not exceed the lower of 200 percent of total capital or 10 percent of assets in any single North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) industry sector based on the value recorded on the books of the corporate credit union. If a corporation in which a corporate credit union is interested in investing does not have a readily ascertainable NAICS classification, a corporate credit union will use its reasonable judgment in assigning such a classification. NCUA may direct, however, that the corporate credit union change the classification.

(f) Credit ratings.

(1) Before purchasing an investment, a corporate credit union must conduct and document an analysis that reasonably concludes the investment has no more than a minimal amount of credit risk.

(2) A corporate credit union must identify and monitor any changes in credit quality of the investment and retain appropriate supporting documentation as long as the corporate credit union owns the investment.

(g) Reporting and documentation.

(1) At least annually, a written evaluation of each credit limit with each obligor or transaction counterparty must be prepared and formally approved by the board or an appropriate committee. At least monthly, the board or an appropriate committee must receive an investment watch list of existing and/or potential credit problems and summary credit exposure reports, which demonstrate compliance with the corporate credit union's risk management policies.

(2) At a minimum, the corporate credit union must maintain:

(i) A justification for each approved credit limit;

(ii) Disclosure documents, if any, for all instruments held in portfolio. Documents for an instrument that has been sold must be retained until completion of the next NCUA examination; and

(iii) The latest available financial reports, industry analyses, and internal and external analyst evaluations sufficient to support each approved credit limit.

(h) Requirements for investment action plans. An investment is subject to the requirements of § 704.10 of this part if:

(1) Appropriate monitoring of the investment would reasonably lead to the conclusion that the investment presents more than a minimal amount of credit risk; or

(2) The investment is part of an asset class or group of investments that exceeds the issuer, sector, or subsector concentration limits of this section. For purposes of measurement, each new credit transaction must be evaluated in terms of the corporate credit union's capital at the time of the transaction. An investment that fails a requirement of this section because of a subsequent reduction in capital will be deemed nonconforming. A corporate credit union is required to exercise reasonable efforts to bring nonconforming investments into conformity within 90 calendar days. Investments that remain nonconforming for more than 90 calendar days will be deemed to fail a requirement of this section and the corporate credit union will have to comply with § 704.10 of this part.

[75 FR 64841, Oct. 20, 2010, as amended at 75 FR 71528, Nov. 24, 2010; 76 FR 79533, Dec. 22, 2011; 77 FR 74110, Dec. 13, 2012; 80 FR 25937, May 6, 2015; 85 FR 62211, Oct. 2, 2020; 85 FR 71826, Nov. 12, 2020]