OSFI to Phase Out Special Capital Treatment of COVID-19 Loans at Banks
OSFI announced that it is gradually phasing out the special capital treatment of loan and insurance premium payment deferrals that was provided to banks and insurers at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The OSFI decision to discontinue the special regulatory capital treatment of deferrals, which permit loan and insurance premium payment deferrals to be treated as performing, reflects the temporary nature of these measures and will ensure that reporting requirements remain accurate in reflecting credit risk. OSFI has published additional details regarding this in a letter that was issued to federally regulated deposit-taking institutions and in the updated frequently asked questions (FAQs) on pandemic-related regulatory measures.
OSFI is announcing the following updates to the special capital treatment of loans subject to payment deferrals:
- Loans granted payment deferrals before August 31 will continue to be treated as performing loans under the Capital Adequacy Requirements (CAR) Guideline for the duration of the deferral, up to a maximum of six calendar months from the effective date of the deferral.
- Loans granted new payment deferrals after August 30 and on or before September 30 will be treated as performing loans under the CAR Guideline for the duration of the deferral, up to a maximum of three calendar months from the approval date of the deferral.
- Loans granted payment deferrals with approval dates after September 30, 2020 will not be eligible for the special capital treatment.
This change supports the accurate measurement of the capital needs of deposit-taking institutions and the long-term integrity of the OSFI capital framework. While the special capital treatment and regulatory flexibility related to payment deferrals was warranted at the onset of COVID-19, as both lenders and borrowers adapted to the extraordinary circumstances and unprecedented disruptions related to the pandemic, banks are now in a better position to employ their business-as-usual alternatives to support troubled borrowers. Thus, the special capital treatment for loans with payment deferrals is no longer warranted and is being phased out through the changes being announced.
Related Links
Keywords: Americas, Canada, Banking, COVID-19, Payment Deferrals, Regulatory Capital, Basel, Credit Risk, FAQ, OSFI
Featured Experts
María Cañamero
Skilled market researcher; growth strategist; successful go-to-market campaign developer
Nicolas Degruson
Works with financial institutions, regulatory experts, business analysts, product managers, and software engineers to drive regulatory solutions across the globe.
Pierre-Etienne Chabanel
Brings expertise in technology and software solutions around banking regulation, whether deployed on-premises or in the cloud.
Related Articles
HKMA Urges Early Action for Adherence to IBOR Fallbacks Protocol
HKMA urged authorized institutions to take early action to adhere to the IBOR Fallbacks Protocol, which ISDA is expected to publish soon.
FSB Sets Out Roadmap for Transition to Alternative Reference Rates
FSB published a global transition roadmap for London Inter-bank Offered Rate (LIBOR).
HM Treasury Publishes Response to Proposal on BRRD2 Transposition
HM Treasury published a document that summarizes the responses received from a consultation on the approach of UK to transposition of the revised Bank Resolution and Recovery Directive (BRRD2).
HM Treasury Publishes Response to Proposal on CRD5 Transposition
HM Treasury published the government response to the feedback received on the consultation for updating the prudential regime of UK before the end of the Brexit transition period.
PRA Updates Supervisory Statement on Counterparty Credit Risk
PRA published the final policy statement PS22/20, which contains the updated supervisory statement SS12/13 on counterparty credit risk.
FSB Publishes Update on Work to Address Market Fragmentation
FSB published an update on its work to address market fragmentation. FSB is working in this area in collaboration with the other standard-setting bodies.
EBA Proposes to Revise Guidelines on Incident Reporting Under PSD2
EBA proposed revisions to the guidelines on major incident reporting under the second Payment Service Directive (PSD2).
EBA Finalizes Standards for Prudential Treatment of Software Assets
EBA published the final draft regulatory technical standards specifying the methodology for prudential treatment of software assets by banks.
FSB Publishes Roadmap on Cross-Border Payments, Report on Stablecoins
FSB published a report presenting the roadmap to enhance cross-border payments by providing a high-level plan that sets ambitious but achievable goals and milestones in the five focus areas.
EIOPA Urges Insurers to Prepare for End of Brexit Transition
In a recent communication, EIOPA urged the insurance sector to complete its preparations for the end of the Brexit transition period on December 31, 2020.
