Regulations last checked for updates: Nov 22, 2024

Title 12 - Banks and Banking last revised: Nov 20, 2024
§ 252.161 - Definitions.

For purposes of this subpart:

Additional tier 1 capital has the same meaning as in 12 CFR 217.20(c).

Average total consolidated assets means the denominator of the leverage ratio as described in 12 CFR 217.10(b)(4).

Common equity tier 1 capital has the same meaning as in 12 CFR 217.20(b).

Common equity tier 1 capital ratio has the same meaning as in 12 CFR 217.10(b)(1) and 12 CFR 217.10(c), as applicable.

Common equity tier 1 minority interest has the same meaning as in 12 CFR 217.2.

Covered IHC is defined in § 252.160.

Covered IHC TLAC buffer means, with respect to a Covered IHC, the sum of 2.5 percent and any applicable countercyclical capital buffer under 12 CFR 217.11(b) (expressed as a percentage).

Covered IHC Total loss-absorbing capacity amount is defined in § 252.165(c).

Default right (1) Means any:

(i) Right of a party, whether contractual or otherwise (including rights incorporated by reference to any other contract, agreement or document, and rights afforded by statute, civil code, regulation and common law), to liquidate, terminate, cancel, rescind, or accelerate such agreement or transactions thereunder, set off or net amounts owing in respect thereto (except rights related to same-day payment netting), exercise remedies in respect of collateral or other credit support or property related thereto (including the purchase and sale of property), demand payment or delivery thereunder or in respect thereof (other than a right or operation of a contractual provision arising solely from a change in the value of collateral or margin or a change in the amount of an economic exposure), suspend, delay or defer payment or performance thereunder, modify the obligations of a party thereunder or any similar rights; and

(ii) Right or contractual provision that alters the amount of collateral or margin that must be provided with respect to an exposure thereunder, including by altering any initial amount, threshold amount, variation margin, minimum transfer amount, the margin value of collateral or any similar amount, that entitles a party to demand the return of any collateral or margin transferred by it to the other party or a custodian or that modifies a transferee's right to reuse collateral or margin (if such right previously existed), or any similar rights, in each case, other than a right or operation of a contractual provision arising solely from a change in the value of collateral or margin or a change in the amount of an economic exposure; and

(2) Does not include any right under a contract that allows a party to terminate the contract on demand or at its option at a specified time, or from time to time, without the need to show cause.

Discretionary bonus payment has the same meaning as under 12 CFR 217.2.

Distribution has the same meaning as under 12 CFR 217.2.

Eligible Covered IHC debt security with respect to a non-resolution Covered IHC means eligible internal debt securities issued by the non-resolution Covered IHC, and with respect to a resolution Covered IHC means eligible internal debt securities and eligible external debt securities issued by the resolution Covered IHC.

Eligible external debt security means:

(1) A debt instrument that:

(i) Is paid in, and issued by the Covered IHC to, and remains held by, a person that does not directly or indirectly control the Covered IHC and is not a wholly owned subsidiary;

(ii) Is not secured, not guaranteed by the Covered IHC or a subsidiary of the Covered IHC, and is not subject to any other arrangement that legally or economically enhances the seniority of the instrument;

(iii) Has a maturity of greater than or equal to 365 days (one year) from the date of issuance;

(iv) Is governed by the laws of the United States or any State thereof;

(v) Does not provide the holder of the instrument a contractual right to accelerate payment of principal or interest on the instrument, except a right that is exercisable on one or more dates that are specified in the instrument or in the event of:

(A) A receivership, insolvency, liquidation, or similar proceeding of the Covered IHC; or

(B) A failure of the Covered IHC to pay principal or interest on the instrument when due and payable that continues for 30 days or more;

(vi) Does not have a credit-sensitive feature, such as an interest rate that is reset periodically based in whole or in part on the Covered IHC's credit quality, but may have an interest rate that is adjusted periodically independent of the Covered IHC's credit quality, in relation to general market interest rates or similar adjustments;

(vii) Is not a structured note; and

(viii) Does not provide that the instrument may be converted into or exchanged for equity of the covered IHC; and

(2) A debt instrument issued prior to December 31, 2016 that:

(i) Is paid in, and issued by the Covered IHC to, and remains held by, a person that does not directly or indirectly control the Covered IHC and is not a wholly owned subsidiary;

(ii) Is not secured, not guaranteed by the Covered IHC or a subsidiary of the Covered IHC, and not subject to any other arrangement that legally or economically enhances the seniority of the instrument;

(iii) Has a maturity of greater than or equal to 365 days (one year) from the date of issuance;

(iv) Does not have a credit-sensitive feature, such as an interest rate that is reset periodically based in whole or in part on the Covered IHC's credit quality, but may have an interest rate that is adjusted periodically independent of the Covered IHC's credit quality, in relation to general market interest rates or similar adjustments;

(v) Is not a structured note; and

(vi) Does not provide that the instrument may be converted into or exchanged for equity of the Covered IHC.

Eligible internal debt security means a debt instrument that:

(i) Is paid in, and issued by the Covered IHC;

(ii) Is not secured, not guaranteed by the Covered IHC or a subsidiary of the Covered IHC, and is not subject to any other arrangement that legally or economically enhances the seniority of the instrument;

(iii) Has a maturity of greater than or equal to 365 days (one year) from the date of issuance;

(iv) Is governed by the laws of the United States or any State thereof;

(v) Does not provide the holder of the instrument a contractual right to accelerate payment of principal or interest on the instrument, except a right that is exercisable on one or more dates that are specified in the instrument or in the event of:

(A) A receivership, insolvency, liquidation, or similar proceeding of the Covered IHC; or

(B) A failure of the Covered IHC to pay principal or interest on the instrument when due and payable that continues for 30 days or more;

(vi) Is not a structured note;

(vii) Is issued to and remains held by a company that is incorporated or organized outside of the United States, and directly or indirectly controls the Covered IHC or is a wholly owned subsidiary; and

(viii) Has a contractual provision that is approved by the Board that provides for the immediate conversion or exchange of the instrument into common equity tier 1 of the Covered IHC upon issuance by the Board of an internal debt conversion order.

GAAP means generally accepted accounting principles as used in the United States.

Internal debt conversion order means an order by the Board to immediately convert to, or exchange for, common equity tier 1 capital an amount of eligible internal debt securities of the Covered IHC specified by the Board in its discretion, as described in § 252.163.

Non-resolution Covered IHC means a Covered IHC identified as or determined to be a non-resolution Covered IHC pursuant to § 252.164.

Outstanding eligible Covered IHC long-term debt amount is defined in § 252.162(b).

Person has the same meaning as in 12 CFR 225.2.

Qualified financial contract has the same meaning as in section 210(c)(8)(D) of Title II of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (12 U.S.C. 5390(c)(8)(D)).

Resolution Covered IHC means a Covered IHC identified as or determined to be a resolution Covered IHC pursuant to § 252.164.

Standardized total risk-weighted assets has the same meaning as in 12 CFR 217.2.

Structured note means a debt instrument that:

(1) Has a principal amount, redemption amount, or stated maturity that is subject to reduction based on the performance of any asset, entity, index, or embedded derivative or similar embedded feature;

(2) Has an embedded derivative or other similar embedded feature that is linked to one or more equity securities, commodities, assets, or entities;

(3) Does not specify a minimum principal amount that becomes due and payable upon acceleration or early termination; or

(4) Is not classified as debt under GAAP, provided that an instrument is not a structured note solely because it is one or both of the following:

(i) A non-dollar-denominated instrument, or

(ii) An instrument whose interest payments are based on an interest rate index.

Supplementary leverage ratio has the same meaning as in 12 CFR 217.10(c)(4).

Tier 1 minority interest has the same meaning as in 12 CFR 217.2.

Tier 2 capital has the same meaning as in 12 CFR 217.20(d).

Total leverage exposure has the same meaning as in 12 CFR 217.10(c)(4)(ii).

Total risk-weighted assets, with respect to a Covered IHC, is equal to the Covered IHC's standardized total risk-weighted assets.

U.S. non-branch assets has the same meaning as in 12 CFR 252.152(b)(2).

Wholly owned subsidiary means an entity, all of the outstanding ownership interests of which are owned directly or indirectly by a global systemically important foreign banking organization that directly or indirectly controls a Covered IHC, except that up to 0.5 percent of the entity's outstanding ownership interests may be held by a third party if the ownership interest is acquired or retained by the third party for the purpose of establishing corporate separateness or addressing bankruptcy, insolvency, or similar concerns.

Editorial Note:At 82 FR 8311, Jan. 24, 2017, subpart P to part 252 was added, including § 252.161. The definition of Eligible internal debt security in § 252.161 was set out with inaccurate paragraph codification.
source: 77 FR 62391, Oct. 12, 2012, unless otherwise noted.
cite as: 12 CFR 252.161