“Clean” Holding Company Requirements Now Fully Effective

The Federal Reserve Board’s (“FRB”) “clean holding company” requirements – which apply to the eight U.S. globally systemically important banks and the U.S. intermediate holding companies of the largest foreign banks operating in the United States – became effective on January 1, 2019. The requirements are applicable only to the legal entity that is the top-tier U.S. holding company and do not apply to its affiliates or subsidiaries.

According to the final rule adopted by the FRB, covered holding companies generally are barred from:

  • issuing guarantees of a subsidiary’s liabilities with cross-default rights regarding the covered holding company’s insolvency/resolution;
  • entering into qualified financial contracts with a third party;
  • providing short-term debt instruments to a third party; and
  • participating in upstream guarantees.

The prohibitions are applicable only to instruments or arrangements issued or entered into on or after January 1, 2019.