The Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI) has provided greater transparency to the market surrounding the Domestic Stability Buffer (the DSB) currently held by Domestic Systemically Important Banks (D-SIBs) in a bid to guard against Pillar 2 risks associated with systemic vulnerabilities. OSFI revealed last week that D-SIBs must hold an extra cushion, … Continue Reading
The Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI), the federal financial institutions prudential regulator, recently addressed the issue of a cap on issuance of covered bonds which presently stands at 4% of a bank’s total assets. OSFI is now taking a hard look at this limit and is doing so in the context of … Continue Reading
In April 2016, the Australian Bankers’ Association (ABA) initiated the Banking Reform Program – Better Banking (Program).[1] The Program was developed to protect consumer interests, increase transparency and accountability, and to build consumer trust and confidence in banks through a range of initiatives. Edelman Intelligence has conducted two rounds of consumer research studies to track … Continue Reading
The much anticipated Royal Commission was no surprise to the Australian banking industry. What was surprising was the extension of its terms of reference to local and foreign deposit-taking institutions, life and general insurers, superannuation funds, as well as asset managers, financial planning businesses and all other holders of Australian financial services licences. Let there … Continue Reading
Bill C-29, Budget Implementation Act, 2016, No. 2, (Bill C-29) passed third reading in the House of Commons on December 6, 2016. Once passed by the Senate and brought into force, Bill C-29 will amend the Bank Act (Canada) (the Bank Act) to enact the long awaited Financial Consumer Protection Framework that was promised by … Continue Reading
In response to Opposition calls for a Royal Commission into the banking sector, the Australian Government has announced a $127 million reform package aimed at increasing the powers of Australia’s corporate watchdog, ASIC. A key component of that package will be the accelerated implementation of two key recommendations of the Financial System Inquiry: an obligation on … Continue Reading
On 8 July the Basel Committee (BIS) issued a paper setting out 13 corporate governance principles for banks. These principles supersede the 2010 BIS principles and are to be applied and adapted by national bank regulators as they see fit. This work has been some time in the making with a peer review conducted by … Continue Reading
The next few months provide a crucial opportunity for participants in the Australian financial services industry to influence the final report of the Australian Financial System Inquiry, headed by David Murray. The Interim Report has generated a lot of debate around the role of vertically integrated groups, the favourable funding and regulatory position of the … Continue Reading
Major financial institutions should prepare for group wide regulation as Australia’s peak prudential regulator gears up for stricter supervision of conglomerates. The Australian Prudential Regulation Authority’s (APRA) planned framework for supervising conglomerates arises from its concern around the potential contagion risks faced by APRA-regulated entities within conglomerate groups. APRA is concerned that the current arrangements … Continue Reading
