[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 190 (Thursday, October 1, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52794-52798]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-26225]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY

Office of the Comptroller of the Currency

FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM

FEDERAL DEPOSIT INSURANCE CORPORATION


Proposed Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment 
Request

AGENCIES: Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), Treasury; 
Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (Board); and Federal 
Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC).

ACTION: Notice and request for comment.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction 
Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. chapter 35), the OCC, the Board, and the FDIC 
(the ``agencies'') may not conduct or sponsor, and the respondent is 
not required to respond to, an information collection that has been 
extended, revised, or implemented on or after October 1, 1995, unless 
it displays a currently valid Office of Management and Budget (OMB) 
control number. The Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council 
(FFIEC), of which the agencies are members, has approved the agencies' 
publication for public comment of proposed revisions to the 
Consolidated Reports of Condition and Income (Call Report), which are 
currently approved collections of information. At the end of the 
comment period, the comments and recommendations received will be 
analyzed to determine the extent to which the FFIEC should modify the 
proposed revisions prior to giving its final approval. The agencies 
will then submit the revisions to OMB for review and approval.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before November 30, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Interested parties are invited to submit written comments to 
any or all of the agencies. All comments, which should refer to the OMB 
control number(s), will be shared among the others.
    OCC: Written comments should be submitted to the Communications 
Divisions, Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, 250 E Street, 
S.W., Third Floor, Washington, D.C. 20219; Attention: Paperwork Docket 
No. 1557-0081 [FAX number (202) 874-5274; Internet address: 
[email protected]]. Comments will be available for inspection 
and photocopying at that address.
    Board: Written comments should be addressed to Jennifer J. Johnson, 
Secretary, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, 20th and C 
Streets, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20051, or delivered to the Board's mail 
room between 8:45 a.m. and 5:15 p.m., and to the security control room 
outside of those hours. Both the mail room and the security control 
room are accessible from the courtyard entrance on 20th Street between 
Constitution Avenue and C Street, N.W. Comments received may be 
inspected in room M-P-500 between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., except as 
provided in Sec. 261.12 of the Board's Rules Regarding Availability of 
Information, 12 CFR 261.12(a)
    FDIC: Written comments should be addressed to Robert E. Feldman, 
Executive Secretary, Attention: Comments/OES, Federal Deposit Insurance 
Corporation, 550 17th Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20429. Comments 
may be hand delivered to the guard station at the rear of the 550 17th 
Street Building (located on F Street), on business days between 7:00 
a.m. and 5:00 p.m. (Fax number: (202) 898-3838; Internet address: 
[email protected]). Comments may be inspected and photocopied in the 
FDIC Public Information Center, Room 100, 801 17th Street, N.W., 
Washington, D.C., between 9:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. on business days
    A copy of the comments may also be submitted to the OMB desk 
officer for the agencies: Alexander T. Hunt, Office of Information and 
Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, New Executive 
Office Building, room 3208, Washington, D.C. 20503.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
A copy of the proposed revisions to the collections of information may 
be requested from any of the agency clearance officers whose names 
appear below
    OCC: Jessie Gates, OCC Clearance Officer, or Camille Dixon, (202) 
874-5090, Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, 20 E Street, S.W., 
Washington, D.C. 20219.
    Board: Mary M. McLaughlin, Chief, Financial Reports Section, (202) 
452-3829, Division of Research and Statistics, Board of Governors of 
the Federal Reserve System, 20th and C Streets, N.W., Washington, D.C. 
20551. Telecommunications Device for the Deaf (TDD) users may contact 
Diane Jenkins, (202) 452-3544, Board of Governors of the Federal 
Reserve System, 20th and C Streets, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20551.
    FDIC: Steven F. Hanft, FDIC Clearance Officer, (202) 898-3907, 
Office of the

[[Page 52795]]

Executive Secretary, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, 550 17th 
Street N.W., Washington, D.C. 20429.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Proposal to revise the following currently 
approved collections of information:
    Report Title: Consolidated Reports of Condition and Income.
    Form Number: FFIEC 031, 032, 033, 034.\1\
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    \1\ The FFIEC 031 report form is filed by banks with domestic 
and foreign offices. The FFIEC 032 report form is filed by banks 
with domestic offices only and total assets of $300 million or more. 
The FFIEC 033 report form is filed by banks with domestic offices 
only and total assets of $100 million or more but less than $300 
million. The FFIEC 034 report form is filed by banks with domestic 
offices only and total assets of less than $100 million.
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    Frequency of Response: Quarterly.
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit.

For OCC

    OMB Number: 1557-0081.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 2,650 national banks.
    Estimated Time per Response: 39.92 burden hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden: 423,205 burden hours.

For Board

    OMB Number: 7100-0036.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 994 state member banks.
    Estimated Time per Response: 45.80 burden hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden: 182,101 burden hours.

For FDIC

    OMB Number: 3064-0052.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 5,985 insured state nonmember 
banks.
    Estimated Time per Response: 29.67 burden hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden: 710,300 burden hours.
    The estimated time per response is an average which varies by 
agency because of differences in the composition of the banks under 
each agency's supervision (e.g., size distribution of banks, types of 
activities in which they are engaged, and number of banks with foreign 
offices). The time per response for a bank is estimated to range from 
15 to 400 hours, depending on individual circumstances.

General Description of Report

    This information collection is mandatory: 12 U.S.C. 161 (for 
national banks), 12 U.S.C. 324 (for state member banks), and 12 U.S.C. 
1817 (for insured state nonmember commercial and savings banks). Except 
for select sensitive items, this information collection is not given 
confidential treatment. Small businesses (i.e., small banks) are 
affected.

Abstract

    Banks file Consolidated Reports of Condition and Income with the 
agencies each quarter for the agencies' use in monitoring the condition 
and performance of reporting banks and the industry as a whole. In 
addition, Call Reports provide the most current statistical data 
available for evaluating bank corporate applications such as mergers, 
for identifying areas of focus for both on-site and off-site 
examinations, and for monetary and other public policy purposes. Call 
Reports are also used to calculate all banks' deposit insurance and 
Financing Corporation assessments and national banks' semiannual 
assessment fees.

Current Actions

    The agencies are proposing to delete the existing items for the 
amortized cost and fair value of high-risk mortgage securities and for 
losses deferred pursuant to 12 U.S.C. 1823(j). The deferred loss items 
appear only on the FFIEC 034 report forms. New Items would be added for 
accumulated gains (losses) associated with cash flow hedges and for the 
year-to-date changes in this new component of equity capital. A new or 
revised item would distinguish nonmortgage servicing assets from other 
intangible assets. A number of instructional changes would be made, 
primarily to incorporate recent changes in accounting standards, to 
further conform with generally accepted accounting principles in other 
areas, and to improve the reporting of certain regulatory capital 
information.
    Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved correction.
    The proposed revisions to the Consolidated Reports of Condition and 
Income (Call Report) have been approved for publication by the FFIEC. 
Unless otherwise indicated, the agencies would implement these proposed 
Call Report changes as of the March 31, 1999, report date and the 
revisions would apply to all four sets of report forms (FFIEC 031, 032, 
033, and 034). Nonetheless, as is customary for Call Report changes, 
banks are advised that, for the March 31, 1999, report date, reasonable 
estimates may be provided for any new or revised item for which the 
requested information is not readily available. The specific wording of 
the captions for the new Call Report items should be regarded as 
preliminary.

Reductions in Detail

    The agencies are proposing to eliminate two items applicable to all 
banks and two items on the report forms for smaller banks, as follows:
    (1) Schedule RC-B--Securities: Banks report the amortized cost and 
fair value of ``High-risk mortgage securities'' in Memorandum items 8.a 
and 8.b, respectively. The definition of high-risk mortgage securities 
was taken from the Supervisory Policy Statement on Securities 
Activities, which the FFIEC approved and the agencies adopted in 
December 1991, effective February 10, 1992 (57 FR 4029, February 3, 
1992). In April 1998, the FFIEC and the agencies rescinded this policy 
statement and approved in its place a Supervisory Policy Statement on 
Investment Securities and End-User Derivatives Activities, effective 
May 26, 1998 (63 FR 20191, April 23, 1998). In adopting the new policy 
statement, the agencies removed the previous policy statement's 
specific constraints concerning investments in high-risk mortgage 
securities, including its ``high risk'' tests, and substituted broader 
guidance covering all investment securities, including the 
establishment by each institution of appropriate risk limits. 
Accordingly, the agencies are proposing to eliminate the two memorandum 
items for high-risk mortgage securities.
    (2) Schedule RC--Balance Sheet: The balance sheet on the FFIEC 034 
report forms includes two items in which banks participating in the 
agencies' agricultural loan loss deferral programs, which were mandated 
by 12 U.S.C. 1823(j) in 1987, have reported the unamortized amount of 
their deferred agricultural loan losses. Under these programs, all 
deferred losses must be fully amortized by December 31, 1998. Because 
participating banks will no longer have any deferred losses to report 
after 1998, items 12.b, 12.c, 28.b, and 28.c will be deleted from the 
balance sheet of the Call Report for small banks.

Accumulated Gains (Losses) Associated With Cash Flow Hedges

    The Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued Statement 
No. 133, Accounting for Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities 
(FAS 133), on June 16, 1998. This statement takes effect for fiscal 
years beginning after June 15, 1999, with earlier application 
encouraged. Banks must adopt FAS 133 for Call Report purposes upon its 
effective date based on their fiscal year, with earlier application 
permitted as described in the standard. Most banks have calendar year 
fiscal years and, therefore, will not need this accounting

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standard until January 1, 2000. However, some banks, primarily FDIC-
supervised savings banks, have fiscal years that will require them to 
begin applying FAS 133 during 1999, e.g., beginning on July 1, 1999. 
Furthermore, the earliest date as of which an institution can choose to 
adopt this new accounting standard is July 1, 1998.
    Under FAS 133, all derivatives must be reported as either assets or 
liabilities on the balance sheet and must be carried at fair value. If 
certain conditions are met, a derivative may be specifically designated 
as a ``cash flow hedge.'' In a cash flow hedge, to the extent the hedge 
is effective, the gain or loss on the derivative is initially reported 
outside of earnings in a component of equity capital. The gain or loss 
will subsequently go through earnings in the period or periods when the 
transaction being hedged affects earnings. The ineffective portion of 
the hedge is reported in earnings immediately.\2\
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    \2\ If certain other conditions are met, a derivative may be 
specifically designated as a ``fair value hedge'' or as a hedge of 
the foreign currency exposure of a net investment in a foreign 
operation. In these situations, the gain or loss on the derivative 
is reported in a different manner than the gain or loss on a cash 
flow hedge. If a derivative is not designated as a hedging 
instrument, the gain or loss on the derivative is recognized in 
current earnings.
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    As part of the disclosure requirements of FAS 133, an entity must 
disclose the accumulated gains (losses) associated with cash flow 
hedges that are included in equity capital as of the balance sheet 
date. An entity also must disclose the related net change associated 
with cash flow hedging transactions during the reporting period and the 
net amount of any reclassification of these gains (losses) into 
earnings. Accordingly, the agencies are proposing to add two new items. 
Banks would report the accumulated gains (losses) associated with cash 
flow hedges, as of the report date, in a new item in the equity capital 
section of the balance sheet (Schedule RC, item 26.c). Banks also would 
report the year-to-date change in these accumulated gains (losses) 
(i.e., net of any reclassification adjustment) in the changes in equity 
capital schedule (Schedule RI-A, item 11.b). Existing item 11 on 
Schedule RI-A would be remembered as item 11.a.
    After a bank adopts FAS 133, derivatives held for purposes other 
than trading must be reported as fair value on the balance sheet 
(Schedule RC) in item 11, ``Other assets,'' or item 20, ``Other 
liabilities,'' as appropriate. Derivatives held for trading will 
continue to be reported at fair value on the balance sheet in Item 5, 
``Trading assets,'' or item 15.b, ``Trading liabilities,'' as 
appropriate.
    The agencies request comment on whether banks will be adopting FAS 
133 in 1998 or 1999, either earlier than required or because of the 
beginning date of their fiscal year.

Nonmortgage Servicing Assets

    On August 10, 1998, the agencies published a final rule amending 
their regulatory capital treatment of servicing assets (63 FR 42668). 
Under this amendment, nonmortgage servicing assets (NMSAs) will be 
recognized (rather than deducted) for regulatory capital purposes. 
However, these servicing assets are subject to the 25 percent of Tier 1 
capital sublimit that previously applied only to purchased credit card 
relationships (PCCRs). To date, banks have reported their NMSAs as part 
of ``All other identifiable intangible assets,'' in item 6.b.(2) of 
Call Report Schedule RC-M. This is because these intangibles generally 
have been deducted in full from Tier 1 capital and from assets in 
regulatory capital calculations. As a result of the revised regulatory 
capital treatment of NMSAs, these assets need to be distinguished from 
``All other identifiable intangible assets.'' This change is needed to 
enable the agencies to verity the regulatory capital amounts that banks 
report in the Call Report and to calculate their regulatory capital 
ratios.
    Therefore, the agencies are considering two reporting alternatives 
to respond to this change in regulatory capital standards. One 
alternative is to add a new item 6.b.(2) for ``Nonmortgage servicing 
assets'' to Schedule RC-M and to renumber existing item 6.b.(2), ``All 
other identifiable intangible assets,'' as item 6.b.(3). Another 
alternative is to revise Schedule RC-M, item 6.b.(1). ``Purchased 
credit card relationships,'' to include NMSAs because these two types 
of intangibles are subject to the same Tier 1 capital sublimit. The 
proposed caption for this item is ``Purchased credit card relationships 
and nonmortgage servicing assets.'' Comments are requested on these two 
alternatives.

Instructional Changes

Computer Software Costs

    In March 1998, the American Institute of Certified Public 
Accountants (AICPA) issued Statement of Position (SOP) 98-1, Accounting 
for the Costs of Computer Software Developed or Obtained for Internal 
Use. SOP 98-1 provides guidance on whether costs of internal-use 
software should be capitalized (and then amortized) or expensed as 
incurred. Internal-use software has the following characteristics: (a) 
the software is acquired, internally developed, or modified solely to 
meet the entity's internal needs, and (b) during the software's 
development or modification, no substantive plan exists or is being 
developed to market the software externally. This SOP is effective for 
financial statements for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 
1998. The SOP encourages earlier application in fiscal years for which 
annual financial statements have not been issued. For Call Report 
purposes, banks must adopt this SOP upon its effective date based on 
their fiscal year. Early application is permitted in the Call Report in 
accordance with the transition guidance in the SOP's. The Call Report 
instructions will be revised to conform with SOP 98-1, including 
replacing the current Glossary entry for ``Internally Developed 
Computer Software'' with a new entry on computer software costs that 
summarizes SOP 98-1 and other relevant accounting standards.

Costs of Start-Up Activities

    In April 1998, the AICPA issued SOP 98-5, Reporting on the Costs of 
Start-Up Activities. SOP 98-5 requires costs of start-up activities, 
including organization costs, to be expensed as incurred. SOP 98-5 
defines start-up activities broadly as ``those one-time activities 
related to opening a new facility, introducing a new product or 
service, conducting business in a new territory, conducting business 
with a new class of customer or beneficiary, initiating a new process 
in an existing facility, or commencing some new operation.'' This SOP 
is effective for financial statements for fiscal years beginning after 
December 15, 1998. The SOP encourages earlier application in fiscal 
years for which annual financial statements have not been issued. For 
Call Report purposes, banks must adopt this SOP upon its effective date 
based on their fiscal year. Early application is permitted in the Call 
Report in accordance with the transition guidance in the SOP. The Call 
Report instructions will be revised to conform with SOP 98-5, including 
replacing the current Glossary entry for ``Organization Costs'' with a 
new entry on the costs of start-up activities that summarizes SOP 98-5.

Unsuitable Investment Practices

    As mentioned above, the FFIEC and the agencies rescinded the 
Supervisory Policy Statement on Securities Activities in April 1998 and 
approved

[[Page 52797]]

in its place a Supervisory Policy Statement on Securities on Investment 
Securities and End-User Derivatives Activities. The latter policy 
statement does not retain the section of the former policy statement 
addressing the reporting of securities activities, including a 
description of practices considered unsuitable when conducted in a 
institution's investment portfolio. In their Federal Register notice 
publishing the Supervisory Policy Statement on Investment Securities 
and End-User Derivatives Activities (63 FR 20191), the agencies stated 
their intent to separately issue supervisory guidance on the reporting 
of investment securities. The agencies are proposing to add guidance on 
this reporting matter to the Glossary section of the Call Report 
instructions. This approach will make guidance more readily accessible 
to banks as they prepare their Call Reports.

Re-Booking Charged-Off Loans

    When a bank makes a full or partial direct write-down of a loan or 
lease that is uncollectible, the bank establishes a new cost basis for 
the asset. Some banks have later attempted to reverse the previous 
write-down and ``re-book'' the charged-off loan or lease after 
concluding that the prospects for recovering the charge-off have 
improved. Re-booking a charged-off loan is not an acceptable practice 
under generally accepted accounting principles, and therefore, is not 
acceptable for Call Report purposes. The Glossary entry for ``allowance 
for loan and lease losses'' will be revised to indicate that once a new 
cost basis has been established for a loan or lease through a direct 
write-down of the asset, this cost basis may not be ``written up'' at 
later date.

Goodwill Transactions

    Under generally accepted accounting principles, goodwill and 
similar intangible assets ordinarily cannot be disposed of apart from 
an enterprise as a whole. However, an exception is made when a large 
segment or separable group of assets of an acquired company or an 
entire acquired company is sold or otherwise liquidated. In that case, 
some or all of the unamortized goodwill recognized in the acquisition 
should be included in the cost of the assets sold. GAAP further 
provides that an intangible asset such as goodwill should not be 
written off in the period of acquisition. Instead, an intangible asset 
should be amortized over its estimated life. Some banks have attempted 
to remove goodwill from their balance sheets by ``selling'' or 
``dividending'' this asset to their parent hold company or by charging 
it off in the year of acquisition. Because these transactions are not 
appropriate under generally accepted accounting principles, the 
agencies will revise the Glossary entry for ``business combinations'' 
and the instructions for Schedule RC-M, item 6.c, ``Goodwill,'' to 
explain that these transactions are not acceptable for Call Report 
purposes.

Reporting of Net Risk-Weighted Assets by Banks Subject to the Market 
Risk Capital Guidelines

    Banks that are subject to the market risk capital guidelines must 
report the amount of their ``Market risk equivalent assets'' in 
Schedule RC-R, item 3.d.(2). These banks report their ``Net risk-
weighted assets'' in item 3.d.(1) of this schedule, but the 
instructions for this item specifically tell banks to exclude market 
risk equivalent assets. The sum of the amounts reported in items 
3.d.(1) and 3.d.(2) is the denominator of the bank's total risk-based 
capital ratio.
    In the Board's FR Y-9C bank holding company report, bank holding 
companies that are subject to the market risk capital guidelines must 
also report their ``market risk equivalent assets'' and their ``Net 
risk-weighted assets.'' However, in contrast to the Call Report 
instructions, the FR Y-9C instructions for reporting net risk-weighted 
assets direct bank holding companies to include market risk equivalent 
assets. This means that, for bank holding companies, the amount 
reported for net risk-weighted assets is the denominator of the holding 
company's total risk-based capital ratio.
    In order to achieve greater consistency between the two reports, 
the Call Report instructions for reporting ``Net risk-weighted assets'' 
will be revised to include market risk equivalent assets. The caption 
for item 3.d.(2) of Schedule RC-R will be modified to read ``Market 
risk equivalent assets included in net risk-weighted assets above.'' 
Because fewer than 20 banks are subject to the market risk capital 
guidelines, this change will not affect the remaining 9,800 banks that 
are not covered by these guidelines.

Calculating the Allowable Amount of the Allowance for Credit Losses for 
a Bank With Low Level Recourse Transactions

    The instructions for reporting low level recourse transactions in 
Schedule RC-R--Regulatory Capital were revised in the first quarter of 
1998 to give banks the option of using either the ``gross-up method'' 
or the ``direct reduction method.'' However, when this revision was 
made, the instructions did not clearly explain how banks choosing the 
``direct reduction method'' should calculate the amount of the 
allowance for credit losses that can be included in Tier 2 capital. In 
order to provide the necessary guidance on this calculation, the 
instructions for Schedule RC-R will be revised. These instructions will 
indicate that, for purposes of determining the Tier 2 capital limit on 
the allowance for credit losses, a bank using the ``direct reduction 
method'' for reporting its low level recourse transactions should 
multiply its ``maximum contractual dollar amount of recourse exposure'' 
(as defined in the instructions) by 12.5 and include this product in 
its gross risk-weighted assets. This gross risk-weighted-assets figure 
multiplied by 1.25 percent would be the bank's Tier 2 limit on the 
allowance for credit losses. The limit on the allowance would be fixed 
at this amount and would not be changed after the bank calculates its 
institution-specific add-on factor for low level recourse under the 
``direct reduction method.'' Thus, a bank would measure its Tier 2 
capital and its total risk-based capital prior to its application of 
the ``direct reduction method'' and would not recalculate these two 
amounts once the add-on factor was known.

Request for Comment

    Comments submitted in response to this Notice will be shared among 
the agencies and will be summarized or included in the agencies' 
requests for OMB approval. All comments will become a matter of public 
record. Written comments should address the accuracy of the burden 
estimates and ways to minimize burden as well as other relevant aspects 
of the information collection request. Comments are invited on:
    Whether the proposed revisions to the Call Report collections of 
information are necessary for the proper performance of the agencies' 
functions including whether the information has practical utility;
    The accuracy of the agencies' estimate of the burden of the 
information collections as they are proposed to be revised, including 
the validity of the methodology and assumptions used; Ways to enhance 
the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected;
    Ways to minimize the burden of information collection on 
respondents, including through the use of automated collection 
techniques or other forms of information technology; and
    Estimates of capital or start up costs and costs of operation, 
maintenance,

[[Page 52798]]

and purchase of service to provide information.

    Dated: September 23, 1998.
Karen Solomon,
Director, Legislative and Regulatory Activities Division, Office of the 
Comptroller of the Currency.

Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, September 24, 
1998.
Jennifer J. Johnson,
Secretary of the Board.

    Dated at Washington, D.C., this 25th day of September, 1998.

Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.
Robert E. Feldman,
Executive Secretary.
[FR Doc. 98-26225 Filed 9-30-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODES 4810-33-M, 6210-01-M, 6714-01-M