325.3—Minimum leverage capital requirement.
(a) General.
Banks must maintain at least the minimum leverage capital requirement set forth in this section. The capital standards in this part are the minimum acceptable for banks whose overall financial condition is fundamentally sound, which are well-managed and which have no material or significant financial weaknesses. Thus, the FDIC is not precluded from requiring an institution to maintain a higher capital level based on the institution's particular risk profile. Where the FDIC determines that the financial history or condition, managerial resources and/or the future earnings prospects of a bank are not adequate, or where a bank has sizable off-balance sheet or funding risks, significant risks from concentrations of credit or nontraditional activities, excessive interest rate risk exposure, or a significant volume of assets classified substandard, doubtful or loss or otherwise criticized, the FDIC will take these other factors into account in analyzing the bank's capital adequacy and may determine that the minimum amount of capital for that bank is greater than the minimum standards stated in this section. These same criteria will apply to any insured depository institution making an application to the FDIC that requires the FDIC to consider the adequacy of the institution's capital structure.
(b) Minimum leverage capital requirement.
(1)
The minimum leverage capital requirement for a bank (or an insured depository institution making application to the FDIC) shall consist of a ratio of Tier 1 capital to total assets of not less than 3 percent if the FDIC determines that the institution is not anticipating or experiencing significant growth and has well-diversified risk, including no undue interest rate risk exposure, excellent asset quality, high liquidity, good earnings and in general is considered a strong banking organization, rated composite 1 under the Uniform Financial Institutions Rating System (the CAMELS rating system) established by the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council.
(2)
For all but the most highly-rated institutions meeting the conditions set forth in paragraph (b)(1) of this section, the minimum leverage capital requirement for a bank (or for an insured depository institution making an application to the FDIC) shall consist of a ratio of Tier 1 capital to total assets of not less than 4 percent.
(c) Insured depository institutions with less than the minimum leverage capital requirement.
(1)
A bank (or an insured depository institution making an application to the FDIC) operating with less than the minimum leverage capital requirement does not have adequate capital and therefore has inadequate financial resources.
(2)
Any insured depository institution operating with an inadequate capital structure, and therefore inadequate financial resources, will not receive approval for an application requiring the FDIC to consider the adequacy of its capital structure or its financial resources.
(3)
As required under § 325.104(a)(1) of this part, a bank must file a written capital restoration plan with the appropriate FDIC regional director within 45 days of the date that the bank receives notice or is deemed to have notice that the bank is undercapitalized, significantly undercapitalized or critically undercapitalized, unless the FDIC notifies the bank in writing that the plan is to be filed within a different period.
(4)
In any merger, acquisition or other type of business combination where the FDIC must give its approval, where it is required to consider the adequacy of the financial resources of the existing and proposed institutions, and where the resulting entity is either insured by the FDIC or not otherwise federally insured, approval will not be granted when the resulting entity does not meet the minimum leverage capital requirement.
(1)
The FDIC, in its discretion, may approve an application pursuant to the Federal Deposit Insurance Act where it is required to consider the adequacy of capital if it finds that such approval must be taken to prevent the closing of a depository institution or to facilitate the acquisition of a closed depository institution, or, when severe financial conditions exist which threaten the stability of an insured depository institution or of a significant number of depository institutions insured by the FDIC or of insured depository institutions possessing significant financial resources, such action is taken to lessen the risk to the FDIC posed by an insured depository institution under such threat of instability.
(2)
The FDIC, in its discretion, may approve an application pursuant to the Federal Deposit Insurance Act where it is required to consider the adequacy of capital or the financial resources of the insured depository institution where it finds that the applicant has committed to and is in compliance with a reasonable plan to meet its minimum leverage capital requirements within a reasonable period of time.
(Approved by the Office of Management and Budget under control number 3064-0075 for use through December 31, 1993)