RegulationsSkip to Content
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | |
| R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z | AA | BB | CC | DD | EE | FF | GG | ||
| Miscellaneous Interpretations | Capital Adequacy Guidelines | ||||||||||||||||
Regulation Titles | Regulatory Publications
Congress has assigned to the Board responsibility for implementing the Federal Reserve Act, which established the Federal Reserve System, and certain other laws pertaining to a wide range of banking and financial activities. The Board implements those laws in part through its regulations, which are codified in title 12, chapter II, of the Code of Federal Regulations (12 CFR 201 et seq.).
Following is a brief description of each of the Board's regulations, with a link to the full text of the regulation--including interpretations or staff commentary--as it appears on the Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (e-CFR) web site authorized and maintained by the National Archives and Records Administration's Office of the Federal Register and the Government Printing Office (GPO). The e-CFR, which is updated several times a week, is a demonstration project, not the official legal version of the CFR. The official legal version of 12 CFR is updated just once a year, effective January 1, and must be used in conjunction with the Federal Register.
Although the e-CFR incorporates all amendments as they become effective, press releases and Federal Register notices for recent amendments are listed here to make them easier to research. To locate amendments effective before January 1, 2003, go to the Banking and Consumer Regulatory Policy page.
Links to all pending proposed amendments are also provided. During the comment period, comments on proposals may be submitted in writing or by electronic mail (see the text of the proposal for contact details) or by using the electronic comment form provided.
Also included, for many regulations, are compliance guides for small entities. These guides were written to meet the requirements of the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of 1996.
A 12 CFR 201
Extensions of Credit by Federal Reserve Banks
Governs borrowing by depository institutions and others at the Federal Reserve discount window
B 12 CFR 202
Equal Credit Opportunity
Prohibits lenders from discriminating against credit applicants, establishes guidelines for gathering and evaluating credit information, and requires written notification when credit is denied
C 12 CFR 203
Home Mortgage Disclosure
Requires certain mortgage lenders to disclose data regarding their lending patterns
Proposed Amendments
Revises the rules for reporting price information on higher-priced loans, conforming to the definition of "higher-priced mortgage loan" adopted under Regulation Z.
D 12 CFR 204
Reserve Requirements of Depository Institutions
Sets uniform requirements for all depository institutions to maintain reserve balances either with their Federal Reserve Bank or as cash
Proposed Amendments
Request for comment on amendments authorizing member banks of the Federal Reserve System to enter into pass-through arrangements and eliminating the provision in the savings deposit definition limiting certain kinds of transfers from savings deposits (comments due March 28, 2008)
E 12 CFR 205
Electronic Fund Transfers
Establishes the rights, liabilities, and responsibilities of parties in electronic funds transfers and protects consumers when they use such systems
F 12 CFR 206
Limitations on Interbank Liabilities
Prescribes standards to limit the risks that the failure of a depository institution would pose to an insured depository institution
G 12 CFR 207
Disclosure and Reporting of CRA-Related Agreements
Implements provisions of the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act that require reporting and public disclosure of written agreements between (1) insured depository institutions or their affiliates and (2) nongovernmental entities or persons, made in connection with fulfillment of Community Reinvestment Act requirements
Proposed Amendments
Request for comment on ways to reduce regulatory burden (comments due April 4, 2006)
H 12 CFR 208
Membership of State Banking Institutions in the Federal Reserve System
Defines the requirements for membership of state-chartered banks in the Federal Reserve System; sets limitations on certain investments and requirements for certain types of loans; describes rules pertaining to securities-related activities; establishes the minimum ratios of capital to assets that banks must maintain and procedures for prompt corrective action when banks are not adequately capitalized; prescribes real estate lending and appraisal standards; sets out requirements concerning bank security procedures, suspicious-activity reports, and compliance with the Bank Secrecy Act; and establishes rules governing banks' ownership or control of financial subsidiaries
Proposed Amendments
Interagency notice of a proposed new risk-based capital framework, based on the standardized approach for credit risk and the basic indicator approach for operational risk described in the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision's "International Convergence of Capital Measurement and Capital Standards: A Revised Framework."
Draft interagency notice of proposed rulemaking to revise the existing risk-based capital framework by giving the vast majority of banks, bank holding companies, and savings associations the option of either continuing to use the existing Basel I-based capital rule or adopting a more risk-sensitive rule, known as Basel IA.
To revise the market-risk capital rule to enhance its risk sensitivity and introduce requirements for public disclosure of certain qualitative and quantitative information about the market risk of a bank or bank holding company (comments due January 23, 2007)
Request for comment on ways to reduce burden of rules regarding prompt corrective action (comments due April 4, 2006)
To revise the existing risk-based capital framework to enhance its risk sensitivity (comments due January 18, 2006).
To establish a simplified regulatory capital framework for noncomplex institutions (comments due February 1, 2001)
I 12 CFR 209
Issue and Cancellation of Federal Reserve Bank Capital Stock
Sets out stock-subscription requirements for all banks joining the Federal Reserve System
Proposed Amendments
Request for comment on an amendment conforming Regulation I to proposed section 204.3(g) of Regulation D concerning depository institution location (comments due March 28, 2008)
J 12 CFR 210
Collection of Checks and Other Items by Federal Reserve Banks and Funds Transfers through Fedwire
Establishes procedures, duties, and responsibilities among (1) Federal Reserve Banks, (2) the senders and payors of checks and other items, and (3) the senders and recipients of Fedwire funds transfers
K 12 CFR 211
International Banking Operations
Governs the international banking operations of U.S. banking organizations and the operations of foreign banks in the United States
L 12 CFR 212
Management Official Interlocks
Generally prohibits a management official from serving two nonaffiliated depository institutions, depository institution holding companies, or any combination thereof, in situations where the management interlock would likely have an anticompetitive effect
M 12 CFR 213
Consumer Leasing
Implements the consumer leasing provisions of the Truth in Lending Act by requiring meaningful disclosure of leasing terms
N 12 CFR 214
Relations with Foreign Banks and Bankers
Governs relationships and transactions between Federal Reserve Banks and foreign banks, bankers, or governments
O 12 CFR 215
Loans to Executive Officers, Directors, and Principal Shareholders of Member Banks
Restricts credit that a member bank may extend to its executive officers, directors, and principal shareholders and their related interests
P 12 CFR 216
Privacy of Consumer Financial Information
Governs how financial institutions use nonpublic personal information about consumers
Proposed Amendments
To adopt a model privacy form that financial institutions can use to provide consumers with the privacy notices required by the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (comments due May 29, 2007)
Request for comment on ways to improve the privacy notices financial institutions provide to consumers under the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (comments due March 30, 2004)
Q 12 CFR 217
Prohibition against Payment of Interest on Demand Deposits
Prohibits member banks from paying interest on demand deposits
R 12 CFR 218
Exceptions for Banks from the Definition of Broker in the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
Defines the scope of securities activities that banks may conduct without registering with the Securities Exchange Commission as a securities broker and implements the most important exceptions from the definition of the term broker for banks under section 3(a)(4) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Specifically, the regulation implements the statutory exceptions that allow a bank, subject to certain conditions, to continue to conduct securities transactions for its customers as part of its trust and fiduciary, custodial, and deposit "sweep" functions and to refer customers to a securities broker-dealer pursuant to a networking arrangement with the broker-dealer.
S 12 CFR 219
Reimbursement to Financial Institutions for Providing Financial Records; Recordkeeping Requirements for Certain Financial Records
Establishes rates and conditions for reimbursement to financial institutions for providing customer records to a government authority and prescribes recordkeeping and reporting requirements for insured depository institutions making domestic wire transfers and for insured depository institutions and nonbank financial institutions making international wire transfers
Proposed Amendments
To lower the dollar threshold in the rule requiring banks and nonbank financial institutions to collect, retain, and transmit information on transfers and transmittals of funds (comments due August 21, 2006)
T 12 CFR 220
Credit by Brokers and Dealers
Governs extension of credit by securities brokers and dealers, including all members of national securities exchanges (See also Regulations U and X.)
Proposed Amendments
To clarify the treatment of stock futures held by customers at a security futures intermediary (comments due November 15, 2002)
U 12 CFR 221
Credit by Banks and Persons other than Brokers or Dealers for the Purpose of Purchasing or Carrying Margin Stock
Governs extension of credit by banks or persons other than brokers or dealers to finance the purchase or the carrying of margin securities (See also Regulations T and X.)
V 12 CFR 222
Fair Credit Reporting
Proposed rules to implement the notice and opt-out provisions of the Fair Credit Reporting Act applicable to financial institutions that give their affiliates certain information about consumers
Proposed Amendments
Require a creditor to provide consumers a risk-based pricing notice when the creditor uses a consumer report to grant or extend credit to the consumer on terms materially less favorable than the most favorable terms normally offered (comments due August 18, 2008)
Requests for Comment
On regulations and guidelines to help ensure the accuracy and integrity of information provided to consumer reporting agencies and to allow consumers to directly dispute inaccuracies with financial institutions and other entities that furnish information to consumer reporting agencies (comments due February 11, 2008)
On an advance notice of proposed rulemaking on issues related to the accuracy of consumer credit reports and the reinvestigation of disputes (comments due May 22, 2006)
On new regulation (comments due December 4, 2000)
W 12 CFR 223
Transactions between Member Banks and Their Affiliates
Implements sections 23A and 23B of the Federal Reserve Act, which establish certain restrictions on and requirements for transactions between a member bank and its affiliates
Proposed Amendments
To prevent a depository institution from using an exemption in Regulation W for the purchase of extensions of credit from an affiliate if purchases made under the exemption exceeded 100 percent of the institution's capital
X 12 CFR 224
Borrowers of Securities Credit
Applies the provisions of Regulations T and U to borrowers who are subject to U.S. laws and who obtain credit within or outside the United States for the purpose of purchasing securities
Y 12 CFR 225
Bank Holding Companies and Change in Bank Control
Regulates the acquisition of control of banks and bank holding companies by companies and individuals, defines and regulates the nonbanking activities in which bank holding companies (including financial holding companies) and foreign banking organizations with United States operations may engage, and establishes the minimum ratios of capital to assets that bank holding companies must maintain
Proposed Amendments
Interagency notice of a proposed new risk-based capital framework, based on the standardized approach for credit risk and the basic indicator approach for operational risk described in the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision’s "International Convergence of Capital Measurement and Capital Standards: A Revised Framework."
Draft interagency notice of proposed rulemaking to revise the existing risk-based capital framework by giving the vast majority of banks, bank holding companies, and savings associations the option of either continuing to use the existing Basel I-based capital rule or adopting a more risk-sensitive rule, known as Basel IA.
To revise the market-risk capital rule to enhance its risk sensitivity and introduce requirements for public disclosure of certain qualitative and quantitative information about the market risk of a bank or bank holding company (comments due January 23, 2007)
To revise the existing risk-based capital framework to enhance its risk sensitivity (comments due January 18, 2006).
Interpretation of the anti-tying restrictions in section 106 of the Bank Holding Company Act Amendments of 1970, related supervisory guidance, and an exception under section 106 for financial subsidiaries of state nonmember banks (comments due September 30, 2003)
To permit financial holding companies to act as real estate brokers and managers
Regarding financial data processing activities (comments due February 16, 2001)
To establish a "safe harbor" permitting a bank to offer a credit card that can be used to make purchases from a retailer affiliated with the bank (comments due March 13, 2000)
Z 12 CFR 226
Truth in Lending
Prescribes uniform methods for computing the cost of credit, for disclosing credit terms, and for resolving errors on certain types of credit accounts
Proposed Amendments
Address creditors' responsibilities to establish reasonable instructions for receiving timely payments; their responsibilities when a due date falls on a weekend or holiday; their responsibilities when investigating a claim of unauthorized transactions or an allegation of a billing error; and their responsibilities, when advertising deferred interest plans, to provide additional information about how interest could be imposed (comments due July 18, 2008)
To protect consumers from unfair or deceptive home mortgage lending and advertising practices (comments due April 8, 2008)
To improve the effectiveness of disclosures consumers receive in connection with credit card accounts and other revolving credit plans by ensuring that information is provided in a timely manner and in a form that is readily understandable (comments due October 12, 2007)
To implement provisions of the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005 requiring new disclosures for open-end credit accounts (primarily on periodic statements and credit card applications and solicitations) and to reopen and extend the public comment period on a review of the open-end credit rules (comments due December 16, 2005)
Review of the format of open-end credit disclosures, the content of the disclosures, and the substantive protections provided under the regulation (comments due March 25, 2005)
AA 12 CFR 227
Unfair or Deceptive Acts or Practices
Establishes consumer complaint procedures and defines unfair or deceptive practices in extending credit to consumers
Proposed Amendments
Prohibit institutions from engaging in certain acts or practices in connection with consumer credit cards accounts and overdraft services for deposit accounts (comments due August 4, 2008)
BB 12 CFR 228
Community Reinvestment
Implements the Community Reinvestment Act and encourages banks to help meet the credit needs of their communities
CC 12 CFR 229
Availability of Funds and Collection of Checks
Governs the availability of funds deposited in checking accounts and the collection and return of checks
Regulation (GPO) | Recent amendments
Compliance guide for Small Entities | Compliance with Regulation CC: A Guide for Financial Institutions
Compliance guide for Small Entities | Compliance with Regulation CC: A Guide for Financial Institutions
DD 12 CFR 230
Truth in Savings
Requires depository institutions to provide disclosures to enable consumers to make meaningful comparisons of deposit accounts
Proposed Amendments
Set forth content and timing requirements for a notice to consumers about any right to opt out of an institution's overdraft service, and address balance disclosures provided in response to balance inquiries from consumers (comments due July 18, 2008)
EE 12 CFR 231
Netting Eligibility for Financial Institutions
Defines financial institutions to be covered by statutory provisions that validate netting contracts, thereby permitting one institution to pay or receive the net, rather than the gross, amount due, even if the other institution is insolvent
FF 12 CFR 232
Obtaining and Using Medical Information in Connection with Credit
Creates exceptions to the statutory prohibition against obtaining or using medical information in connection with determining eligibility for credit
GG 12 CFR 233 (Proposed)
Prohibition on Funding of Unlawful Internet Gambling
Proposed regulation, to implement the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, that would require U.S. financial firms that participate in designated payment systems to have policies and procedures that are reasonably designed to prevent payments being made to gambling businesses in connection with unlawful Internet gambling (comments due December 12, 2007)
12 CFR 250
Miscellaneous Interpretations
12 CFR 208 and 225
Capital Adequacy Guidelines
Establish the minimum ratios of capital to assets that state member banks and bank holding companies must maintain. The guidelines for state member banks are contained in appendixes A, B, and E of Regulation H. The guidelines for bank holding companies are contained in appendixes A, B, D, and E of Regulation Y.