Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System

Appendix A: Sources and Terms

Data Sources

The Supervision and Regulation Report includes data both on institutions supervised by the Federal Reserve System and some institutions outside Federal Reserve supervision. The report reflects data through October 3, 2023. This appendix details these sources.

FFIEC Call Reports

The FFIEC Consolidated Reports of Condition and Income, also known as the Call Report, is a periodic report that is required to be completed by every national bank, state member bank, insured nonmember bank, and savings association as of the last day of each calendar quarter. The details required to be reported depend on the size of the institution, the nature of the institution's activities, and whether it has foreign offices. Call Report data are a widely used source of timely and accurate financial data regarding a bank's financial condition and the results of its operations. The data collected on the Call Report are used to monitor the condition, performance, and risk profiles of reporting institutions individually and as an industry.

FR Y-9C

The Consolidated Financial Statement for Holding Companies, also known as the FR Y-9C report, collects basic financial data from domestic bank holding companies (BHCs), savings and loan holding companies (SLHCs), U.S. intermediate holding companies of foreign banking organizations (U.S. IHCs), and securities holding companies (SHCs). Initiatives to reduce reporting costs for firms led to increases in the minimum asset size thresholds for reporting from $500 million to $1 billion, and from $1 billion to $3 billion, effective March 2015 and September 2018, respectively. In addition, BHCs, SLHCs, U.S. IHCs, and SHCs meeting certain criteria may be required to file this report, regardless of size. However, when such BHCs, SLHCs, U.S. IHCs, or SHCs own or control, or are owned or controlled by, other BHCs, SLHCs, U.S. IHCs, or SHCs, only top-tier holding companies must file this report for the consolidated holding company organization. The information contained in the report is as of the last day of each calendar quarter.

FR Y-14Q

The FR Y-14Q report is part of the Capital Assessments and Stress Testing information collection (FR Y-14). The FR Y-14 data collection is used to assess the capital adequacy of large firms using forward-looking projections of revenue and losses and to support supervisory stress test models and continuous monitoring efforts, as well as to inform the Federal Reserve's operational decisionmaking and implement the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (2010). The FR Y-14Q collects detailed data on BHCs', IHCs', and SLHCs' various asset classes, capital components, and categories of pre-provision net revenue.

H.8 Assets and Liabilities of Commercial Banks in the United States

The H.8 release provides an estimated weekly aggregate balance sheet for all commercial banks in the United States. The H.8 release is primarily based on data that are reported weekly by a sample of approximately 875 domestically chartered banks and foreign-related institutions. Data for domestically chartered commercial banks and foreign-related institutions that do not report weekly are estimated at a weekly frequency based on quarterly Call Report data.

Notes on Data Sources and Terms

CAMELS Ratings

Following an examination of a commercial bank, the examiner's conclusions regarding the overall condition of the bank are summarized in a composite rating assigned in accordance with guidelines provided under the Uniform Financial Institution Rating system (referred to as "CAMELS"). The composite rating represents an overall appraisal of six key assessment areas (components) covered under the CAMELS rating system: Capital, Asset quality, Management, Earnings, Liquidity, and Sensitivity to market risk.

In addition to and separate from the interagency Uniform Financial Institutions Rating System, the Federal Reserve assigns a risk-management rating to all SMBs. The summary, or composite, rating, as well as each of the assessment areas, including risk management, is delineated on a numerical scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being the highest or best possible rating. Thus, a bank with a composite rating of 1 requires the lowest level of supervisory attention while a 5-rated bank has the most critically deficient level of performance and, therefore, requires the highest degree of supervisory attention.

When appraising the six key assessment areas and assigning a composite rating, the examiner weighs and evaluates all relevant factors for downgrades and upgrades of supervisory ratings.

Current Expected Credit Losses Methodology (CECL)

In 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) announced significant changes to credit loss accounting under U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). Refer to Accounting Standards Update (ASU) No. 2016-13, Financial Instruments—Credit Losses, Topic 326, Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments.

CECL replaced the incurred loss methodology for financial assets measured at amortized cost. For these assets, CECL requires banking organizations to recognize lifetime expected credit losses. Further, banking organizations are required to incorporate reasonable and supportable forecasts in developing their estimate of lifetime expected credit losses, while also considering past events and current conditions.

Supervised institutions that are SEC filers, excluding smaller reporting companies, were required to adopt CECL on January 1, 2020. All other institutions were required to implement CECL by January 1, 2023. For additional information, refer to the Federal Reserve's CECL Resource Center (https://www.supervisionoutreach.org/cecl).

Commercial Real Estate Loans

Commercial real estate loans are the sum of construction, land development, and other land loans; loans secured by multifamily residential properties; and loans secured by nonfarm nonresidential properties.

Note: H.8 commercial real estate data include loans secured by farmland.

Common Equity Tier 1 (CET1)

Common equity capital is currently evaluated using a CET1 capital ratio, which was introduced into the regulatory capital framework in 2014, consistent with international Basel III reforms. The CET1 capital ratio is defined as CET1 capital, which consists primarily of common stock and retained earnings, as a percent of risk-weighted assets. Advanced approaches institutions are required to report risk-weighted assets using an internal model-based approach and a standardized approach. An advanced approaches institution is subject to the lower of the ratios. CBOs that have opted into the community bank leverage ratio (CBLR) framework are not required to report a CET1 capital ratio and risk-weighted assets.

From 2006 through 2013, tier 1 common capital was used to measure common equity capital for all firms. In 2014, both tier 1 common capital (for non-advanced approaches firms) and CET1 capital (for advanced approaches firms) were used. From 2015 to present, CET1 capital has been used for all firms.

Community Bank Leverage Ratio Framework

The CBLR framework, which became effective January 1, 2020, allows qualifying CBOs to adopt a simple leverage ratio to measure capital adequacy. To qualify for the framework, a CBO must have less than $10 billion in total consolidated assets, have limited trading activity and off-balance-sheet exposure, meet the leverage ratio requirement, and not be part of an advanced approaches banking organization. The leverage ratio requirement for the CBLR framework was temporarily lowered to 8 percent beginning in the second quarter of 2020 through the remainder of calendar year 2020. The requirement was set at 8.5 percent for calendar year 2021 and returned to its previous 9 percent level beginning January 1, 2022.

The leverage ratio requirement for the CBLR framework is defined with respect to tier 1 capital as a percent of average total consolidated assets for the quarter as reported on Schedule RC-K on the Call Report or Schedule HC-K on Form FR Y-9C, as applicable. A CBLR banking organization with a ratio above the requirement will not be subject to other capital and leverage requirements.

Consumer Loans

Consumer loans include credit cards, other revolving credit lines, automobile loans, and other consumer loans including single-payment loans, installment loans excluding automobile loans, and student loans.

Contingency Funding Plan

A Contingency Funding Plan (CFP) is a bank's strategy for addressing contingent liquidity events. Contingent liquidity events are unexpected situations or business conditions that may increase liquidity risk. These events may be institution-specific or arise from external factors. A CFP should contain policies to manage a range of stress environments, establish clear lines of responsibility, and articulate clear implementation and escalation procedures. CFPs should be commensurate with an institution's complexity, risk profile, and scope of operations. CFPs should address both the severity and duration of contingent liquidity events. CFPs should be regularly tested and updated to ensure that they are operationally sound.

Credit Default Swap Spread

The five-year credit default swap spread is the premium payment expressed as a proportion of the notional value of the debt that is being insured against default (typically $10 million in senior debt) in basis points. Data are based on daily polls of individual broker-dealers worldwide. Note that these broker quotes are typically not transaction prices. Data provided are for LISCC firms only.

Credit Loss Reserves

Credit loss reserves represent the allowance for credit losses on a bank's portfolio of financial instruments carried at amortized cost (including loans held for investment, held-to-maturity debt securities, trade receivables, reinsurance receivables, and receivables that relate to repurchase agreements and securities lending agreements), net investment in leases as a lessor, and off-balance-sheet credit exposures not accounted for as insurance or derivatives. Credit loss reserves are recorded on a bank's balance sheet.

Delinquent Loans

Delinquent loans are the sum of 90+ days past due loans and nonaccrual loans.

Note: FR Y-14Q delinquent loans are the sum of 30+ days past due loans and nonaccrual loans.

Liquid Assets

Liquid assets are cash plus estimates of securities that qualify as high-quality liquid assets, as defined by the Board's liquidity coverage ratio rule.

Market Leverage Ratio

The market leverage ratio is defined as the ratio of the firm's market capitalization to the sum of market capitalization and the book value of liabilities. This ratio can be considered a market-based measure of a firm's capital (expressed in percentage points). Data provided are for LISCC firms only.

Net Interest Margin

Net interest margin measures a bank's yield on its interest-bearing assets after netting out interest expense.

Prime Brokerage

Some large banks offer a suite of services to large investment funds known as prime brokerage. These services include the ability to borrow securities or cash, cash management, and access to research, as well as provide introductions to potential investors. Lending is an important aspect of these services. The investment funds typically obtain loans secured by equities or other securities through the prime broker.

Provisions

Provisions represent the amount necessary to adjust credit loss reserves to reflect management's current estimate of expected credit losses. Provisions are recorded as an expense item on the bank's income statement.

Residential Real Estate Loans

Residential real estate loans refer to loans secured by 1 to 4 family residential properties, including: revolving, open-end loans secured by 1 to 4 family residential properties and extended under lines of credit; closed-end loans secured by first liens on 1 to 4 family residential properties; and closed-end loans secured by junior (i.e., other than first) liens on 1 to 4 family residential properties.

Top Holder

All data, unless otherwise noted, refer to the top-holder data. This population generally comprises top-tier Call Report filers and top-tier FR Y-9C filers, including depository SLHCs and foreign banking organizations. In instances where a top-tier holding company does not file the FR Y-9C, we combine financial data of subsidiary banks/thrifts to approximate the consolidated financial data of the holding company. Commercial and insurance SLHCs, cooperative banks, and non-deposit trust companies are excluded from the top-holder population.

Tiering of Regulation

In October 2019, the Federal Reserve Board adopted rules that tier its regulations for domestic and foreign banks and holding companies to match their risk profiles more closely. The rules establish a framework that sorts institutions with $100 billion or more in total assets into four categories based on several factors, including asset size, cross-jurisdictional activity, reliance on weighted short-term wholesale funding (wSTWF), nonbank assets (NBA), and off-balance-sheet exposure (table A.1).

Table A.1. List of domestic and foreign firms, by category, as of 2023:Q2