PostsPosts

• 9/23/2019

Originally published as part of the "On the Economy Blog". This post is part of a blog series titled “Supervising Our Nation’s Financial Institutions."

Last month, I reviewed a new accounting standard for banks called the current expected credit loss model, dubbed CECL. The financial crisis made it apparent that the current methodology for credit loss reserves fell short.

CECL is designed to improve the quality of financial information, especially approaching and during times of economic stress.

Gearing Up

The new accounting standard is being phased in, beginning in 2020 with the nation’s largest publicly traded banks. A recent proposal by rulemakers will defer transition for most other institutions—such as community banks and credit unions—until January 2023.¹

Information provided by community banks about CECL preparation indicate that most have started the implementation process by gathering and analyzing data. Some have gone further by selecting a methodology and testing it.

Despite the progress, many bankers continue to express concerns about the transition. These concerns typically center on the time required to prepare, vendor fees, the time and effort needed to obtain and organize data, and even the uncertainty of knowing if they have “gotten it right.”

Read More about Managing CECL Change: How Banks Can Prepare for the New Accounting Standard

• 8/26/2019

Originally published as part of the "On the Economy Blog". This post is part of a blog series titled “Supervising Our Nation’s Financial Institutions."

We are more than a decade removed from the financial crisis—a time when many factors converged to threaten the viability of our financial system. Since then, numerous reforms have been implemented. Today, our banking system is substantially stronger and more resilient.¹ 

Financial regulators have introduced many of those reforms. But other groups have acted as well, including the accounting community through the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB). The FASB has recognized the need for change in how firms account for losses in assets held at amortized cost on the balance sheet. The result is a new accounting standard: the current expected credit loss (CECL) model.

Read More about The CECL Model: Accounting Changes Coming for Banks

• 7/25/2019

Originally published as part of the "On the Economy Blog". This post is part of a blog series titled “Supervising Our Nation’s Financial Institutions."

This blog post is the fifth and final in a series about fintech and how it is affecting the banking industry. Last month, we looked at how digital, or mobile, wallets work. This month, we examine distributed ledger technology.

It has been a decade since the digital currency called Bitcoin was introduced. At the time, the concept of a virtual medium of exchange was largely unknown—and even frightening—to many in the general public.

Read More about Beyond Bitcoin: A Look at Distributed Ledger Technology (Blog)

• 6/25/2019

This blog post is the fourth in a series about fintech and how it is affecting the banking industry. Last month, we looked at technology-enabled lending, or marketplace lending. This month, we examine digital wallets.

New payment options made possible by financial technology are changing the way we transact with friends, family and businesses. Digital wallets—called mobile wallets when associated with a cell phone—allow purchases and money transfers without the physical use of cash, checks or credit/debit cards.

Read More about Fintech: How Digital Wallets Work (Blog)

• 5/23/2019

Originally published as part of the "On the Economy Blog". This post is part of a blog series titled “Supervising Our Nation’s Financial Institutions."

This blog post, written by Julie Stackhouse, executive vice president of the St. Louis Fed's Supervision division, is the third in a series about fintech and how it is affecting the banking industry. This post examines technology-enabled lending, also known as marketplace lending, and how it has branched far beyond its initial beginnings as person-to-person (P2P) lending.

Read More about Fintech: How Technology Is Changing Consumer and Small Business Lending (Blog)