(a) The Board has recently had occasion to express opinions regarding the requirements which apply when a person subject to this part (for convenience, called here simply a broker) arranges for a bank to extend credit.

(b) The matter is treated generally in §220.7(a) and is also subject to the general rule of law that any person who aids or abets a violation of law by another is himself guilty of a violation. It may be stated as a general principle that any person who arranges for credit to be extended by someone else has a responsibility so to conduct his activities as not to be a participant in a violation of this part, which applies to brokers, or part 221 of this subchapter, which applies to banks.

(c) More specifically, in arranging an extension of credit that may be subject to part 221 of this subchapter, a broker must act in good faith and, therefore, must question the accuracy of any non-purpose statement (i.e., a statement that the loan is not for the purpose of purchasing or carrying registered stocks) given in connection with the loan where the circumstances are such that the broker from any source knows or has reason to know that the statement is incomplete or otherwise inaccurate as to the true purpose of the credit. The requirement of “good faith” is of vital importance. While the application of the requirement will necessarily vary with the facts of the particular case, the broker, like the bank for whom the loan is arranged to be made, must be alert to the circumstances surrounding the loan. Thus, for example, if a broker or dealer is to deliver registered stocks to secure the loan or is to receive the proceeds of the loan, the broker arranging the loan and the bank making it would be put on notice that the loan would probably be subject to part 221 of this subchapter. In any such circumstances they could not in good faith accept or rely upon a statement to the contrary without obtaining a reliable and satisfactory explanation of the situation. The foregoing, of course, applies the principles contained in §221.101 of this subchapter.

(d) In addition, when a broker is approached by another broker to arrange extensions of credit for customers of the approaching broker, the broker approached has a responsibility not to arrange any extension of credit which the approaching broker could not himself arrange. Accordingly, in such cases the statutes and regulations forbid the approached broker to arrange extensions of credit on unregistered securities for the purpose of purchasing or carrying either registered or unregistered securities. The approaching broker would also be violating the applicable requirements if he initiated or otherwise participated in any such forbidden transactions.

(e) The expression of views, set forth in this section, to the effect that certain specific transactions are forbidden, of course, should not in any way be understood to indicate approval of any other transactions which are not mentioned.

[18 FR 5505, Sept. 15, 1953]