(a) General. As a condition of Federal deposit insurance, all insured depository institutions must remain in a safe and sound condition.

(b) Unsafe or unsound practice. Any insured depository institution which has less than its minimum leverage capital requirement is deemed to be engaged in an unsafe or unsound practice pursuant to section 8(b)(1) and/or 8(c) of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act (12 U.S.C. 1818(b)(1) and/or 1818(c)). Except that such an insured depository institution which has entered into and is in compliance with a written agreement with the FDIC or has submitted to the FDIC and is in compliance with a plan approved by the FDIC to increase its leverage capital ratio to such level as the FDIC deems appropriate and to take such other action as may be necessary for the insured depository institution to be operated so as not to be engaged in such an unsafe or unsound practice will not be deemed to be engaged in an unsafe or unsound practice pursuant to section 8(b)(1) and/or 8(c) of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act (12 U.S.C. 1818(b)(1) and/or 1818(c)) on account of its capital ratios. The FDIC is not precluded from taking action under section 8(b)(1), section 8(c) or any other enforcement action against an insured depository institution with capital above the minimum requirement if the specific circumstances deem such action to be appropriate.

(c) Unsafe or unsound condition. Any insured depository institution with a ratio of tier 1 capital to total assets10 that is less than two percent is deemed to be operating in an unsafe or unsound condition pursuant to section 8(a) of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act (12 U.S.C. 1818(a)).

(1) An insured depository institution with a ratio of tier 1 capital to total assets of less than two percent which has entered into and is in compliance with a written agreement with the FDIC (or any other insured depository institution with a ratio of tier 1 capital to total assets of less than two percent which has entered into and is in compliance with a written agreement with its primary Federal regulator and to which agreement the FDIC is a party) to increase its tier 1 leverage capital ratio to such level as the FDIC deems appropriate and to take such other action as may be necessary for the insured depository institution to be operated in a safe and sound manner, will not be subject to a proceeding by the FDIC pursuant to 12 U.S.C. 1818(a) on account of its capital ratios.

(2) An insured depository institution with a ratio of tier 1 capital to total assets that is equal to or greater than two percent may be operating in an unsafe or unsound condition. The FDIC is not precluded from bringing an action pursuant to 12 U.S.C. 1818(a) where an insured depository institution has a ratio of tier 1 capital to total assets that is equal to or greater than two percent.

[78 FR 55471, Sept. 10, 2013, as amended at 81 FR 71354, Oct. 17, 2016]