(a) Purpose. The purpose of this section is to describe the process the FDIC will use to determine deposit and other liability account balances for insurance coverage and receivership purposes at a failed insured depository institution.

(b) Definitions.

(1) The FDIC Cutoff Point means the point in time the FDIC establishes after it has been appointed receiver of a failed insured depository institution and takes control of the failed institution.

(2) The Applicable Cutoff Time for a specific type of deposit account transaction means the earlier of either the failed institution's normal cutoff time for that specific type of transaction or the FDIC Cutoff Point.

(3) Close-of-Business Account Balance means the closing end-of-day ledger balance of a deposit or other liability account on the day of failure of an insured depository institution determined by using the Applicable Cutoff Times. This balance may be adjusted to reflect steps taken by the receiver to ensure that funds are not received by or removed from the institution after the FDIC Cutoff Point.

(4) A sweep account is an account held pursuant to a contract between an insured depository institution and its customer involving the pre-arranged, automated transfer of funds from a deposit account to either another account or investment vehicle located within the depository institution (internal sweep account), or an investment vehicle located outside the depository institution (external sweep account).

(c) Principles.

(1) In making deposit insurance determinations and in determining the value and nature of claims against the receivership on the institution's date of failure, the FDIC, as insurer and receiver, will treat deposits and other liabilities of the failed institution according to the ownership and nature of the underlying obligations based on end-of-day ledger balances for each account using, except as expressly provided otherwise in this section, the depository institution's normal posting procedures.

(2) In its role as receiver of a failed insured depository institution, in order to ensure the proper distribution of the failed institution's assets under the FDI Act (12 U.S.C. 1821(d)(11)) as of the FDIC Cutoff Point, the FDIC will use its best efforts to take all steps necessary to stop the generation, via transactions or transfers coming from or going outside the institution, of new liabilities or extinguishing existing liabilities for the depository institution.

(3) End-of-day ledger balances are subject to corrections for posted transactions that are inconsistent with the above principles.

(d) Determining closing day balances.

(1) In determining account balances for insurance coverage and receivership purposes at a failed insured depository institution, the FDIC will use Close-of-Business Account Balances.

(2) A check posted to the Close-of-Business Account Balance but not collected by the depository institution will be included as part of the balance, subject to the correction of errors and omissions and adjustments for uncollectible items that the FDIC may make in its role as receiver of the failed depository institution.

(3) In determining Close-of-Business Account Balances involving sweep accounts:

(i) For internal sweep accounts, the FDIC will determine the ownership of the funds and the nature of the receivership claim based on the records established and maintained by the institution for that specific account or investment vehicle as of the closing day end-of-day ledger balance. (For example, if a sweep account entails the daily transfer of funds from a demand deposit account to a Eurodollar account at a foreign branch of the insured depository institution, if the institution should fail on that day, the FDIC would treat the funds swept to the Eurodollar account, as reflected on the institution's end-of-day records, as an unsecured general creditor's claim against the receivership.);

(ii) For external sweep accounts, the FDIC will treat swept funds consistent with their status in the end-of-day ledger balances of the depository institution and the external entity, as long as the transfer of funds is completed prior to the Applicable Cutoff Time. (For example, if funds held in connection with a money market sweep account are wired from a customer's deposit account at the insured depository institution to the mutual fund prior to the Applicable Cutoff Time, if the institution should fail on that day, the FDIC would recognize that sweep transaction as completed for claims and receivership purposes.);

(iii) For repurchase agreement sweep accounts, where, as a result of the sweep transaction, the customer becomes either the legal owner of identified assets subject to repurchase or obtains a perfected security interest in those assets, the FDIC will recognize, for receivership purposes, the customer's ownership interest or security interest in the assets.

(4) For deposit insurance and receivership purposes in connection with the failure of an insured depository institution, the FDIC will determine the rights of the depositor or other liability holder as of the point the Close-of-Business Account Balance is calculated.

(e) Disclosure requirements. Beginning July 1, 2009, in all new sweep account contracts, in renewals of existing sweep account contracts and within sixty days after July 1, 2009, and no less than annually thereafter, institutions must prominently disclose in writing to sweep account customers whether their swept funds are deposits within the meaning of 12 U.S.C. 1813(l). If the funds are not deposits, the institution must further disclose the status such funds would have if the institution failed—for example, general creditor status or secured creditor status. Such disclosures must be consistent with how the institution reports such funds on its quarterly Consolidated Reports of Condition and Income or Thrift Financial Reports. The disclosure requirements imposed under this provision do not apply to sweep accounts where: The transfers are within a single account, or a sub-account; or the sweep account involves only deposit-to-deposit sweeps, such as zero-balance accounts, unless the sweep results in a change in the customer's insurance coverage.

[74 FR 5806, Feb. 2, 2009]