(a) Equity investments—

(1) Prohibited equity investments. No insured State bank may directly or indirectly acquire or retain as principal any equity investment of a type that is not permissible for a national bank unless one of the exceptions in paragraph (a)(2) of this section applies.

(2) Exceptions—

(i) Equity investment in majority-owned subsidiaries. An insured State bank may acquire or retain an equity investment in a subsidiary of which the bank is a majority owner, provided that the subsidiary is engaging in activities that are allowed pursuant to the provisions of or by application under §362.4(b).

(ii) Investments in qualified housing projects. An insured State bank may invest as a limited partner in a partnership, or as a noncontrolling interest holder of a limited liability company, the sole purpose of which is to invest in the acquisition, rehabilitation, or new construction of a qualified housing project, provided that the bank's aggregate investment (including legally binding commitments) does not exceed, when made, 2 percent of total assets as of the date of the bank's most recent consolidated report of condition prior to making the investment. For the purposes of this paragraph (a)(2)(ii), Aggregate investment means the total book value of the bank's investment in the real estate calculated in accordance with the instructions for the preparation of the consolidated report of condition. Qualified housing project means residential real estate intended to primarily benefit lower income persons throughout the period of the bank's investment including any project that has received an award of low income housing tax credits under section 42 of the Internal Revenue Code (26 U.S.C. 42) (such as a reservation or allocation of credits) from a State or local housing credit agency. A residential real estate project that does not qualify for the tax credit under section 42 of the Internal Revenue Code will qualify under this exception if 50 percent or more of the housing units are to be occupied by lower income persons. A project will be considered residential despite the fact that some portion of the total square footage of the project is utilized for commercial purposes, provided that such commercial use is not the primary purpose of the project. Lower income has the same meaning as “low income” and “moderate income” as defined for the purposes of §345.12(n) (1) and (2) of this chapter.

(iii) Grandfathered investments in common or preferred stock; shares of investment companies—

(A) General. An insured State bank that is located in a State which as of September 30, 1991, authorized investment in:

(1)(i) Common or preferred stock listed on a national securities exchange (listed stock); or

(ii) Shares of an investment company registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (15 U.S.C. 80a-1 et seq.) (registered shares); and

(2) Which during the period beginning on September 30, 1990, and ending on November 26, 1991, made or maintained an investment in listed stock or registered shares, may retain whatever lawfully acquired listed stock or registered shares it held and may continue to acquire listed stock and/or registered shares, provided that the bank files a notice in accordance with section 24(f)(6) of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act in compliance with §303.121 of this chapter and the FDIC processes the notice without objection under §303.122 of this chapter. Approval will be granted only if the FDIC determines that acquiring or retaining the stock or shares does not pose a significant risk to the Deposit Insurance Fund. Approval may be subject to whatever conditions or restrictions the FDIC determines are necessary or appropriate.

(B) Loss of grandfather exception. The exception for grandfathered investments under paragraph (a)(2)(iii)(A) of this section shall no longer apply if the bank converts its charter or the bank or its parent holding company undergoes a change in control. If any of these events occur, the bank may retain its existing investments unless directed by the FDIC or other applicable authority to divest the listed stock or registered shares.

(C) Maximum permissible investment. A bank's aggregate investment in listed stock and registered shares under paragraph (a)(2)(iii)(A) of this section shall in no event exceed, when made, 100 percent of the bank's tier one capital as measured on the bank's most recent consolidated report of condition (call report) prior to making any such investment. The lower of the bank's cost as determined in accordance with call report instructions or the market value of the listed stock and shares shall be used to determine compliance. The FDIC may determine when acting upon a notice filed in accordance with paragraph (a)(2)(iii)(A)(2) of this section that the permissible limit for any particular insured State bank is something less than 100 percent of tier one capital.

(iv) Stock investment in insured depository institutions owned exclusively by other banks and savings associations. An insured State bank may acquire or retain the stock of an insured depository institution if the insured depository institution engages only in activities permissible for national banks; the insured depository institution is subject to examination and regulation by a State bank supervisor; the voting stock is owned by 20 or more insured depository institutions, but no one institution owns more than 15 percent of the voting stock; and the insured depository institution's stock (other than directors' qualifying shares or shares held under or acquired through a plan established for the benefit of the officers and employees) is owned only by insured depository institutions.

(v) Stock investment in insurance companies—

(A) Stock of director and officer liability insurance company. An insured State bank may acquire and retain up to 10 percent of the outstanding stock of a corporation that solely provides or reinsures directors', trustees', and officers' liability insurance coverage or bankers' blanket bond group insurance coverage for insured depository institutions.

(B) Stock of savings bank life insurance company. An insured State bank located in Massachusetts, New York, or Connecticut may own stock in a savings bank life insurance company, provided that the savings bank life insurance company provides written disclosures to purchasers or potential purchasers of life insurance policies, other insurance products, and annuities that are consistent with the disclosures described in the Interagency Statement on the Retail Sale of Nondeposit Investment Products (FIL-9-94,1 February 17, 1994) or any successor requirement which indicates that the policies, products, and annuities are not FDIC insured deposits, are not guaranteed by the bank and are subject to investment risks, including possible loss of the principal amount invested.

(b) Activities other than equity investments—

(1) Prohibited activities. An insured State bank may not directly or indirectly engage as principal in any activity, that is not an equity investment, and is of a type not permissible for a national bank unless one of the exceptions in paragraph (b)(2) of this section applies.

(2) Exceptions—

(i) Consent obtained through application. An insured State bank that meets and continues to meet the applicable capital standards set by the appropriate Federal banking agency may conduct activities prohibited by paragraph (b)(1) of this section if the bank obtains the FDIC's prior written consent. Consent will be given only if the FDIC determines that the activity poses no significant risk to the Deposit Insurance Fund. Applications for consent should be filed in accordance with §303.121 of this chapter and will be processed under §303.122(b) of this chapter. Approvals granted under §303.122(b) of this chapter may be made subject to any conditions or restrictions found by the FDIC to be necessary to protect the Deposit Insurance Fund from risk, to prevent unsafe or unsound banking practices, and/or to ensure that the activity is consistent with the purposes of Federal deposit insurance and other applicable law.

(ii) Insurance underwriting—

(A) Savings bank life insurance. An insured State bank that is located in Massachusetts, New York or Connecticut may provide as principal savings bank life insurance through a department of the bank, provided that the department meets the core standards of paragraph (c) of this section or submits an application in compliance with §303.121 of this chapter and the FDIC grants its consent under the procedures in §303.122(b) of this chapter, and the department provides purchasers or potential purchasers of life insurance policies, other insurance products and annuities written disclosures that are consistent with the disclosures described in the Interagency Statement on the Retail Sale of Nondeposit Investment Products (FIL-9-94, February 17, 1994) and any successor requirement which indicates that the policies, products and annuities are not FDIC insured deposits, are not guaranteed by the bank, and are subject to investment risks, including the possible loss of the principal amount invested.

(B) Federal crop insurance. Any insured State bank that was providing insurance as principal on or before September 30, 1991, which was reinsured in whole or in part by the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation, may continue to do so.

(C) Grandfathered insurance underwriting. A well-capitalized insured State bank that on November 21, 1991, was lawfully providing insurance as principal through a department of the bank may continue to provide the same types of insurance as principal to the residents of the State or States in which the bank did so on such date provided that the bank's department meets the core standards of paragraph (c) of this section, or submits an application in compliance with §303.121 of this chapter and the FDIC grants its consent under the procedures in §303.122(b) of this chapter.

(iii) Acquiring and retaining adjustable rate and money market preferred stock.

(A) An insured State bank's investment of up to 15 percent of the bank's tier one capital in adjustable rate preferred stock or money market (auction rate) preferred stock does not represent a significant risk to the Deposit Insurance Fund. An insured State bank may conduct this activity without first obtaining the FDIC's consent, provided that the bank meets and continues to meet the applicable capital standards as prescribed by the appropriate Federal banking agency. The fact that prior consent is not required by this subpart does not preclude the FDIC from taking any appropriate action with respect to the activities if the facts and circumstances warrant such action.

(B) An insured State bank may acquire or retain other instruments of a type determined by the FDIC to have the character of debt securities and not to represent a significant risk to the Deposit Insurance Fund. Such instruments shall be included in the 15 percent of tier one capital limit imposed in paragraph (b)(2)(iii)(A) of this section. An insured State bank may conduct this activity without first obtaining the FDIC's consent, provided that the bank meets and continues to meet the applicable capital standards as prescribed by the appropriate Federal banking agency. The fact that prior consent is not required by this subpart does not preclude the FDIC from taking any appropriate action with respect to the activities if the facts and circumstances warrant such action.

(c) Core standards. For any insured State bank to be eligible to conduct insurance activities listed in paragraph (b)(2)(ii)(A) or (C) of this section, the bank must conduct the activities in a department that meets the following core separation and operating standards:

(1) The department is physically distinct from the remainder of the bank;

(2) The department maintains separate accounting and other records;

(3) The department has assets, liabilities, obligations and expenses that are separate and distinct from those of the remainder of the bank;

(4) The department is subject to State statute that requires its obligations, liabilities and expenses be satisfied only with the assets of the department; and

(5) The department informs its customers that only the assets of the department may be used to satisfy the obligations of the department.

[63 FR 66326, Dec. 1, 1998, as amended at 71 FR 20527, Apr. 21, 2006]