Joint Release
Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System
Commodity Futures Trading Commission
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
Office of Comptroller of the Currency
Securities and Exchange Commission
For immediate release October 8, 2019
Agencies Finalize Changes to Simplify Volcker Rule
Five federal financial regulatory agencies on Tuesday announced that they finalized
revisions to simplify compliance requirements relating to the "Volcker rule." By statute,
the Volcker rule generally prohibits banking entities from engaging in proprietary trading
or investing in or sponsoring hedge funds or private equity funds.
Under the revised rule, firms that do not have significant trading activities will have
simplified and streamlined compliance requirements, while firms with significant trading
activity will have more stringent compliance requirements. Community banks generally
are exempt from the Volcker rule by statute. The revisions continue to prohibit
proprietary trading, while providing greater clarity and certainty for activities allowed
under the law. With the changes, the agencies expect that the universe of trades that
are considered prohibited proprietary trading will remain generally the same as under
the agencies' 2013 rule.
The changes were jointly developed by the Federal Reserve Board, the Commodity
Futures Trading Commission, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Office of
the Comptroller of the Currency, and the Securities and Exchange Commission.
The rules will be effective on January 1, 2020, with a compliance date of January 1,
2021.
# # #
Attachments:
Final Rule
Media Contacts:
Federal Reserve Eric Kollig 202-452-2955
CFTC Office of Public Affairs 202-418-5080
FDIC Julianne Breitbeil 202-898-6895
OCC Bryan Hubbard 202-649-6870
SEC Office of Public Affairs 202-551-4120
FDIC: PR-88-2019
Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System
Commodity Futures Trading Commission
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
Office of Comptroller of the Currency
Securities and Exchange Commission
For immediate release October 8, 2019
Agencies Finalize Changes to Simplify Volcker Rule
Five federal financial regulatory agencies on Tuesday announced that they finalized
revisions to simplify compliance requirements relating to the "Volcker rule." By statute,
the Volcker rule generally prohibits banking entities from engaging in proprietary trading
or investing in or sponsoring hedge funds or private equity funds.
Under the revised rule, firms that do not have significant trading activities will have
simplified and streamlined compliance requirements, while firms with significant trading
activity will have more stringent compliance requirements. Community banks generally
are exempt from the Volcker rule by statute. The revisions continue to prohibit
proprietary trading, while providing greater clarity and certainty for activities allowed
under the law. With the changes, the agencies expect that the universe of trades that
are considered prohibited proprietary trading will remain generally the same as under
the agencies' 2013 rule.
The changes were jointly developed by the Federal Reserve Board, the Commodity
Futures Trading Commission, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Office of
the Comptroller of the Currency, and the Securities and Exchange Commission.
The rules will be effective on January 1, 2020, with a compliance date of January 1,
2021.
# # #
Attachments:
Final Rule
Media Contacts:
Federal Reserve Eric Kollig 202-452-2955
CFTC Office of Public Affairs 202-418-5080
FDIC Julianne Breitbeil 202-898-6895
OCC Bryan Hubbard 202-649-6870
SEC Office of Public Affairs 202-551-4120
FDIC: PR-88-2019