News & Published Material

Here you can find everything that has been published in different news lists on www.fi.se.

2020

New procedures to enhance transparency

2020-12-22 | News About FI Markets

As of 1 January 2021, FI will implement new procedures for how it announces opened and closed supervision investigations.

Households’ finances and financial literacy 2020

Single-adult households with children continue to have a more difficult financial situation than other households. FI has measured households’ financial literacy and found that it has improved in almost all areas compared to previous surveys.

Financial firms must be restrictive with dividends until September 2021

2020-12-18 | Coronavirus ESRB News

In light of the economic uncertainty caused by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, FI expects banks, including credit institutions and other financial firms such as insurance companies, to be restrictive with dividends and share buybacks until 30 September 2021. During this period, total dividends from and buybacks by the banks should not exceed 25 per cent of their aggregate net earnings for the two financial years 2019–2020.

Maintenance of TRS2 system planned for beginning of January 2021 in conjunction with Brexit

2020-12-17 | Brexit ESMA News

Due to Brexit, ESMA will have a maintenance window from 31 December 2020 through (preliminarily) 7 January 2021.

US central bank joins NGFS

FI welcomes the Federal Reserve to the Network for Greening the Financial System (NGFS), which celebrates its third anniversary today.

Reminder: what a hard Brexit will entail

2020-12-15 | Brexit News Markets

What will happen in the event that the transition period ends without an agreement between the EU and the UK.

Macro-based stress test of Swedish banks: results and methodology, autumn 2020

Finansinspektionen (FI) presents in this memorandum a stress test of the Swedish banks that we conducted in the autumn of 2020. The results indicate that the major banks have significant resilience to the credit losses that could arise and also a capacity to maintain the supply of credit.

Stability in the Financial System (2020:2)

The pandemic has triggered a deep economic recession in many countries, even if a slight recovery has begun. Extensive support measures have mitigated the economic impact and reduced the uncertainty on the financial markets. During the autumn, infection rates have once again begun to increase and several countries have introduced new restrictions, which will dampen the economic recovery, even though it is uncertain to which extent.

Dampened recovery can weaken financial stability

An increase in the spread of the coronavirus will dampen the recovery in European economies and, in the long run, this could impact financial stability, writes Finansinspektionen (FI) in this year’s second stability report, which will be published today.

Capital requirements of Swedish banks as of Q3 2020

Finansinspektionen publishes the capital requirements of the largest Swedish banks and credit institutions that belong to supervisory categories 1 and 2 as of the end of Q3 2020.

Decision regarding the countercyclical buffer rate

Finansinspektionen (FI) decided on 24 November not to change the countercyclical buffer rate. The buffer rate of 0 per cent, which was applied starting on 16 March 2020, shall thus continue to apply. The countercyclical buffer guide is set at 1.7 per cent.

FI Analysis 26: Macro-based credit loss model for major Swedish banks

Large credit losses can result in otherwise profitable banks reporting a loss. This FI Analysis describes a methodology for estimating how large credit losses can be in a stressed macroeconomic scenario.

FI has decided on a change in the application of banks’ capital requirements

FI has decided to change the application of capital requirements for Swedish banks in order to adapt to the EU’s so-called banking package.

European Commission approves extension of the risk weight floor for Swedish mortgages

2020-11-18 | ESRB Mortgage EBA

The European Commission has announced that it does not intend to object to FI's intention to extend the current risk weight floor for Swedish mortgages. This means that FI may implement the measure.

FI Analysis 25: Interest rate deductions and households’ loans

The tax rebate for interest expenses – the interest deduction – means that households borrow more, and can and want to pay more for homes. This means that the households experience an increase in both their liabilities and assets, which in turn could have an impact on the stability of the financial system. In this FI Analysis, we calculate the impact of a change to the interest deduction. The reason for this analysis is the direct link between interest deductions and households’ loans.

FI Analysis 24: Stress test of bank lending to commercial real estate firms

2020-11-11 | Reports Stability Bank

Commercial real estate firms are sensitive to changes in interest rate expenses and income. Following a shock, vulnerable commercial real estate firms could lead to credit losses for the banks.

Bank dividends not appropriate until the situation has stabilised

As the crisis unrolled this past spring in full force, it required fast and extraordinary measures. For example, FI lowered the countercyclical buffer requirement for the banks and encouraged them at the same time to postpone their dividend payments until the situation had become clearer. During the autumn, FI repeated its message to the banks to not make any dividend payments in 2020.

FI Supervision 20: Distribution of Life Insurance

The majority of the distribution on the life insurance market occurs through external distribution channels. It is therefore important for insurance firms to fulfil their responsibility to choose suitable distribution channels for the target market and follow up that the insurance products are distributed to the proper target group.

Henrik Braconier's speech at SNS/SHOF Finance Panel: Corporate Finance in a Low Interest Rate Environment

Henrik Braconier, Chief Economist at FI, spoke on risks related to low interest rates at SNS/SHOF’s Finance Panel: Corporate Finance in a Low Interest Rate Environment.

FI Analysis 23: Can the bond market dampen the credit cycle?

The access of non-financial firms to credit is central for financial stability, particularly during financial crises. In recent years, the market for corporate bonds has grown steadily and currently plays an important role in firms’ financing. This analysis shows that it has not been easier to issue corporate bonds in Swedish krona during financial crises than to take a bank loan. This pattern deviates from previous research on the USA and the euro zone.

AK Nordic receives a remark and an administrative fine

2020-10-14 | News Bank

Finansinspektionen (FI) is issuing credit market company AK Nordic AB a remark. The company must also pay an administrative fine of SEK 20 million.

AK Nordic AB receives a remark and an administrative fine

2020-10-14 | Sanctions Bank

Finansinspektionen is issuing AK Nordic AB a remark. AK Nordic AB shall also pay an administrative fine of SEK 20,000,000.

TRS 2 closed for maintenance

2020-10-09 | News Reporting Markets

On Friday, 16 October, from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM, TRS 2 will be closed for maintenance.

The new Short Selling Register is launched today

2020-10-05 | News Reporting Markets

Today, FI launches a new Short Selling Register for significant net short positions.

Erik Thedéen's speech at Driving Global Standards on Sustainable Finance

Erik Thedéen, Finansinspektionen's Director General and Chair of IOSCO's Task Force on Sustainable Finance made a speech at the conference Driving Global Standards on Sustainable Finance.

Swedish Consumer Credit

2020-10-01 | Reports Consumer Bank

Even though consumer credit only constitutes a small portion of households’ total credit, the interest rate and amortisation payments for these credits amount to more than half of the households’ total debt service payments. The analysis also shows that individual consumers are having difficulty paying for their consumer credit. Overall, this means that the consumer credit market could impact many households, which makes it important for consumer protection on the financial markets.

FI Analysis 22: Fewer high-cost short-term credits after new rules

2020-10-01 | Reports Consumer Bank

After the provisions regarding high-cost short-term credits were changed in 2018 – in part by introducing an interest rate ceiling and cost ceiling – these types of loans decreased sharply. It is probable that the reform has led to a decrease in the supply of high-cost short-term credits. It is also evident that several companies have stopped offering such loans.

Credit checks must be improved

2020-10-01 | News Consumer Bank

Large credits are growing, but the smallest credits are growing faster. More borrowers are having difficulty making their payments soon after the credits are granted, and these payment difficulties are more prevalent among younger borrowers than older borrowers. These are some of the conclusions from Finansinspektionen's report this year on consumer credit. These conclusions indicate that lenders’ credit checks are not working as they should, and FI is therefore now reviewing the guidelines.

FI proposes amended rules and a change in the application of banks’ capital requirements

FI is proposing regulatory amendments and a change in the application of capital requirements for Swedish banks in order to adapt to the EU’s so-called banking package.

New reporting system for short selling is launched today

2020-09-24 | News Reporting Markets

Today, FI launches a new reporting system for the reporting of net short positions: the Short Selling Online Reporting tool.