In this memorandum, FI describes its view of securitisation and the risks (primarily flowback) that FI sees and that are not taken into consideration in the banks’ current capital requirements.
FI has published decisions regarding reciprocation of macroprudential measures in Estonia and Belgium.
As outlined in the capital requirements directive, FI must review the systemic risk buffer on an biennial basis. FI has reviewed the arguments originally set out to support a SRB buffer level of 3% at consolidated level for the four major banking groups and finds the arguments to still hold today.
Finansinspektionen’s stress test method to determine the capital planning buffers for the major banks, credit market companies and securities companies is divided into general overarching methodologies and a specific calibration of risk parameters. The specific calibration of risk parameters can be changed by FI on a year-by-year basis.
Finansinspektionen is issuing Nasdaq Clearing Aktiebolag a remark. Nasdaq Clearing Aktiebolag shall also pay an administrative fine of SEK 25,000,000.
Finansinspektionen is issuing Nasdaq Stockholm Aktiebolag (556420-8394) a remark. Nasdaq Stockholm Aktiebolag shall also pay an administrative fine of SEK 30,000,000.
Finansinspektionen (FI) shall, in accordance with the Capital Buffers Act (2014:966), set a countercyclical buffer guide and a countercyclical buffer rate for each quarter.
The Swedish economy is strong, but the consequences for financial stability from the combination of rising resource utilisation and very low interest rates are difficult to assess. There is a risk that imbalances are building up, and even though they are difficult to identify and measure, they are very important to monitor.
Finansinspektionen publishes the capital requirements of the ten largest Swedish banks and credit institutions as of the end of the third quarter 2016.
A leverage ratio requirement could contribute positively to financial stability during normal conditions in that it increases the robustness of banks' capital adequacy.
Finansinspektionen is publishing today two reports on sustainability. Together, they serve as the report to the Government that FI was tasked with earlier in the year on the continued work with sustainability issues, how these issues are linked to financial regulation and supervision and how supervision can contribute to sustainable development in a constructive manner.
Finansinspektionen (FI) shall, in accordance with the Capital Buffers Act (2014:966), set a countercyclical buffer guide and a countercyclical buffer rate for each quarter.
FI has identified a number of quantitative indicators that point toward factors in the insurance sector that could have an effect on financial stability. These indicators show that there was good resilience in the insurance sector at the end of the year.
Finansinspektionen is issuing Resurs Bank AB a remark. The bank must also pay an administrative fine of SEK 35 million.
Finansinspektionen publishes the capital requirements of the ten largest Swedish banks and credit institutions as of the end of the second quarter 2016.
One of the main goals of financial supervision is to help provide comprehensive protection for consumers. In its annual report, Consumer Protection on the Financial Market, Finansinspektionen (FI) presents the most prioritised areas of its consumer protection supervision as well as areas where consumer protection may need to be strengthened.
FI has observed deficiencies in the insurance undertakings' practical management of surplus and in their internal guidelines for and information to their customers about their surplus management.
FI has now decided on the stress test methodology that will be used for determining the capital planning buffer for the largest Swedish bank companies. The methodology, which is described in more detail it in a new memorandum, is based on the proposal that FI published on the 9 May.
The major Swedish banks have resilience against a sharp deterioration of the economic environment. This is the result of an EU-wide stress test performed by the European Banking Authority (EBA).
FI believes that independent financial advice would play an important role on the savings market, since consumers are at an information disadvantage in relation to producers of saving products while at the same time having to take more responsibility for their financial future.
The next occasion on which Finansinspektionen (FI) will decide on the countercyclical buffer rate is in September. FI’s Board of Directors has decided that the preparatory work ahead of the next decision shall focus on maintaining the rate at its current level, which is currently 2 per cent.
House prices have been rising and, as a result, so has the debt of households in relation to their income – i.e. their debt-to-income (DTI) ratios. A DTI limit could slow this trend, but limiting households' opportunities to borrow would also slow consumption and economic activity.
FI hereby clarifies that its public statement made on June 22, regarding the internal analysis which was unintendedly published in the media last week, is still valid:
Finansinspektionen is monitoring the developments following the EU referendum in the UK. We are continuing to maintain a dialogue with the Ministry of Finance, the Riksbank and the Swedish National Debt Office and keep close contact with the Swedish banks. FI always has contingency plans in place to take measures that will contribute to financial stability.
Finansinspektionen is following the development on the financial markets and is maintaining an ongoing dialogue with the Ministry of Finance, the Riksbank and the National Debt Office. We have contingency plans in place and are working closely with the Swedish banks.
The European Banking Authority (EBA) published its Opinion of the European Banking Authority on the application of customer due diligence measures to customers who are asylum seekers from higher-risk third countries or territories. Finansinspektionen provides its response to the opinion below.
Finansinspektionen (FI) shall, in accordance with the Capital Buffers Act (2014:966), set a countercyclical buffer guide and a countercyclical buffer rate for each quarter.
FI makes the assessment that the resilience of the financial system in Sweden is satisfactory, but vulnerabilities remain. The Swedish banks have buffers, but they fund themselves in capital markets, which makes the banking system vulnerable to shocks to confidence. Liquidity in systemically important securities markets has not changed in recent years.
Note: Capital requirements of the Swedish banks, first quarter 1 2016 has been revised. The outcome of the 2015 SREP for Skandiabanken is now accounted for in this memorandum. No other changes have been done."
FI has formally adopted the supervisory methods which will be used in the supervision of the banks' internal models for corporate exposures. The banks should now assume that at least every fifth year is a downturn year in probability of default calculations.
Nordea Bank AB has applied for authorisation to execute three merger plans. The mergers refer to the absorption of three wholly-owned subsidiaries that conduct banking and securities business respectively in Denmark, Finland and Norway.
In this memorandum, FI accounts for the stress test methodology that it intends to use to assess the size of the capital planning buffer for the largest firms.
New rules for insiders will be issued on 3 July 2016. On the 3rd of July 2016 the Regulation (EU) No. 596/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council on market abuse (MAR) will enter into force and become directly applicable in Swedish law.
FI as submitted its consultation response regarding Review of the Riksbank's Monetary Policy 2010–2015 (2015/16:RFR6) conducted by Marvin Goodfriend and Mervyn King on commission from the Committee on Finance. The consultation response assesses the reviewers' recommendations regarding financial stability and the interplay between monetary policy and financial stability.
The average debt-to-income ratio for households with new mortgages increased from 387 per cent to 406 per cent between 2014 and 2015, according to FI:s report.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) will visit Sweden at the invitation of the Ministry of Finance and Sveriges Riksbank both in mid-April and in August to make a special assessment of the financial sector and the public authorities' work on financial stability, what is known as an FSAP (Financial Sector Assessment Program).
The next occasion on which Finansinspektionen (FI) will decide on the countercyclical buffer rate is in June. FI's Board of Directors decided on 18 April 2016 that the preparatory work ahead of the next decision shall focus on maintaining the rate at its current level, two per cent.
As of February of this year, new rules apply for how notification is made about a home Member State. This text provides a brief description of what the new rules entail.
Nordea Bank AB (Nordea) has filed an application with Finansinspektionen to merge its wholly owned subsidiaries of Nordea Bank Norge ASA, Nordea Bank Finland Plc and Nordea Bank Denmark A / S with Nordea.
The national risk assessment regarding the financing of terrorism that was published in June 2014 identified a need to increase knowledge and awareness about the financing of terrorism.
FI Director General Erik Thedéen has been named Vice-Chair of the International Organization of Securities Commissions' (IOSCO) European Regional Committee for the period 2016-2018.
The national risk assessment regarding the financing of terrorism that was published in June 2014 identified a need to become more informed about and aware of terrorism financing. With the aim of becoming more informed, FI commissioned a report from the Center for Asymmetric Threat Studies (CATS) on the threat from terrorism financing and the experiences of measures taken in other countries.
All telephone numbers to Finansinspektionen have been changed.
FI is issuing its Securities Market Supervision Report for the second consecutive year. The report discusses the issues that FI currently considers to be most relevant. FI also describes in the report the developments on the Swedish securities market over the past year.
Sweden and Swedish financial institutions have small exposures to climate risks. This means that the current risk that climate changes will cause problems for financial stability is low. However, there is a need for more information as well as improved transparency surrounding climate-related risks within the sector. Financial institutions also need to develop stress tests and analyses in order to identify what kind of consequences could arise from these risks and how such consequences could be prevented.
FI intends to introduce a maturity floor of 2.5 years under Pillar 2 for banks authorised to use the advanced IRB approach for exposures to corporates.
FI is implementing a new assessment method to evaluate the banks' calculations of risk weights both in general and for exposures to corporates.
FI shall be entitled to propose measures, the Government shall approve the measures and the Swedish Parliamentary Committee on Finance shall evaluate FI's work. FI Director General Erik Thedéen is presenting this framework in a speech today.
Finansinspektionen publishes the capital requirements of the ten largest Swedish banks and credit institutions as of the end of the fourth quarter 2015.
Finansinspektionen proposes partial waiver from the requirements in Article 129 (1)(c) of the Capital Requirements Regulation (CRR) through a change in FI´s regulation (FFFS 2014:12) regarding prudential requirements and capital buffers.
An overview of some of the legislative amendments following the entry of the revised Transparency Directive (2013/50/EU) into Swedish law on 1 February 2016.
Finansinspektionen has announced that it will be extracting its HR Department from the Administration operational section and creating a shared function for HR issues.
Trig Social Media AB has, in an interim report, on a number of points neglected the provisions regarding periodic financial information. Finansinspektionen has therefore decided to issue the company with a caution for having breached the accounting rules.
The next occasion on which FI will decide on the countercyclical buffer rate is in March. FI's Board of Directors decided on 18 January 2016 that the preparatory work for the decision shall focus on enabling an increase in the rate if such is deemed necessary. The rate is currently at 1.5 per cent.
In response to the Opinion published by the European Banking Authority (EBA) on 18 December 2015 regarding restrictions on distributions linked to the combined buffer requirement (Opinion of the European Banking Authority on the interaction of Pillar 1, Pillar 2 and combined buffer requirements and restrictions on distributions), Finansinspektionen would like to comment as follows.
Finansinspektionen (FI) has been commissioned by the Government to report on the bank's internal rules regarding credit granting to companies from the perspective of the environment and sustainability. If necessary, FI shall present proposals for measures that can be included in the banks' credit granting process to promote such a perspective.
Finansinspektionen (FI) shall, in accordance with the Capital Buffers Act (2014:966), set a countercyclical buffer guide and a countercyclical buffer rate for each quarter.
Alternative forms of funding can have a positive effect on the competition in and efficiency of the financial market by enabling more projects to find funding even if, for example, banks are not willing to grant a loan. However, crowdfunding introduces certain risks for consumers.
This FI-analysis introduces a model for household debt in Sweden.
The market for covered bonds is important for bank funding and therefore financial stability. The requirements for banks to hold more capital and liquidity for their operations have been tightened since the financial crisis. These requirements affect the banks' costs of holding securities in the trading book and so their costs of acting as market makers.
FI regularly monitors the vulnerabilities in the financial system. FI is now taking this a step further by creating a categorization for grouping and studying indicators of vulnerability. A systematic review of indicators helps to identify and follow vulnerabilities, which makes it easier to understand the risks of financial or macroeconomic instability.
Resilience in the Swedish financial system is satisfactory. However, the sharp rise in housing prices means that household debt is growing rapidly.
FI today disclosed for the first time the actual capital requirements for the ten largest Swedish banks and credit institutions at the end of the third quarter of 2015. This is to increase clarity with regard to the effects of FI's capital requirements, including Pillar 2.
Summary of the speech by Finansinspektionen's Director General Erik Thedéen at the Centre for Business and Policy Studies' seminar on the economic situation on 19 November 2015.
The Government has today appointed Erik Thedéen as the new Director General of Finansinspektionen.
FI's acting Director General Martin Noréus held the speech "Amortisation requirement and risk weights – two current issues for macroprudential policy" at UBS annual Nordic Financial Services Conference on 10 September 2015.
Finansinspektionen (FI) shall, in accordance with the Capital Buffers Act (2014:966), set a countercyclical buffer guide and a countercyclical buffer rate for each quarter.
Finansinspektionen publishes the capital needs of the ten largest Swedish banks and credit institutions as of the end of the second quarter 2015.
Finansinspektionen decides to recognize countercyclical buffer rates up to 2.5 per cent that are set by the designated authority of another EEA country. The firms concerned shall use these buffer rates to calculate their firm specific countercyclical capital buffers.
At the Financial Stability Council meeting of 15 June, Finansinspektionen presented its views on the future structure of banks' capital requirements.
When representatives of the Government, Finansinspektionen (the Swedish Financial Supervisory Authority), the Riksbank and the Swedish National Debt Office met on 15 June in the Financial Stability Council, the authorities all contributed reports as bases for discussion. A summary of the report on driving forces behind household indebtness is now published.
In this report, Finansinspektionen, Sveriges Riksbank and the Swedish National Debt Office present a general description of the driving forces behind the rise in household indebtedness. A central conclusion in the report is that indebtedness is largely linked to developments on the housing market.
FI intends to comply with the European Banking Authority's (EBA) guidelines on criteria to assess other systemically important institutions (O-SIIs).
The objective of Finansinspektionen's supervision of insurance undertakings is to monitor their ability to fulfil their commitments to customers, and to monitor that customers receive comprehensible and accurate information. This report focuses on the first of the above-mentioned primary objectives.
FI has decided to launch a new report series, FI-analysis. This is our first report in this series where FI presents studies and analysis of questions that is of particular importance to FI.
Finansinspektionens assessment is that the resilience in the financial system is currently satisfactory.
Finansinspektionen publishes the capital needs of the ten largest Swedish banks and credit institutions as of the end of the first quarter 2015.
Handelsbanken has not complied with the money laundering rules. The bank has not conducted risk assessments for all of its customers or obtained sufficient information about customers and their business relations. The bank's system for reviewing transactions has also been deficient.
There have been major deficiencies in Nordea's work to prevent money laundering. This means there is a high probability that if people have tried to launder money or finance terrorism that they could have done so without Nordea having been able to detect this.
In this report, Finansinspektionen (FI) describes the most prioritised areas in which consumer protection on the financial market needs strengthening. Such areas include tightened rules for advice on financial products, better pension information and measures against closet index funds.
Finansinspektionen (FI) establishes methods for assessing Pillar 2 capital requirements for three types of risk: credit-related concentration risk, interest rate risk in the banking book and pension risk.
The Government has today decided to appoint Martin Noréus as acting Director General until such time as an ordinary Director General is appointed.
Finansinspektionen monitors the mortgage market and household indebtedness closely, and the mortgage survey is an important part of that process. The survey for 2014 shows that the average loan-to-value ratio and debt-to-income ratio was unchanged between 2013 and 2014, despite rapidly increasing house prices.