Changing Rules: The FED is Desperate to Hide Failing US Banks

In an attempt to alter the financial narrative, the Federal Reserve considers changes to leverage ratio requirements, potentially obscuring looming banking sector vulnerabilities.

Recent proposals to amend the Supplementary Leverage Ratio (SLR) rules for banks is a significant indication of just how stressed the US banking system is becoming.

At the heart of this discussion lies a growing concern: Is the Federal Reserve attempting to conceal the fragility of the banking system by manipulating regulatory benchmarks?

Understanding the SLR and its Proposed Amendments

The SLR, a critical financial metric, gauges the capital adequacy of banks, ensuring they maintain a healthy balance between their capital reserves and total leverage exposure.

The International Swaps and Derivatives Association’s (ISDA) recent plea to the Federal Reserve for a permanent alteration of SLR calculations – specifically, to exclude U.S. Treasuries and deposits at Federal Reserve Banks from the leverage calculations – is telling.

These proposed permanent changes suggest a deeper malaise within the banking system, one that regulators are keen to mask.

Implications for the Stability of the Banking System

Adopting these changes might offer a short-term facade of stability, but it also sends alarm bells ringing about the underlying health of financial institutions.

By adjusting the SLR formula, the Federal Reserve appears to be prioritizing the appearance of financial resilience over addressing systemic risks head-on.

This covert maneuver suggests that without such regulatory adjustments, several banks might be closer to the edge of capital inadequacy than what they’re telling us.

The Impact on U.S. Treasury Markets and Inflation

While the proposed SLR adjustments aim to bolster the U.S. Treasury market and support liquidity, they also raise significant concerns.

By incentivizing banks to hold more Treasuries, the Federal Reserve’s actions could distort market dynamics, artificially suppressing Treasury yields and potentially fueling inflationary pressures.

Such measures may temporarily ease the burden on government financing but at the cost of introducing new risks into the financial system and the economy at large.

The Bottom Line

The Federal Reserve’s consideration of changes to the SLR underscores a delicate balancing act between regulatory flexibility and the imperative to maintain a robust banking sector.

While intended to support the U.S. Treasury market and facilitate greater liquidity, these proposed amendments could have unintended consequences, potentially masking deeper issues within the fiat financial system.

Supporting article: https://www.moneymetals.com/news/2024/04/01/proposal-to-move-bank-regulation-goalposts-signals-underlying-problems-in-financial-system-003087