Press Release

FDIC Seeks Comment on Proposal to Revise How Small Banks are Assessed for Deposit Insurance

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 16, 2015

Media Contact: Barbara Hagenbaugh (202) 898-7192 bhagenbaugh@fdic.gov

The Board of Directors of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation today sought comment on a proposed rule that would revise the way small banks are assessed for deposit insurance.

The proposed rule would affect banks with less than $10 billion in assets that have been insured by the FDIC for at least five years. It would update the data and methods that the FDIC uses to determine risk-based assessments for these institutions to reflect the FDIC's experience during the recent financial crisis and earlier years.

"The proposed pricing method for small banks would do a better job of recognizing risks before they become losses and would help ensure that banks that take on greater risks pay more for deposit insurance than their less risky counterparts," FDIC Chairman Martin J. Gruenberg said.

The proposal would be revenue neutral, so that aggregate assessment revenue collected from established small banks under the proposal is expected to be approximately the same as it would have been otherwise. To help banks understand the potential effect of the proposed rule, the FDIC has published an online assessment calculator that will allow institutions to estimate their assessment rates under the proposal.

The proposed rule will be published in the Federal Register, with a 60-day comment period.

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Congress created the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation in 1933 to restore public confidence in the nation's banking system. The FDIC insures deposits at the nation's banks and savings associations, 6,419 as of March 31, 2015. It promotes the safety and soundness of these institutions by identifying, monitoring and addressing risks to which they are exposed. The FDIC receives no federal tax dollars — insured financial institutions fund its operations.

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