Federal Reserve Regulations

Federal Reserve regulations are rules put in place by the Federal Reserve Board to regulate the practices of banking and lending institutions, usually in response to laws enacted by the legislature. The primary purpose of most Federal Reserve regulations is to protect individual consumers against banking and lending practices that are deceptive, can potentially cause financial harm or violate individual privacy rights.

Because many of the Federal Reserve regulations have lengthy official titles, they are more often referred to by their assigned regulation letter, such as Regulation D, T or Z. These letters are assigned in alphabetical order as new regulations are enacted, with newer regulations having to resort to a double-digit format such as AA, BB, etc. A summary of Federal Reserve regulations is as follows:

• A: Extensions of Credit by Federal Reserve Banks
• B: Equal Credit Opportunity
  • Prohibits lenders from discriminating against borrowers
• C: Home Mortgage Disclosure
  • Requires mortgage lenders to disclose information about their lending patterns to the federal government
• D: Reserve Requirements of Depository Institutions
• E: Electronic Funds Transfer
• F: Limitations on Interbank Liabilities
• G: Securities Credit by Persons other than Banks, Brokers or Dealers
• H: Membership of State Banking Institutions in the Federal Reserve System
• I: Issue and Cancellation of Capital Stock of Federal Reserve Banks
  • Establishes stock-subscription requirements for member banks
• J: Collection of Checks and Other Items by Federal Reserve Banks and Funds Transfers through Fedwire
• K: International Banking Operations
  • Oversees international operations of U.S. banks and foreign banks in the U.S.
• L: Management Official Interlocks
  • Places restrictions on the management relationships officials may have with multiple depository institutions
• M: Consumer Leasing
  • Implements the Truth in Lending Act