Agencies Re-propose Incentive-Based Compensation Rules for Financial Institutions

Agencies Re-propose Incentive-Based Compensation Rules for Financial Institutions

April 27, 2016, Covington Alert

In late April 2016, federal financial regulators began the process of re-proposing rules (the “Proposal”) to implement restrictions on incentive-based compensation required by Section 956 of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the “Dodd-Frank Act”). Section 956 directs a number of federal regulators (the “Agencies”) to jointly issue regulations or guidelines with respect to incentive-based compensation practices at specific types of financial institutions that have $1 billion or more in assets.

The Proposal comes more than five years after the Agencies initially proposed rules to implement Section 956 (the “2011 Proposal”). In addition to refining the 2011 Proposal, the Proposal incorporates and expands upon principles relating to incentive compensation set forth in the federal banking agencies’ 2010 interagency guidance implementing safety and soundness standards under Section 39 of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act (the “2010 Guidance”).