Fed plans to release its review of SVB failure this Friday

The Federal Reserve Board said it will release its review of the supervision and regulation of Silicon Valley Bank at 11 a.m. (Eastern time) this Friday.

Hands Off Community Banks: Fed Vice Chair for Supervision Michael Barr, who is leading the review, last month told Congress that the agency’s analysis of whether to enact stricter capital standards for regional banks over $100 billion—which is part of its review of the SVB failure—does not apply to community banks. During the March 29 House Financial Services Committee hearing, Barr said the community banking system is “well-capitalized and stable and serving its communities.”

FDIC Reviews: The FDIC is scheduled to release separate reports on the deposit insurance system and on the agency’s supervision of Signature Bank of New York by this Monday, May 1. The Signature review is reportedly set to be released this Friday.

ICBA View: ICBA has said since the immediate aftermath of the failures that Washington’s response should not affect community banks and is calling on policymakers to ensure the review doesn’t simply pave the way to additional regulation. It also is cautioning that while the reports are important, agency reviews of their own oversight might not provide a sufficient picture of supervisory missteps.

Community Bank Differentiation: In a recent blog post and video to community bankers, ICBA President and CEO Rebeca Romero Rainey said round-the-clock media outreach, the ICBA National Campaign, and focused advocacy efforts are helping to differentiate community banks from larger financial institutions among policymakers and the public.