On August 5, 2020, FINRA issued a regulatory notice outlining steps for broker-dealers to prepare for the pending transition away from LIBOR. The notice reminds firms to “evaluate their exposure to LIBOR” and “review their preparedness to manage LIBOR’s phase-out.” While the notice expressly disclaims any agency view of “specific effective practices,” it provides questions for firms to consider and a general description of best practices, which derive from responses to a survey undertaken by FINRA of a cross-section of member firms.
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CFPB Issues Proposals and Updated Guidance Ahead of LIBOR Discontinuation
On Thursday, June 4, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (“CFPB”) issued guidance to address issues arising out of the pending discontinuation of LIBOR and the resulting need for creditors to transition to other benchmarks. As the CFPB has noted, at this time, the transition is expected after 2021, with the anticipated shift to the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (“SOFR”) index supported by the Alternative Reference Rates Committee (ARRC), a public-private working group organized to address the transition. Ahead of an inevitable, challenging transition, the CFPB issued an extensive rulemaking proposal with request for public comment, a revised consumer handbook, and updated compliance guidance.
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