Request for Information on Bank-Fintech Arrangements Involving Banking Products and Services Distributed to Consumers and Businesses, 61577-61584 [2024-16838]
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Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 147 / Wednesday, July 31, 2024 / Notices
DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY
Office of the Comptroller of the
Currency
[Docket No. OCC–2024–0014]
FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM
[Docket No. OP–1836]
FEDERAL DEPOSIT INSURANCE
CORPORATION
RIN 3064–ZA43
Request for Information on BankFintech Arrangements Involving
Banking Products and Services
Distributed to Consumers and
Businesses
Office of the Comptroller of the
Currency, Treasury; Board of Governors
of the Federal Reserve System; and
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.
ACTION: Request for information and
comment.
AGENCY:
Over the past several years,
the Office of the Comptroller of the
Currency (OCC), Treasury; the Board of
Governors of the Federal Reserve
System (Board); and the Federal Deposit
Insurance Corporation (FDIC)
(collectively, ‘‘the agencies’’ or
‘‘agency’’ when referencing the singular)
have observed and reviewed
arrangements between banks and
financial technology (fintech)
companies. The agencies support
responsible innovation and banks
pursuing bank-fintech arrangements in a
manner consistent with safe and sound
banking practices, and with applicable
laws and regulations, including
consumer protection requirements and
those addressing financial crimes. Bankfintech arrangements can provide
benefits; however, supervisory
experience has highlighted a range of
potential risks with these bank-fintech
arrangements. This request solicits
input on the nature of bank-fintech
arrangements, effective risk
management practices regarding bankfintech arrangements, and the
implications of such arrangements,
including whether enhancements to
existing supervisory guidance may be
helpful in addressing risks associated
with these arrangements.
DATES: Comments must be received on
or before September 30, 2024.
ADDRESSES: Comments should be
directed to:
OCC: Commenters are encouraged to
submit comments through the Federal
eRulemaking Portal, if possible. Please
use the title ‘‘Request for Information on
Bank-Fintech Arrangements Involving
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SUMMARY:
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Banking Products and Services
Distributed to Consumers and
Businesses’’ to facilitate the
organization and distribution of the
comments. You may submit comments
by any of the following methods:
• Federal eRulemaking Portal—
Regulations.gov: Go to https://
www.regulations.gov. Enter ‘‘Docket ID
OCC–2024–0014’’ in the Search Box and
click ‘‘Search.’’ Public comments can be
submitted via the ‘‘Comment’’ box
below the displayed document
information or by clicking on the
document title and then clicking the
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the screen. For help with submitting
effective comments, please click on
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assistance with the Regulations.gov site,
please call 1–866–498–2945 (toll free)
Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
ET, or email regulationshelpdesk@
gsa.gov.
• Mail: Chief Counsel’s Office,
Attention: Comment Processing, Office
of the Comptroller of the Currency, 400
7th Street SW, Suite 3E–218,
Washington, DC 20219.
• Hand Delivery/Courier: 400 7th
Street SW, Suite 3E–218, Washington,
DC 20219.
Instructions: You must include
‘‘OCC’’ as the agency name and ‘‘Docket
ID OCC–2024–0014’’ in your comment.
In general, the OCC will enter all
comments received into the docket and
publish the comments on the
Regulations.gov website without
change, including any business or
personal information provided such as
name and address information, email
addresses, or phone numbers.
Comments received, including
attachments and other supporting
materials, are part of the public record
and subject to public disclosure. Do not
include any information in your
comment or supporting materials that
you consider confidential or
inappropriate for public disclosure.
You may review comments and other
related materials that pertain to this
action by the following method:
• Viewing Comments Electronically—
Regulations.gov: Go to https://
regulations.gov/. Enter ‘‘Docket ID OCC–
2024–0014’’ in the Search Box and click
‘‘Search.’’ Click on the ‘‘Dockets’’ tab
and then the document’s title. After
clicking the document’s title, click the
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‘‘Sort By’’ drop-down on the right side
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checking the ‘‘Supporting & Related
Materials’’ checkbox. For assistance
with the Regulations.gov site, please call
1–866–498–2945 (toll free) Monday–
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The docket may be viewed after the
close of the comment period in the same
manner as during the comment period.
Board: You may submit comments,
identified by Docket No. OP–1836, by
any of the following methods:
• Agency Website: https://
www.federalreserve.gov/. Follow the
instructions for submitting comments at
https://www.federalreserve.gov/apps/
foia/proposedregs.aspx.
• Email: regs.comments@
federalreserve.gov. Include the OMB
number or FR number in the subject line
of the message.
• Fax: (202) 452–3819 or (202) 452–
3102.
• Mail: Federal Reserve Board of
Governors, Attn: Ann E. Misback,
Secretary of the Board, Mailstop M–
4775, 2001 C St. NW, Washington, DC
20551.
All public comments are available
from the Board’s website at https://
www.federalreserve.gov/apps/foia/
proposedregs.aspx as submitted, unless
modified for technical reasons or to
remove personally identifiable
information at the commenter’s request.
Accordingly, comments will not be
edited to remove any confidential
business information, identifying
information, or contact information.
Public comments may also be viewed
electronically or in paper in Room M–
4365A, 2001 C St. NW, Washington, DC
20551, between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.
on weekdays, except for Federal
holidays. For security reasons, the
Board requires that visitors make an
appointment to inspect comments. You
may do so by calling (202) 452–3684.
Upon arrival, visitors will be required to
present valid government-issued photo
identification and to submit to security
screening in order to inspect and
photocopy comments.
FDIC: You may submit comments,
identified by RIN 3064–ZA43, by any of
the following methods:
• Agency Website: https://
www.fdic.gov/resources/regulations/
federal-register-publications/. Follow
instructions for submitting comments
on the FDIC’s website.
• Email: Comments@fdic.gov. Include
‘‘Request for Information on BankFintech Arrangements Involving
Banking Products and Services
Distributed to Consumers and
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Businesses/RIN 3064–ZA43’’ in the
subject line of the message.
• Mail: James P. Sheesley, Assistant
Executive Secretary, Attention: Request
for Information on Bank-Fintech
Arrangements Involving Banking
Products and Services Distributed to
Consumers and Businesses—RIN 3064–
ZA43, Federal Deposit Insurance
Corporation, 550 17th Street NW,
Washington, DC 20429.
• Hand Delivery: Comments may be
hand-delivered to the guard station at
the rear of the 550 17th Street NW,
building (located on F Street NW) on
business days between 7:00 a.m. and
5:00 p.m. ET.
• Public Inspection: Comments
received, including any personal
information provided, may be posted
without change to https://www.fdic.gov/
resources/regulations/federal-registerpublications/. Commenters should
submit only information that the
commenter wishes to make available
publicly. The FDIC may review, redact,
or refrain from posting all or any portion
of any comment that it may deem to be
inappropriate for publication, such as
irrelevant or obscene material. The FDIC
may post only a single representative
example of identical or substantially
identical comments, and in such cases
will generally identify the number of
identical or substantially identical
comments represented by the posted
example. All comments that have been
redacted, as well as those that have not
been posted, that contain comments on
the merits of this notice will be retained
in the public comment file and will be
considered as required under all
applicable laws. All comments may be
accessible under the Freedom of
Information Act.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
OCC: Miriam Bazan, Financial
Technology Policy Specialist, or Tracy
Chin, Director for Payment Systems
Policy, Bank Supervision Policy (202)
649–5200; or Beth Knickerbocker,
Special Counsel, Micah Cogen, Counsel,
or Graham Bannon, Counsel, Chief
Counsel’s Office (202) 649–5490. If you
are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a
speech disability, please dial 7–1–1 to
access telecommunications relay
services.
Board: Kavita Jain, Associate Director,
Novel Activities and Innovation Policy,
(202) 452–2062, Jeff Ernst, Manager,
Innovation Policy, (202) 452–2814, or
Roman Goldstein, Lead Financial
Institution Policy Analyst, (202) 452–
3802, Division of Supervision and
Regulation; Drew Kohan, Associate
Director, Program Direction, Division of
Consumer and Community Affairs, (202)
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452–3040; Asad Kudiya, Deputy
Associate General Counsel, (202) 475–
6358 or Isabel Echarte, Attorney, (202)
452–2514, Legal Division, Board of
Governors of the Federal Reserve
System, 20th and C Streets NW,
Washington, DC 20551. For the hearing
impaired only, Telecommunication
Device for the Deaf (TDD), (202) 263–
4869.
FDIC: Rae-Ann Miller, Senior Deputy
Director, (202) 898–3898, or Tom Lyons,
Associate Director, (202) 898–6850,
Division of Risk Management
Supervision; Luke Brown, Associate
Director, (202) 898–3842, or Meron
Wondwosen, Chief, (571) 438–7127,
Division of Depositor and Consumer
Protection; Annmarie Boyd, Senior
Counsel, (202) 898–3714, or Vivek
Khare, Senior Counsel, (202) 898–6847;
FDIC, 550 17th Street NW, Washington,
DC 20429; FDIC, 550 17th Street NW,
Washington, DC 20429.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background Information
The agencies are responsible for
supervising certain Federally-chartered
and State-chartered banks (herein
referred to as ‘‘banks’’).1 Over the past
several years, the agencies have
observed and reviewed arrangements
between banks and fintech companies 2
that provide consumers and businesses
(herein referred to as ‘‘end users’’),
access to banking products and services.
Although these arrangements may
provide benefits, supervisory experience
has highlighted a range of risks with
these bank-fintech arrangements. The
agencies support responsible innovation
and support banks in pursuing bankfintech arrangements in a manner
consistent with safe and sound practices
and applicable laws and regulations,
including but not limited to, consumer
protection requirements (such as fair
lending laws and prohibitions against
unfair, deceptive, or abusive acts or
practices) and those addressing
financial crimes (such as fraud and
money laundering).3 This request
1 For a description of the banks supervised by
each agency and relevant to this request for
information, refer to the definition of ‘‘appropriate
Federal banking agency’’ in the Federal Deposit
Insurance Act (12 U.S.C. 1813(q)(1), (2), and (3)(A)–
(E)).
2 In some cases, the fintech company may be an
affiliate of the bank, such as, for example, where a
bank holding company owns a fintech, and that
fintech relies on the holding company’s subsidiary
bank to provide end users access to banking
products or services.
3 Examples of relevant issuances may include the
following: Interagency Guidance on Third-Party
Relationships: Risk Management, 88 FR 37920 (Jun.
9, 2023); Interagency Guidelines Establishing
Information Security Standards, 70 FR 15736 (Mar.
29, 2005); Interagency Guidelines Establishing
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solicits input on the nature of bankfintech arrangements, including their
benefits and risks, effective risk
management practices regarding bankfintech arrangements, and the
implications of such arrangements,
including whether enhancements to
existing supervisory guidance may be
helpful in addressing risks associated
with these arrangements.
For many years, non-banks have
provided access to financial products
and services, such as consumer credit
products, commercial loans, payment
products, and deposit accounts. Rapid
technological advances and evolving
customer preferences are accelerating
these trends. Over the past decade,
fintech companies have significantly
expanded their ability to distribute
financial products and services directly
to end users. These companies include
small- and medium-sized firms
specifically focused on the financial
services sector as well as larger firms
with established, multi-use technology
platforms (sometimes referred to as ‘‘Big
Tech’’). For purposes of this Request for
Information (RFI), we refer to all of
these types of non-bank firms as
‘‘fintech companies.’’ 4
To facilitate providing end users with
access to banking products and services,
fintech companies may enter into
arrangements with banks. In these
arrangements, a bank typically makes
products or services available through
an arrangement with one or more
fintech companies in which the fintech
company, rather than the bank, markets,
distributes, or otherwise provides access
Standards for Safety and Soundness, 61 FR 43948
(Oct. 1, 1996); FDIC FIL–15–2024, Collecting
Identifying Information Required Under the
Customer Identification Program (CIP) Rule (Mar.
28, 2024); Third-Party Risk Management: A Guide
for Community Banks (May 2024); Conducting Due
Diligence on Financial Technology Companies: A
Guide for Community Banks (Oct. 2023); FDIC FIL–
35–2022, Advisory to FDIC-Insured Institutions
Regarding Deposit Insurance and Dealings with
Crypto Companies (July 20, 2022); Joint Statement
on the Risk-Based Approach to Assessing Customer
Relationships and Conducting Customer Due
Diligence (July 6, 2022); Interagency Guidance to
Issuing Banks on Applying Customer Identification
Program Requirements to Holders of Prepaid Cards
(Mar. 21, 2016); Interagency Policy Statement on
Funding and Liquidity Risk Management, 75 FR
13656 (Mar. 22, 2010); Interagency Interpretive
Guidance on Customer Identification Program
Requirements, (Apr. 28, 2005); Unfair or Deceptive
Acts or Practices by State-Chartered Banks (Mar. 11,
2004).
4 This term includes, among many others,
intermediate platform providers (as defined below),
as well as certain processors and payments
platforms. It also includes certain non-financial
retail businesses seeking to expand into markets for
financial products and services through
arrangements that could allow them to leverage
their existing infrastructure and customer
relationships to offer a one-stop-shop to access
financial and non-financial products and services.
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to or facilitates the provision of the
product or service directly to the end
user.5 These arrangements enable
fintech companies to provide end users
with access to a range of banking
products, including deposit products
(e.g., checking or savings accounts);
payment services (e.g., peer-to-peer,
debit card, contactless payments,
Automated Clearing House (ACH)
transactions, or wire transfer
capabilities); or lending products (e.g.,
unsecured consumer or small business
loans) through online and mobile
applications, platforms, or digital
wallets. In some of these cases, fintech
companies (sometimes referred to as a
‘‘middleware provider’’ or
‘‘intermediate platform provider’’) act as
intermediaries by engaging in a variety
of functions, as described in detail
below. For purposes of this RFI, we refer
to all of these types of arrangements as
‘‘bank-fintech arrangements.’’
Bank-fintech arrangements may
enable banks to leverage newer
technology and offer innovative
products or services to further their
digitalization efforts and to meet
evolving customer demands and
expectations. These arrangements may
also provide banks with the ability to
quickly and more cost effectively deploy
products or services into the market
through the fintech company. In
addition, these arrangements may
provide banks with access to new or
expanded markets, revenue sources, and
customers. As discussed in more detail
below, bank-fintech arrangements also
may introduce potential risks through
business and legal structures that
increase operational complexity,
unbundle traditional banking products
and services (particularly payments),
and increase compliance challenges.
The failure of banks to manage these
arrangements effectively may present
consumer protection, safety and
soundness, and compliance concerns.
The following sections of this RFI
describe several bank-fintech
arrangement structures and use cases, as
well as the risks the agencies have seen
manifesting and arising from these
arrangements. The agencies seek public
comment to build on their
understanding of these arrangements,
including with respect to roles, risks,
costs, and revenue allocation. The
agencies also seek additional
information and stakeholder
perspectives relevant to the implications
of such arrangements, including for
5 These arrangements are sometimes referred to as
‘‘banking-as-a-service’’ or ‘‘embedded finance’’
depending on the structure and parties involved in
the arrangement.
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banks’ risk management, safety and
soundness, and compliance with
applicable laws and regulations. The
RFI is not intended to impose any
obligations or define any rights, and it
is not an interpretation of any statute or
regulation.
Descriptions of Bank-Fintech
Arrangements
The agencies have observed that bankfintech arrangements vary significantly
in structure and product and service
offerings, but many commonly fall into
one or more categories of facilitating
deposit-taking, payment (including card
issuance and digital wallet capabilities),
and lending activities. Such
arrangements may be effectuated either
directly between banks and fintech
companies or indirectly through the use
of an intermediate platform provider.
The agencies seek comment on these
categories and the attributes of the bankfintech arrangements described below.
Bank-Fintech Arrangements in
Connection With Deposit-Taking
Activities
Some non-bank fintech companies
provide end users with access to deposit
products and services; however, these
entities are not Federally insured
depository institutions (IDIs). Instead,
the fintech company establishes
arrangements with one or more IDIs,
directly or through an intermediate
platform provider, to provide end users
with access to banking products and
services—such as deposit accounts,
debit cards, savings accounts, and other
account-related services—through the
fintech company’s online or mobile
platform.6 Some fintech companies
enter into these deposit-taking
arrangements with banks to target a
specific customer base, such as
underserved or younger demographics.
Other fintech companies incorporate
such deposit-taking arrangements into
much larger suites of financial and nonfinancial products and services and
target a much broader customer base.
In arrangements between banks and
fintech companies to facilitate an IDI’s
deposit-taking activities, fintech
companies often play a critical role in
maintaining a deposit and transaction
system of record. These transaction
records may not be reflected in the
bank’s core processing system. Instead,
the bank’s core deposit ledger may only
include omnibus accounts, often titled
to reflect that they are held for the
benefit of (FBO) end users. The
6 Fintech companies that offer these services to
end users through such arrangements are sometimes
referred to as ‘‘neobanks’’ or ‘‘challenger banks.’’
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contracts governing these arrangements
commonly set forth the operational
responsibilities of each party, such as
record-keeping and access to records,
end-user on-boarding, compliance
management, transaction monitoring,
and complaint handling. Bank-fintech
arrangements involving deposit-taking
activities often involve heightened
levels of operational complexity,
including as it relates to reconciliations
and Bank Secrecy Act (BSA)
recordkeeping and compliance (e.g.,
customer identification and due
diligence, suspicious activity
monitoring, and reporting and sanctions
screening).
Bank-Fintech Arrangements in
Connection With Payment Activities,
Including Card Issuance
Banks may enter a variety of
arrangements with fintech companies in
connection with fund-transfer services,
card issuance, contactless payments,
and other payment solutions. While
banks and non-banks have entered into
payment-related card sponsorship
arrangements for decades, the types,
number, and complexity of paymentrelated products and services and
associated arrangements between banks
and fintech companies have rapidly
increased in recent years.
Today, payment-related bank-fintech
arrangements can vary widely and may
include several different types of
payment options, including debit and
credit card offerings, fund-transfer
services utilizing ACH transactions,
wire transfers, prepaid services, and
instant payments. Non-cash payments,
particularly cards and ACH
transactions, have increased
significantly in size and volume in
recent years due to innovation and the
ease, convenience, accessibility, and
speed of digital payments. A fintech
company may enter into a card offering
arrangement with a bank to provide end
users with access to bank-issued,
fintech-branded debit or credit cards. In
some of these card offering
arrangements, the partner bank directly
operates and manages the cards. In
others, the fintech company directly
operates and manages the cards with
oversight by the partner bank pursuant
to a bank sponsorship agreement
between the bank and fintech company.
In a prepaid services arrangement, a
fintech company may offer end users
access to bank-operated (and, often,
fintech-branded) prepaid accounts that
link to end users’ accounts with the
fintech company. This type of structure
allows end users to load and store
prepaid funds and transfer such funds
to others. A fintech company may also
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enter into a bank-fintech arrangement to
offer ACH transactions, wire transfers,
or settlement of payment services to end
users. For example, a fintech company
may enter into an arrangement with a
bank to offer ACH services to its end
users, such as sending or receiving
funds via ACH transfers, which may
take place through a bank sponsorship
arrangement. Additionally, operators of
digital platforms permitting the
transmittal and exchange of funds
between and among member
participants 7 enter into bank-fintech
arrangements to offer a range of
payment options to end users of the
platforms.
Under each of these arrangements,
fintech companies also may provide a
variety of additional services, including
providing end users with personal
finance and payment management tools,
marketing the branded cards and
payment services to end users, or
assisting banks with underwriting for
credit cards (sometimes using
alternative data). Additionally, under
each of these arrangements, banks may
provide access to various services to or
for end users, including card or account
issuance, back-end fund-transfer and
redemption operations support, access
to proprietary electronic platforms, or
bill payment services.
Many fintech companies enter these
arrangements with banks in order to
gain access to existing payment systems
and card networks. In these types of
structures, a bank may enter into an
arrangement with the fintech company
(such as a payments platform or a card
processor) to ‘‘sponsor’’ the fintech
company’s access to one or more
payment systems or card networks to
facilitate the availability of specified
payment options to end users in
exchange for one-time and/or pertransaction fees. In this structure,
operators of payment systems and card
networks may permit fintech companies
to conduct transactions on payment and
card networks through the bank’s
sponsorship arrangements with the
operator. Among other things, bank
sponsorship may entail the partner bank
agreeing with the operators of the
payment and card networks to sponsor
and pre-approve the proposed payment
activities of the fintech company across
the payment or card networks, to
monitor the fintech company’s
operations for compliance with operator
and relevant network rules, or to accept
risk-of-loss liability in connection with
7 These platforms are sometimes referred to as
‘‘Peer-2-Peer,’’ ‘‘Business-2-Consumer,’’ or
‘‘Business-2-Business’’ platforms.
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transactions effectuated by the fintech
company.
A bank that sponsors a fintech
company’s access to a payment system
or card network for these purposes may
establish an account for the fintech
company at the bank for the acceptance
and settlement of end-user payments,
which may be effectuated in several
different ways depending on the
agreement between the fintech company
and bank. For example, the bank may
agree to open an account FBO the end
users and use it to settle payment
transactions. In some cases, the fintech
may provide recordkeeping functions to
facilitate the settlement of end-user
transactions.
Several fintech companies have also
entered into arrangements with banks in
recent years to offer digital wallets,
often in conjunction with associated
payment applications (sometimes
referred to as ‘‘pay apps’’). A digital
wallet is a software application that
permits end users to store card account
or other payment credentials in
encrypted or tokenized form so that end
users may recall and transmit the stored
credentials via a digital payment
application at physical or digital points
of sale. End users may rely on digital
wallet functionality, used in
combination with payment applications,
to make in-person, contactless payments
via their mobile devices (sometimes
referred to as ‘‘tap-to-pay’’). Digital
wallet functionalities also may assist
end users in making online purchases
through web and mobile applications.
Some fintech companies make their
digital wallets and associated payment
applications available for limited use—
for instance, to effectuate purchases
with a single retailer or group of
retailers. Others offer general use digital
wallets and associated digital payment
applications available to end users at a
variety of participating points of sale.
In each case, fintech companies
offering combined digital wallet and
payment applications typically enter
into arrangements with banks that issue
the debit and credit cards that end users
wish to include in their digital wallets.
Many of the arrangements reflect
standard terms governed by the
payment systems and card networks.
Other arrangements may require debit
and credit card issuers to pay fintech
companies per-transaction fees
associated with the end users’ reliance
on the combined digital wallet and
payment applications of the fintech
companies.
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Bank-Fintech Arrangements in
Connection With Consumer and Small
Business Lending
Bank-fintech arrangements can also
facilitate loans through a fintech
company’s online platform. Fintech
companies may market and distribute a
variety of loan products, including those
targeted to consumers, students, and
small businesses.8 Banks increasingly
engage with fintech companies to access
these lending markets. The parties to
these arrangements in turn may be
assigned to perform various core
operational functions in connection
with lending, including those relating to
the processing, underwriting, closing,
delivering, or servicing of loans.
In a typical arrangement, a partner
bank agrees to facilitate and fund loans,
while the fintech company solicits end
users and collects application data. In
some arrangements, end-user
application data collected by the fintech
company is used in the underwriting
process within the parameters of
underwriting standards agreed upon
with the bank. Loans might be retained
on the bank’s balance sheet, or the loans
(or a portion of the loans or an interest
in the loan payment streams) might be
sold to the fintech company. The fintech
company may then securitize any
acquired loans for subsequent re-sale
into the public or private asset-backed
securities markets, although the bank
may retain an economic interest in the
performance of the loans through a
variety of contractual mechanisms. The
fintech company or a fourth party often
performs loan servicing and collection
under these arrangements.
The Role of Intermediate Platform
Providers
The growth of bank-fintech
arrangements has spurred the
development of a new business model
whereby some fintech companies
provide an intermediate technology
platform—sometimes referred to as an
‘‘aggregation layer’’—to facilitate
relationships between banks and other
fintech companies that seek to distribute
banking products and services directly
8 Such products may also include ‘‘buy now, pay
later’’ (BNPL) lending, to the extent offered through
a bank-fintech arrangement; however, BNPL
offerings have to date typically been offered and
distributed solely through either a bank, fintech
company, or consumer retailer, rather than through
a bank-fintech arrangement. BNPL generally refers
to point-of-sale installment loans offered to end
users that are payable in four or fewer installments,
often concurrently with their purchase of nonfinancial goods and services. For additional
information on BNPL, and the risks it may pose to
banks, see Retail Lending: Risk Management of ‘Buy
Now, Pay Later’ Lending, OCC Bulletin 2023–37
(Dec. 6, 2023).
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to end users. These intermediate
platform providers enable individual
banks to connect to numerous fintech
companies and serve the role of
introducing banks and fintech
companies seeking such relationships.
Intermediate platform providers may
also market these services together as an
‘‘all-in-one’’ solution for fintech
companies and banks by providing
technological, operational, and
information services in one place,
enabling fintech companies and banks
to connect more seamlessly. An
intermediate platform provider may also
offer to assist fintech companies in
implementing compliance risk
management programs and in handling
the transfer and flow of funds across
deposit-taking, payments, card issuance,
or lending activities.
Operators of intermediate platforms
may enter into their own arrangements
with banks and third parties to provide
these services. These arrangements may
involve a bank providing an
intermediate platform provider with
permission to transfer data via, for
example, application programming
interfaces (APIs). A single intermediate
platform provider may have
arrangements with multiple banks to
provide such access or provide services
to banks relating to operational,
compliance, data, or other functions in
connection with the banks’
relationships with fintech companies or
the platform provider itself.
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Risk Implications
While bank-fintech arrangements may
offer banks significant benefits, they
also may present the full spectrum of
risks facing banks, including, but not
limited to, third-party, credit, liquidity,
compliance, and operational risk. Risks
may also be heightened where the
fintech is the distributor of the banking
product or service to the end user, or
where the fintech or intermediate
platform provider performs key
functions, such as handling end-user
complaints, performing customer
identification and due diligence,
developing and transmitting
disclosures, monitoring transactions,
maintaining end-user ledgers,
performing certain lending-related
activities, developing and deploying
marketing materials, or directly
communicating with end users.9 Bank9 A fintech company may also use subcontractors
(referred to variously as ‘‘nth-party risk,’’ ‘‘nested
risk,’’ or ‘‘banking services supply chain risk’’) in
providing these services. Ineffectual oversight of
subcontractors (including failure to properly
account for subcontractors in the arrangement’s
business continuity plan) could result in material
disruptions of the arrangement. See generally
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fintech arrangements may also involve a
wide range of practices to deliver
banking products and services to end
users through a combination of the
fintech company’s technological
capabilities and the bank’s
infrastructure, including the ability to
provide access to deposit accounts,
access to payment rails, and extend
credit. These facets of bank-fintech
arrangements may create heightened or
novel risks for banks relative to the risks
associated with more traditional thirdparty vendor relationships. The
following discussion of risks in bankfintech arrangements is meant to be
illustrative of certain select concerns
and is not meant to be comprehensive.
Accountability
Contractual accountability for
different aspects of the end-user
relationship may be allocated among the
parties to a bank-fintech arrangement.
However, banks remain responsible for
compliance with applicable law. Failure
to conduct sufficient due diligence,
ongoing monitoring, and oversight of
the bank-fintech arrangement may
complicate the bank’s ability to ensure
such compliance and to identify risk. In
addition, contractual division of labor
may complicate the bank’s ability to
establish clear lines of accountability,
implement effective risk and
compliance management strategies, and
address and remediate issues as they
arise, especially where novel
arrangements place certain traditional
banking activities outside of the bank.
These factors may expose the bank to
compliance, litigation, and other risks.
For example, in a bank-fintech
arrangement, the fintech company may
maintain the end-user relationship,
including by interacting directly with
end users, responding to inquiries and
complaints, and providing required
consumer protection and other
disclosures. However, independent of
contractual responsibilities, the end
user may still qualify as a customer of
the bank for certain regulatory
purposes.10 The bank also remains
responsible for its various other
compliance requirements, such as AntiMoney Laundering and Countering the
Interagency Guidance on Third-Party Relationships:
Risk Management, 88 FR 37920 (Jun. 9, 2023).
10 See, e.g., 12 CFR 1016.3(i) (defining customer
relationships for purposes of the Consumer
Financial Protection Bureau’s (CFPB) Regulation P);
OCC (12 CFR part 30, App. B (I)(C)(2)(d); Board (12
CFR part 208, App. D–2 § I.C.2.d) FDIC (12 CFR part
364, App. B § I.C.2.d) (adopting Regulation P’s
definition of ‘‘customer’’ for the Interagency
Guidelines Establishing Information Security
Standards); 31 CFR 1020.100(b) (defining customer
relationships for purposes of a bank’s customer
identification program).
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Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT)
compliance program requirements.11
Similarly, the fintech company’s role in
providing disclosures may increase the
risk of inaccurate or misleading
representations concerning, for
example, the applicability, nature, or
scope of Federal deposit insurance
available to end users.12 Such risks may
be heightened where the fintech
company controls the end-user
relationship and uses the bank’s name
and branding in marketing or when an
intermediate platform provider is used
and further distances the bank from the
end user.
Under certain bank-fintech
arrangements, it may be difficult for the
bank to perform oversight and control
functions over the fintech company
effectively where the fintech company
has substantial negotiating power
relative to the bank or where the bank
relies on revenue or liquidity from the
fintech company. Difficulty in
performing this oversight and control
function in turn could impede bank
staff’s ability to provide effective
challenge to critical aspects of the bankfintech relationship, including whether
to terminate the contractual
arrangement if necessary. These risks
may be heightened where the fintech
company is not familiar with or has a
different risk tolerance concerning the
specific requirements of the laws and
regulations applicable to it,13 the bank,
or the products and services offered via
the arrangement. These risks may be
further heightened where an
intermediate platform provider assists
the fintech company in implementing
risk management programs, such as
compliance.
11 See, e.g., suspicious activity reporting and
BSA/AML program requirements for the OCC (12
CFR 21.11 and 21.21), Board (12 CFR 208.62 and
208.63), and FDIC (12 CFR 326.8 and part 353).
12 See, e.g., 12 U.S.C. 1828(a)(4); 12 CFR part 328,
subpart B; FDIC, FIL–35–2022, ‘‘Advisory to FDICInsured Institutions Regarding Deposit Insurance
and Dealings with Crypto Companies’’ (Jul. 29,
2022); see also 12 CFR 7.5010 (requiring banking
organizations to distinguish products and services
offered by it from those of a third party on cobranded websites and other shared electronic
spaces). Even when the parties intend that the
financial products or services will benefit from
deposit insurance, application of Federal deposit
insurance may be complicated in novel
arrangements; 12 CFR 330.5, 330.7 (describing
requirements for pass-through deposit insurance).
13 The CFPB (for instance) possesses authority
under 12 U.S.C. 5514 to engage in risk-based
supervision of non-depository financial institutions
participating in certain markets for consumer
financial products and services. Fintech companies
that are regulated as money services businesses are
also subject to certain BSA/AML and state law
requirements. See, e.g., 31 CFR part 1022.
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End-User Confusion
The fintech company’s efforts to
provide a seamless end-user experience
could make it difficult for end users to
know in what capacity they are dealing
with the bank or the fintech company.
In some cases, marketing materials or
other statements by the fintech company
or bank may exacerbate end-user
confusion. For example, end users may
not be well-informed regarding the type
of account relationship that the end user
is establishing through the fintech and
may not understand that Federal deposit
insurance does not protect them from a
nonbank fintech company’s failure.
End-user confusion may also complicate
compliance efforts and pose other risks
to the bank. For example, an end user
that is unaware of the bank’s presence
in the arrangement may direct
complaints solely to the fintech
company. The bank’s ability to comply
with its obligations under Federal
consumer financial protection laws
could be undermined if the fintech
company fails to timely communicate
to, or coordinate with, the bank on
responses to consumer complaints.14
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Rapid Growth
A bank may experience rapid growth
as a result of engaging in a bank-fintech
arrangement (e.g., growth in deposits or
transaction volume), especially in the
case of a community bank. Various risks
can emerge from rapid growth and the
bank’s changing risk profile, including
risks that may threaten the bank’s safety
and soundness or its ability to comply
with applicable laws and regulations.15
These risks may arise from challenges
such as appropriately scaling risk and
compliance management systems,
operational complexities, significant
deposit growth, and insufficient capital
to support the rapid growth, among
other things.
For example, a bank’s existing risk
and compliance management systems,
as well as management’s and
employees’ expertise and roles and
responsibilities, may neither be
commensurate with the risk profile of
the new business model nor be
sufficiently scalable without significant
investments in resources and training.
Failure to scale compliance and risk
management functions and resources
with the growth resulting from the bankfintech arrangement may increase the
14 For example, the bank’s ability to comply with
its dispute and error resolution obligations or
undertake its risk monitoring capabilities could be
impaired.
15 See OCC Bulletin 2017–43, New, Modified, or
Expanded Bank Products and Services: Risk
Management Principles (Oct. 20, 2017) for a general
discussion of these risks.
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likelihood of the bank violating
applicable laws and regulations,
including those related to AML/CFT or
sanctions, consumer protection, and fair
lending.
Bank-fintech arrangements may also
pose operational complexities, which
may lead to increased risk. For example,
potentially significant increases in the
volume of payment processing may give
rise to increased transaction monitoring
alerts. In addition, depending on the
integration of the bank’s information
technology systems with those of the
fintech company, security
vulnerabilities and other sources of
operational disruption may arise,
increasing the likelihood of data
breaches, privacy incidents, service
interruptions, and fraud.16 In some
cases, banks do not have or are unable
to develop the infrastructure to
adequately address these complexities,
and instead rely on manual
workarounds, which could lead to
operational breakdowns that may
implicate various other risks, including
compliance and legal risks. These risks
may be heightened where the bankfintech arrangement involves an
additional entity (e.g., an intermediate
platform provider).17
Rapid deposit growth related to a
bank-fintech arrangement can also pose
risks related to funds management. For
example, a bank may need to invest an
influx of short-term deposits that greatly
exceed amounts the bank has
traditionally managed. To the extent
that deposits are used to fund growth in
longer-term or higher-risk fixed-rate
assets, including loans and securities,
the bank may be exposed to greater
liquidity, interest rate, or credit risk,
especially when such investments are
concentrated, or the risks are otherwise
correlated. The bank may also
experience increased liquidity stress
should it need to meet material shortterm withdrawal requests. Rapid deposit
or asset growth also implicates various
other risks, including those relating to
maintaining sufficient capital to support
expansion of the bank’s business.18
16 Integration could also introduce security
vulnerabilities, including by providing another
access point into the bank’s systems. Integration
may amplify operational risks, such as fraud,
cybersecurity, and data privacy incidents occurring
at the fintech company that then affect the bank.
17 The growing prevalence of nested relationships
may materially alter the traditional third-party risks
present, complicating the bank’s ability to provide
effective oversight to the arrangement. This is
especially so if the additional entity may be
contractually allowed to add operating partners or
subcontractors without the bank’s prior consent.
See ‘‘Interagency Guidance on Third-Party
Relationships,’’ supra note 9, for more.
18 Additionally, to the extent that a fintech
company meets the definition of a deposit broker
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Concentration and Liquidity
Management
Bank-fintech arrangements may also
result in the bank’s business becoming
highly concentrated in the arrangement.
This concentration risk may amplify
other risks to the bank, including from
any market stresses or if deposits are
used to fund longer-term assets. For
example, in a rising interest rate
environment, a bank-fintech
arrangement involving loan products
may see a reduction in originations.
This reduction may pose particular risk
to a bank whose business has become
heavily concentrated in that
arrangement and that, as a result, relies
on those originations for a material
portion of its earnings. Such an
environment may increase the bank’s
exposure to credit risk from the
arrangement (e.g., the credit risk of the
fintech company or of loans originated
under the arrangement, whether still on
the bank’s balance sheet or for which
the bank retains any contractual
interest, even if repurchased by the
fintech company). Such an environment
may also lead to an increase in the
credit risk of a bank’s overall retail loan
portfolio.19
Bank-fintech arrangements may also
pose liquidity risks if the bank fails to
establish adequate liquidity contingency
plans and exit strategies, particularly
when arrangements represent a funding
concentration. An arrangement may be
terminated or reduced in amount for
any number of reasons, including those
over which the bank has little control,
and which may result in significant
stress on a bank. For example, if the
fintech partner or an intermediate
platform provider in a deposit-taking
bank-fintech arrangement faces a stress
event or terminates the contractual
arrangement, that could lead to a large
withdrawal of end-user-related deposits,
resulting in liquidity stress and losses
for the bank. Failure to establish
adequate liquidity contingency plans
and exit strategies could also increase
operational and strategic risks for the
bank.
under 12 CFR 337.6, any related deposits would be
brokered deposits subject to applicable restrictions
if the bank becomes less than well capitalized
under the prompt corrective action provisions of
the agencies’ capital rules.
19 These risks may be heightened where the
arrangement results in the bank’s risk profile
becoming more correlated to or concentrated in a
particular market segment or asset type, either
directly through its exposure to certain products, or
indirectly through its exposure to the fintech
company.
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Use and Ownership of Data and
Customer Information
Bank-fintech arrangements often rely
on new, innovative, and potentially
untested uses of data to expand or
enhance access to financial services,
which may in turn lead to risks related
to compliance with laws and
regulations, operational challenges, and
the ownership, use, and nature of that
data. For instance, a bank-fintech
arrangement may be premised on
underwriting credit using alternative
data. Introducing alternative data into a
bank’s existing systems may pose risks.
These include, for example, risks related
to the bank’s ability to address concerns
associated with alternative data and its
use (including as to accuracy and
biases) and to incorporate alternative
data types and formats into its
information technology systems, credit
risk modeling capabilities, and
compliance management systems.20
Data ownership and use questions
may also create risks for the bank. For
instance, the fintech company may
attempt to limit the bank’s access to data
generated as part of the arrangement if
the fintech company views the data as
its proprietary information. Other issues
related to data ownership and use may
arise where banks are required by law
to limit the fintech company’s access to
and use of certain data. For example,
banks are restricted in the sharing, use,
and disposal of end user nonpublic
information, and end users may have
opt-out rights, which could pose
operational difficulties and compliance
risks.21 Therefore, the bank may require
information on the bank-fintech
arrangement’s end users to meet its own
compliance obligations, including, but
not limited to, those related to
recordkeeping, AML/CFT or sanctions,
fair lending, or state escheatment
statutes or regulations. This requirement
for information may arise even where
the bank lacks a direct relationship with
end users or where they are not named
account holders with the bank.22 As
discussed in more detail above, these
20 For example, alternative datasets that impact
credit decisions could potentially create or heighten
consumer protection risks, such as unlawful
discrimination in lending.
21 See Title V, subtitle A of the Gramm-Leach
Bliley Act, Public Law 106–102, 113 Stat. 1338,
codified in relevant part at 15 U.S.C. 6801 et seq.,
implemented at OCC (12 CFR part 30 Appendix B,
including Supplement A), Board (12 CFR part 208
Appendix D–2, including Supplement A), FDIC (12
CFR part 364 (Appendix B, including Supplement
A), and 12 CFR part 1016 (Regulation P).
22 See, e.g., suspicious activity reporting and
BSA/AML program requirements for the OCC (12
CFR 21.11 and 21.21), Board (12 CFR 208.62 and
208.63), and FDIC (12 CFR 326.8 and part 353). See
also supra note 10 and accompanying text.
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risks may be heightened where aspects
of the end-user relationship or
compliance-related activities are
contractually allocated among multiple
entities (e.g., intermediate platform
providers).
Request for Comment
In this RFI, the agencies are inviting
interested members of the public to
comment on the descriptions of bankfintech arrangements and risks
summarized in the document. The
agencies are also seeking comment on
effective practices for managing these
risks. Where questions ask for the
‘‘range of practices,’’ respondents are
encouraged to describe the practices’
advantages and disadvantages.
Bank-Fintech Arrangement Descriptions
1. Do the descriptions and
categorizations in this RFI adequately
describe the types of bank-fintech
arrangements in the industry and the
companies involved? If not, why? Are
the descriptions or categorizations
overly broad or narrow, or are there any
types of companies or categories of
arrangements missing from the
descriptions?
2. Are there any benefits of bankfintech arrangements that are not
addressed by this RFI? What benefits do
the bank or the fintech company receive
by using an intermediate platform
provider?
3. Describe the range of practices
regarding banks’ use of data 23 to
monitor risk, ensure compliance with
regulatory responsibilities and
obligations, or otherwise manage bankfintech arrangements. What data and
information do banks typically receive
in bank-fintech arrangements, including
in those involving intermediate platform
providers? To what extent is this
information different from the
information banks would receive when
interacting with end users independent
of fintech companies? What challenges
have banks experienced in bank-fintech
arrangements—including those
involving intermediate platform
providers—related to the timely access
to customer information, and what steps
have the parties to bank-fintech
arrangements taken to assess potential
compliance issues associated with such
challenges?
4. How do the parties to bank-fintech
arrangements determine the end user’s
status as a customer of the bank, the
fintech company, or both, including for
23 For example, key performance indicators,
product-level data, service levels, end-user
information, key risk indicators, consumer
complaints, fraud monitoring metrics, or KYC/CIP
information.
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purposes of compliance with applicable
laws and regulations, and each party’s
responsibility in complying with
contractual requirements? What
disputes or uncertainties regarding the
status of end users have the parties
experienced, and how have they sought
to resolve them? How does the type of
arrangement impact such
determinations?
5. Describe the range of practices
regarding the use of a core bank service
provider or other third-party providers
in bank-fintech arrangements. How do
these providers help or hinder bankfintech arrangements?
6. Describe the range of practices in
cases where bank-fintech arrangements
involve affiliates of the bank, including
fintechs. What are the benefits and risks
of these arrangements?
7. Bank-fintech arrangements can
involve significant up-front and ongoing
costs and resources for the bank
involved and may take some time to
recoup these costs and resources. What
type of up-front and ongoing costs and
resources are associated with
establishing bank-fintech arrangements?
Describe the range of practices regarding
how a bank factors such upfront costs
and resources into its overall strategy
and risk management strategy. Describe
the range of practices regarding how
revenues and costs resulting from these
arrangements are allocated between the
bank and fintech company.
Risk and Risk Management
1. Describe the range of practices for
maintaining safety and soundness, and
compliance with applicable laws and
regulations arising from bank-fintech
arrangements. How do the practices
differ as between different categories of
arrangements? Does the RFI adequately
identify and describe the potential risks
of bank-fintech arrangements?
2. Bank-fintech arrangements can
present unique or heightened consumer
protection risks, such as risks of
discrimination, unfair or deceptive acts
or practices under the Federal Trade
Commission Act, or privacy concerns.
Describe the range of practices for
managing any heightened risks.
3. Describe the range of practices
parties to a bank-fintech arrangement
may use in contractually allocating
functions among themselves, including
the advantages and disadvantages of
each such practice. For example, while
the parties to such arrangements remain
responsible for their own compliance
with applicable laws and regulations, as
a matter of contractual allocation, who
performs which activities related to risk
and compliance management, customer
identification and due diligence,
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transaction monitoring, sanctions
screening, fraud monitoring, end-user
complaint management, dispute
resolution, data protection, or credit
underwriting, if applicable? Who
develops and oversees marketing
materials, develops and provides
disclosures and account statements,
addresses errors, receives and resolves
disputes, and responds to complaints?
How are contractual breaches and
indemnifications typically addressed in
these types of arrangements? Describe
the range of practices for monitoring
compliance with applicable laws and
regulations, notwithstanding contractual
allocations.
4. How are risks resulting from these
arrangements, including those
concerning credit, liquidity,
concentration, compliance, and
operational risk, as well as concerns
regarding negative end-user experience
managed? What techniques or strategies
are most effective in managing the
impact of rapid growth, particularly
related to deposit-taking and paymentrelated arrangements?
5. Describe the range of risk
management strategies banks and
fintech companies use to ensure that
required disclosures in bank-fintech
arrangements, including those relating
to rates and fees associated with enduser banking products and services, are
accurately and plainly communicated,
and comply with all relevant state and
Federal laws and regulations.
6. Describe the range of practices
regarding disclosures (e.g., initial,
annual, or ongoing) to end users about
the involvement of bank-fintech
arrangements in the delivery of banking
products and service.
7. Describe the range of practices
regarding the use of an intermediate
platform provider. Describe how the use
of an intermediate platform provider
may amplify or mitigate risk, and to
what extent, if any, intermediate
platform providers influence how banks
handle operational, compliance, or
other issues when dealing with fintech
companies within the intermediate
platform provider’s network.
8. Describe the range of practices
regarding how banks manage the risks of
connecting to multiple technology
platforms and exchanging data in bankfintech arrangements.
9. Describe the range of practices
regarding planning for when a fintech
company or intermediate platform
provider exits an arrangement, faces a
stress event, or experiences a significant
operational disruption, such as a cyberattack. Describe the range of practices
regarding how arrangements are
structured to minimize harm to end
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users, meet compliance requirements,
and minimize liquidity risks and other
risks in the event of such exits, stresses,
or disruptions.
10. Describe the range of practices,
and challenges, in negotiating contracts
with, or conducting due diligence on
fintech companies. Describe the range of
practices in maintaining ongoing
monitoring of bank-fintech
arrangements, particularly related to
risk management, regulatory
compliance, data ownership and use,
and information security assessment
rights. What impact, if any, does the size
and negotiating power of the bank or the
fintech company have on these issues?
What impact, if any, does the fintech
company’s or intermediary platform
provider’s degree of control of
operational functions have on these
issues? What impact, if any, does bank
liquidity or revenues concentration
represented by any particular fintech
company, intermediary platform
provider, or business line have on these
issues?
11. Bank-fintech arrangements may
involve processing payments
transactions unrelated to any specific
deposit-taking or credit offering in
significant volumes. Describe the range
of practices that banks adopt to manage
potential risks associated with
processing large volumes of otherwise
unaffiliated payments transactions. Do
banks view bank-fintech arrangements
involving such processing differently
from other payments-related products
and services offered to end users?
12. How do banks ensure bank-fintech
arrangements can be suspended or
terminated based upon safety and
soundness, compliance, or consumer
protection concerns? What fees or other
costs are typically involved in exiting
these arrangements?
13. Are there other techniques or
strategies that banks use to manage the
various risks bank-fintech arrangements
may present? Which of these techniques
or strategies are most effective in
managing such risks?
14. In the context of bank-fintech
arrangements, how are deposit accounts
usually titled? Describe the range of
practices reconciling bank deposit
account records with the fintechs’
records. Generally, what party holds
and maintains the account records?
Describe the structure in place to
exchange accurate customer information
between the bank and the fintech
company and how the agreements
between banks and fintech companies
generally address these matters.
Describe any additional controls, that
banks or fintechs may use to provide for
accurate reconciliations.
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15. Describe the range of practices
regarding the maintenance of systems of
records and account titling in the
context of bank-fintech arrangements.
Do certain account structures pose
greater risk considerations to banks and
end users than others? What additional
controls, if any, do banks or fintechs
place on these accounts to manage these
risks?
16. To what extent would additional
clarifications or further guidance be
helpful to banks with respect to bankfintech arrangements? If so, please
explain. In what specific areas would
additional clarification or further
guidance be most helpful?
Trends and Financial Stability
1. What data would be helpful for the
agencies in monitoring developments
regarding bank-fintech arrangements?
For example, this might include data to
assist in monitoring developments and
trends in bank-fintech arrangement
structures and use cases, concentrations,
and the number and types of bankfintech arrangements in the financial
services industry.
2. In what ways do or can bankfintech arrangements support increased
access to financial products and
services? Alternatively, in what ways do
or can these arrangements disadvantage
end users?
3. In what ways might bank-fintech
arrangements function as transmission
mechanisms to amplify financial shocks
(i.e., threaten financial stability)?
Conversely, how could these
arrangements help to contain shocks
and reduce contagion?
4. What factors are important in
determining whether bank-fintech
arrangements support or hinder
responsible innovation and a
competitive and compliant financial
services landscape?
Michael J. Hsu,
Acting Comptroller of the Currency.
By order of the Board of Governors of the
Federal Reserve System.
Ann E. Misback,
Secretary of the Board.
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.
Dated at Washington, DC, on July 23, 2024.
James P. Sheesley,
Assistant Executive Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2024–16838 Filed 7–30–24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4810–33–P; 6210–01–P; 6714–01–P
E:\FR\FM\31JYN1.SGM
31JYN1
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 147 (Wednesday, July 31, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 61577-61584]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-16838]
[[Page 61577]]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY
Office of the Comptroller of the Currency
[Docket No. OCC-2024-0014]
FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM
[Docket No. OP-1836]
FEDERAL DEPOSIT INSURANCE CORPORATION
RIN 3064-ZA43
Request for Information on Bank-Fintech Arrangements Involving
Banking Products and Services Distributed to Consumers and Businesses
AGENCY: Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, Treasury; Board of
Governors of the Federal Reserve System; and Federal Deposit Insurance
Corporation.
ACTION: Request for information and comment.
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SUMMARY: Over the past several years, the Office of the Comptroller of
the Currency (OCC), Treasury; the Board of Governors of the Federal
Reserve System (Board); and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
(FDIC) (collectively, ``the agencies'' or ``agency'' when referencing
the singular) have observed and reviewed arrangements between banks and
financial technology (fintech) companies. The agencies support
responsible innovation and banks pursuing bank-fintech arrangements in
a manner consistent with safe and sound banking practices, and with
applicable laws and regulations, including consumer protection
requirements and those addressing financial crimes. Bank-fintech
arrangements can provide benefits; however, supervisory experience has
highlighted a range of potential risks with these bank-fintech
arrangements. This request solicits input on the nature of bank-fintech
arrangements, effective risk management practices regarding bank-
fintech arrangements, and the implications of such arrangements,
including whether enhancements to existing supervisory guidance may be
helpful in addressing risks associated with these arrangements.
DATES: Comments must be received on or before September 30, 2024.
ADDRESSES: Comments should be directed to:
OCC: Commenters are encouraged to submit comments through the
Federal eRulemaking Portal, if possible. Please use the title ``Request
for Information on Bank-Fintech Arrangements Involving Banking Products
and Services Distributed to Consumers and Businesses'' to facilitate
the organization and distribution of the comments. You may submit
comments by any of the following methods:
Federal eRulemaking Portal--Regulations.gov: Go to https://www.regulations.gov. Enter ``Docket ID OCC-2024-0014'' in the Search
Box and click ``Search.'' Public comments can be submitted via the
``Comment'' box below the displayed document information or by clicking
on the document title and then clicking the ``Comment'' box on the top-
left side of the screen. For help with submitting effective comments,
please click on ``Commenter's Checklist.'' For assistance with the
Regulations.gov site, please call 1-866-498-2945 (toll free) Monday-
Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. ET, or email
[email protected].
Mail: Chief Counsel's Office, Attention: Comment
Processing, Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, 400 7th Street
SW, Suite 3E-218, Washington, DC 20219.
Hand Delivery/Courier: 400 7th Street SW, Suite 3E-218,
Washington, DC 20219.
Instructions: You must include ``OCC'' as the agency name and
``Docket ID OCC-2024-0014'' in your comment. In general, the OCC will
enter all comments received into the docket and publish the comments on
the Regulations.gov website without change, including any business or
personal information provided such as name and address information,
email addresses, or phone numbers. Comments received, including
attachments and other supporting materials, are part of the public
record and subject to public disclosure. Do not include any information
in your comment or supporting materials that you consider confidential
or inappropriate for public disclosure.
You may review comments and other related materials that pertain to
this action by the following method:
Viewing Comments Electronically--Regulations.gov: Go to
https://regulations.gov/. Enter ``Docket ID OCC-2024-0014'' in the
Search Box and click ``Search.'' Click on the ``Dockets'' tab and then
the document's title. After clicking the document's title, click the
``Browse All Comments'' tab. Comments can be viewed and filtered by
clicking on the ``Sort By'' drop-down on the right side of the screen
or the ``Refine Comments Results'' options on the left side of the
screen. Supporting materials can be viewed by clicking on the ``Browse
Documents'' tab. Click on the ``Sort By'' drop-down on the right side
of the screen or the ``Refine Results'' options on the left side of the
screen checking the ``Supporting & Related Materials'' checkbox. For
assistance with the Regulations.gov site, please call 1-866-498-2945
(toll free) Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. ET, or email
[email protected].
The docket may be viewed after the close of the comment period in
the same manner as during the comment period.
Board: You may submit comments, identified by Docket No. OP-1836,
by any of the following methods:
Agency Website: https://www.federalreserve.gov/. Follow
the instructions for submitting comments at https://www.federalreserve.gov/apps/foia/proposedregs.aspx.
Email: [email protected]. Include the OMB
number or FR number in the subject line of the message.
Fax: (202) 452-3819 or (202) 452-3102.
Mail: Federal Reserve Board of Governors, Attn: Ann E.
Misback, Secretary of the Board, Mailstop M-4775, 2001 C St. NW,
Washington, DC 20551.
All public comments are available from the Board's website at
https://www.federalreserve.gov/apps/foia/proposedregs.aspx as
submitted, unless modified for technical reasons or to remove
personally identifiable information at the commenter's request.
Accordingly, comments will not be edited to remove any confidential
business information, identifying information, or contact information.
Public comments may also be viewed electronically or in paper in Room
M-4365A, 2001 C St. NW, Washington, DC 20551, between 9:00 a.m. and
5:00 p.m. on weekdays, except for Federal holidays. For security
reasons, the Board requires that visitors make an appointment to
inspect comments. You may do so by calling (202) 452-3684. Upon
arrival, visitors will be required to present valid government-issued
photo identification and to submit to security screening in order to
inspect and photocopy comments.
FDIC: You may submit comments, identified by RIN 3064-ZA43, by any
of the following methods:
Agency Website: https://www.fdic.gov/resources/regulations/federal-register-publications/. Follow instructions for
submitting comments on the FDIC's website.
Email: [email protected]. Include ``Request for
Information on Bank-Fintech Arrangements Involving Banking Products and
Services Distributed to Consumers and
[[Page 61578]]
Businesses/RIN 3064-ZA43'' in the subject line of the message.
Mail: James P. Sheesley, Assistant Executive Secretary,
Attention: Request for Information on Bank-Fintech Arrangements
Involving Banking Products and Services Distributed to Consumers and
Businesses--RIN 3064-ZA43, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, 550
17th Street NW, Washington, DC 20429.
Hand Delivery: Comments may be hand-delivered to the guard
station at the rear of the 550 17th Street NW, building (located on F
Street NW) on business days between 7:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. ET.
Public Inspection: Comments received, including any
personal information provided, may be posted without change to https://www.fdic.gov/resources/regulations/federal-register-publications/.
Commenters should submit only information that the commenter wishes to
make available publicly. The FDIC may review, redact, or refrain from
posting all or any portion of any comment that it may deem to be
inappropriate for publication, such as irrelevant or obscene material.
The FDIC may post only a single representative example of identical or
substantially identical comments, and in such cases will generally
identify the number of identical or substantially identical comments
represented by the posted example. All comments that have been
redacted, as well as those that have not been posted, that contain
comments on the merits of this notice will be retained in the public
comment file and will be considered as required under all applicable
laws. All comments may be accessible under the Freedom of Information
Act.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
OCC: Miriam Bazan, Financial Technology Policy Specialist, or Tracy
Chin, Director for Payment Systems Policy, Bank Supervision Policy
(202) 649-5200; or Beth Knickerbocker, Special Counsel, Micah Cogen,
Counsel, or Graham Bannon, Counsel, Chief Counsel's Office (202) 649-
5490. If you are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability,
please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.
Board: Kavita Jain, Associate Director, Novel Activities and
Innovation Policy, (202) 452-2062, Jeff Ernst, Manager, Innovation
Policy, (202) 452-2814, or Roman Goldstein, Lead Financial Institution
Policy Analyst, (202) 452-3802, Division of Supervision and Regulation;
Drew Kohan, Associate Director, Program Direction, Division of Consumer
and Community Affairs, (202) 452-3040; Asad Kudiya, Deputy Associate
General Counsel, (202) 475-6358 or Isabel Echarte, Attorney, (202) 452-
2514, Legal Division, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System,
20th and C Streets NW, Washington, DC 20551. For the hearing impaired
only, Telecommunication Device for the Deaf (TDD), (202) 263-4869.
FDIC: Rae-Ann Miller, Senior Deputy Director, (202) 898-3898, or
Tom Lyons, Associate Director, (202) 898-6850, Division of Risk
Management Supervision; Luke Brown, Associate Director, (202) 898-3842,
or Meron Wondwosen, Chief, (571) 438-7127, Division of Depositor and
Consumer Protection; Annmarie Boyd, Senior Counsel, (202) 898-3714, or
Vivek Khare, Senior Counsel, (202) 898-6847; FDIC, 550 17th Street NW,
Washington, DC 20429; FDIC, 550 17th Street NW, Washington, DC 20429.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background Information
The agencies are responsible for supervising certain Federally-
chartered and State-chartered banks (herein referred to as
``banks'').\1\ Over the past several years, the agencies have observed
and reviewed arrangements between banks and fintech companies \2\ that
provide consumers and businesses (herein referred to as ``end users''),
access to banking products and services. Although these arrangements
may provide benefits, supervisory experience has highlighted a range of
risks with these bank-fintech arrangements. The agencies support
responsible innovation and support banks in pursuing bank-fintech
arrangements in a manner consistent with safe and sound practices and
applicable laws and regulations, including but not limited to, consumer
protection requirements (such as fair lending laws and prohibitions
against unfair, deceptive, or abusive acts or practices) and those
addressing financial crimes (such as fraud and money laundering).\3\
This request solicits input on the nature of bank-fintech arrangements,
including their benefits and risks, effective risk management practices
regarding bank-fintech arrangements, and the implications of such
arrangements, including whether enhancements to existing supervisory
guidance may be helpful in addressing risks associated with these
arrangements.
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\1\ For a description of the banks supervised by each agency and
relevant to this request for information, refer to the definition of
``appropriate Federal banking agency'' in the Federal Deposit
Insurance Act (12 U.S.C. 1813(q)(1), (2), and (3)(A)-(E)).
\2\ In some cases, the fintech company may be an affiliate of
the bank, such as, for example, where a bank holding company owns a
fintech, and that fintech relies on the holding company's subsidiary
bank to provide end users access to banking products or services.
\3\ Examples of relevant issuances may include the following:
Interagency Guidance on Third-Party Relationships: Risk Management,
88 FR 37920 (Jun. 9, 2023); Interagency Guidelines Establishing
Information Security Standards, 70 FR 15736 (Mar. 29, 2005);
Interagency Guidelines Establishing Standards for Safety and
Soundness, 61 FR 43948 (Oct. 1, 1996); FDIC FIL-15-2024, Collecting
Identifying Information Required Under the Customer Identification
Program (CIP) Rule (Mar. 28, 2024); Third-Party Risk Management: A
Guide for Community Banks (May 2024); Conducting Due Diligence on
Financial Technology Companies: A Guide for Community Banks (Oct.
2023); FDIC FIL-35-2022, Advisory to FDIC-Insured Institutions
Regarding Deposit Insurance and Dealings with Crypto Companies (July
20, 2022); Joint Statement on the Risk-Based Approach to Assessing
Customer Relationships and Conducting Customer Due Diligence (July
6, 2022); Interagency Guidance to Issuing Banks on Applying Customer
Identification Program Requirements to Holders of Prepaid Cards
(Mar. 21, 2016); Interagency Policy Statement on Funding and
Liquidity Risk Management, 75 FR 13656 (Mar. 22, 2010); Interagency
Interpretive Guidance on Customer Identification Program
Requirements, (Apr. 28, 2005); Unfair or Deceptive Acts or Practices
by State-Chartered Banks (Mar. 11, 2004).
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For many years, non-banks have provided access to financial
products and services, such as consumer credit products, commercial
loans, payment products, and deposit accounts. Rapid technological
advances and evolving customer preferences are accelerating these
trends. Over the past decade, fintech companies have significantly
expanded their ability to distribute financial products and services
directly to end users. These companies include small- and medium-sized
firms specifically focused on the financial services sector as well as
larger firms with established, multi-use technology platforms
(sometimes referred to as ``Big Tech''). For purposes of this Request
for Information (RFI), we refer to all of these types of non-bank firms
as ``fintech companies.'' \4\
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\4\ This term includes, among many others, intermediate platform
providers (as defined below), as well as certain processors and
payments platforms. It also includes certain non-financial retail
businesses seeking to expand into markets for financial products and
services through arrangements that could allow them to leverage
their existing infrastructure and customer relationships to offer a
one-stop-shop to access financial and non-financial products and
services.
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To facilitate providing end users with access to banking products
and services, fintech companies may enter into arrangements with banks.
In these arrangements, a bank typically makes products or services
available through an arrangement with one or more fintech companies in
which the fintech company, rather than the bank, markets, distributes,
or otherwise provides access
[[Page 61579]]
to or facilitates the provision of the product or service directly to
the end user.\5\ These arrangements enable fintech companies to provide
end users with access to a range of banking products, including deposit
products (e.g., checking or savings accounts); payment services (e.g.,
peer-to-peer, debit card, contactless payments, Automated Clearing
House (ACH) transactions, or wire transfer capabilities); or lending
products (e.g., unsecured consumer or small business loans) through
online and mobile applications, platforms, or digital wallets. In some
of these cases, fintech companies (sometimes referred to as a
``middleware provider'' or ``intermediate platform provider'') act as
intermediaries by engaging in a variety of functions, as described in
detail below. For purposes of this RFI, we refer to all of these types
of arrangements as ``bank-fintech arrangements.''
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\5\ These arrangements are sometimes referred to as ``banking-
as-a-service'' or ``embedded finance'' depending on the structure
and parties involved in the arrangement.
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Bank-fintech arrangements may enable banks to leverage newer
technology and offer innovative products or services to further their
digitalization efforts and to meet evolving customer demands and
expectations. These arrangements may also provide banks with the
ability to quickly and more cost effectively deploy products or
services into the market through the fintech company. In addition,
these arrangements may provide banks with access to new or expanded
markets, revenue sources, and customers. As discussed in more detail
below, bank-fintech arrangements also may introduce potential risks
through business and legal structures that increase operational
complexity, unbundle traditional banking products and services
(particularly payments), and increase compliance challenges. The
failure of banks to manage these arrangements effectively may present
consumer protection, safety and soundness, and compliance concerns.
The following sections of this RFI describe several bank-fintech
arrangement structures and use cases, as well as the risks the agencies
have seen manifesting and arising from these arrangements. The agencies
seek public comment to build on their understanding of these
arrangements, including with respect to roles, risks, costs, and
revenue allocation. The agencies also seek additional information and
stakeholder perspectives relevant to the implications of such
arrangements, including for banks' risk management, safety and
soundness, and compliance with applicable laws and regulations. The RFI
is not intended to impose any obligations or define any rights, and it
is not an interpretation of any statute or regulation.
Descriptions of Bank-Fintech Arrangements
The agencies have observed that bank-fintech arrangements vary
significantly in structure and product and service offerings, but many
commonly fall into one or more categories of facilitating deposit-
taking, payment (including card issuance and digital wallet
capabilities), and lending activities. Such arrangements may be
effectuated either directly between banks and fintech companies or
indirectly through the use of an intermediate platform provider. The
agencies seek comment on these categories and the attributes of the
bank-fintech arrangements described below.
Bank-Fintech Arrangements in Connection With Deposit-Taking Activities
Some non-bank fintech companies provide end users with access to
deposit products and services; however, these entities are not
Federally insured depository institutions (IDIs). Instead, the fintech
company establishes arrangements with one or more IDIs, directly or
through an intermediate platform provider, to provide end users with
access to banking products and services--such as deposit accounts,
debit cards, savings accounts, and other account-related services--
through the fintech company's online or mobile platform.\6\ Some
fintech companies enter into these deposit-taking arrangements with
banks to target a specific customer base, such as underserved or
younger demographics. Other fintech companies incorporate such deposit-
taking arrangements into much larger suites of financial and non-
financial products and services and target a much broader customer
base.
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\6\ Fintech companies that offer these services to end users
through such arrangements are sometimes referred to as ``neobanks''
or ``challenger banks.''
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In arrangements between banks and fintech companies to facilitate
an IDI's deposit-taking activities, fintech companies often play a
critical role in maintaining a deposit and transaction system of
record. These transaction records may not be reflected in the bank's
core processing system. Instead, the bank's core deposit ledger may
only include omnibus accounts, often titled to reflect that they are
held for the benefit of (FBO) end users. The contracts governing these
arrangements commonly set forth the operational responsibilities of
each party, such as record-keeping and access to records, end-user on-
boarding, compliance management, transaction monitoring, and complaint
handling. Bank-fintech arrangements involving deposit-taking activities
often involve heightened levels of operational complexity, including as
it relates to reconciliations and Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) recordkeeping
and compliance (e.g., customer identification and due diligence,
suspicious activity monitoring, and reporting and sanctions screening).
Bank-Fintech Arrangements in Connection With Payment Activities,
Including Card Issuance
Banks may enter a variety of arrangements with fintech companies in
connection with fund-transfer services, card issuance, contactless
payments, and other payment solutions. While banks and non-banks have
entered into payment-related card sponsorship arrangements for decades,
the types, number, and complexity of payment-related products and
services and associated arrangements between banks and fintech
companies have rapidly increased in recent years.
Today, payment-related bank-fintech arrangements can vary widely
and may include several different types of payment options, including
debit and credit card offerings, fund-transfer services utilizing ACH
transactions, wire transfers, prepaid services, and instant payments.
Non-cash payments, particularly cards and ACH transactions, have
increased significantly in size and volume in recent years due to
innovation and the ease, convenience, accessibility, and speed of
digital payments. A fintech company may enter into a card offering
arrangement with a bank to provide end users with access to bank-
issued, fintech-branded debit or credit cards. In some of these card
offering arrangements, the partner bank directly operates and manages
the cards. In others, the fintech company directly operates and manages
the cards with oversight by the partner bank pursuant to a bank
sponsorship agreement between the bank and fintech company. In a
prepaid services arrangement, a fintech company may offer end users
access to bank-operated (and, often, fintech-branded) prepaid accounts
that link to end users' accounts with the fintech company. This type of
structure allows end users to load and store prepaid funds and transfer
such funds to others. A fintech company may also
[[Page 61580]]
enter into a bank-fintech arrangement to offer ACH transactions, wire
transfers, or settlement of payment services to end users. For example,
a fintech company may enter into an arrangement with a bank to offer
ACH services to its end users, such as sending or receiving funds via
ACH transfers, which may take place through a bank sponsorship
arrangement. Additionally, operators of digital platforms permitting
the transmittal and exchange of funds between and among member
participants \7\ enter into bank-fintech arrangements to offer a range
of payment options to end users of the platforms.
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\7\ These platforms are sometimes referred to as ``Peer-2-
Peer,'' ``Business-2-Consumer,'' or ``Business-2-Business''
platforms.
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Under each of these arrangements, fintech companies also may
provide a variety of additional services, including providing end users
with personal finance and payment management tools, marketing the
branded cards and payment services to end users, or assisting banks
with underwriting for credit cards (sometimes using alternative data).
Additionally, under each of these arrangements, banks may provide
access to various services to or for end users, including card or
account issuance, back-end fund-transfer and redemption operations
support, access to proprietary electronic platforms, or bill payment
services.
Many fintech companies enter these arrangements with banks in order
to gain access to existing payment systems and card networks. In these
types of structures, a bank may enter into an arrangement with the
fintech company (such as a payments platform or a card processor) to
``sponsor'' the fintech company's access to one or more payment systems
or card networks to facilitate the availability of specified payment
options to end users in exchange for one-time and/or per-transaction
fees. In this structure, operators of payment systems and card networks
may permit fintech companies to conduct transactions on payment and
card networks through the bank's sponsorship arrangements with the
operator. Among other things, bank sponsorship may entail the partner
bank agreeing with the operators of the payment and card networks to
sponsor and pre-approve the proposed payment activities of the fintech
company across the payment or card networks, to monitor the fintech
company's operations for compliance with operator and relevant network
rules, or to accept risk-of-loss liability in connection with
transactions effectuated by the fintech company.
A bank that sponsors a fintech company's access to a payment system
or card network for these purposes may establish an account for the
fintech company at the bank for the acceptance and settlement of end-
user payments, which may be effectuated in several different ways
depending on the agreement between the fintech company and bank. For
example, the bank may agree to open an account FBO the end users and
use it to settle payment transactions. In some cases, the fintech may
provide recordkeeping functions to facilitate the settlement of end-
user transactions.
Several fintech companies have also entered into arrangements with
banks in recent years to offer digital wallets, often in conjunction
with associated payment applications (sometimes referred to as ``pay
apps''). A digital wallet is a software application that permits end
users to store card account or other payment credentials in encrypted
or tokenized form so that end users may recall and transmit the stored
credentials via a digital payment application at physical or digital
points of sale. End users may rely on digital wallet functionality,
used in combination with payment applications, to make in-person,
contactless payments via their mobile devices (sometimes referred to as
``tap-to-pay''). Digital wallet functionalities also may assist end
users in making online purchases through web and mobile applications.
Some fintech companies make their digital wallets and associated
payment applications available for limited use--for instance, to
effectuate purchases with a single retailer or group of retailers.
Others offer general use digital wallets and associated digital payment
applications available to end users at a variety of participating
points of sale.
In each case, fintech companies offering combined digital wallet
and payment applications typically enter into arrangements with banks
that issue the debit and credit cards that end users wish to include in
their digital wallets. Many of the arrangements reflect standard terms
governed by the payment systems and card networks. Other arrangements
may require debit and credit card issuers to pay fintech companies per-
transaction fees associated with the end users' reliance on the
combined digital wallet and payment applications of the fintech
companies.
Bank-Fintech Arrangements in Connection With Consumer and Small
Business Lending
Bank-fintech arrangements can also facilitate loans through a
fintech company's online platform. Fintech companies may market and
distribute a variety of loan products, including those targeted to
consumers, students, and small businesses.\8\ Banks increasingly engage
with fintech companies to access these lending markets. The parties to
these arrangements in turn may be assigned to perform various core
operational functions in connection with lending, including those
relating to the processing, underwriting, closing, delivering, or
servicing of loans.
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\8\ Such products may also include ``buy now, pay later'' (BNPL)
lending, to the extent offered through a bank-fintech arrangement;
however, BNPL offerings have to date typically been offered and
distributed solely through either a bank, fintech company, or
consumer retailer, rather than through a bank-fintech arrangement.
BNPL generally refers to point-of-sale installment loans offered to
end users that are payable in four or fewer installments, often
concurrently with their purchase of non-financial goods and
services. For additional information on BNPL, and the risks it may
pose to banks, see Retail Lending: Risk Management of `Buy Now, Pay
Later' Lending, OCC Bulletin 2023-37 (Dec. 6, 2023).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
In a typical arrangement, a partner bank agrees to facilitate and
fund loans, while the fintech company solicits end users and collects
application data. In some arrangements, end-user application data
collected by the fintech company is used in the underwriting process
within the parameters of underwriting standards agreed upon with the
bank. Loans might be retained on the bank's balance sheet, or the loans
(or a portion of the loans or an interest in the loan payment streams)
might be sold to the fintech company. The fintech company may then
securitize any acquired loans for subsequent re-sale into the public or
private asset-backed securities markets, although the bank may retain
an economic interest in the performance of the loans through a variety
of contractual mechanisms. The fintech company or a fourth party often
performs loan servicing and collection under these arrangements.
The Role of Intermediate Platform Providers
The growth of bank-fintech arrangements has spurred the development
of a new business model whereby some fintech companies provide an
intermediate technology platform--sometimes referred to as an
``aggregation layer''--to facilitate relationships between banks and
other fintech companies that seek to distribute banking products and
services directly
[[Page 61581]]
to end users. These intermediate platform providers enable individual
banks to connect to numerous fintech companies and serve the role of
introducing banks and fintech companies seeking such relationships.
Intermediate platform providers may also market these services together
as an ``all-in-one'' solution for fintech companies and banks by
providing technological, operational, and information services in one
place, enabling fintech companies and banks to connect more seamlessly.
An intermediate platform provider may also offer to assist fintech
companies in implementing compliance risk management programs and in
handling the transfer and flow of funds across deposit-taking,
payments, card issuance, or lending activities.
Operators of intermediate platforms may enter into their own
arrangements with banks and third parties to provide these services.
These arrangements may involve a bank providing an intermediate
platform provider with permission to transfer data via, for example,
application programming interfaces (APIs). A single intermediate
platform provider may have arrangements with multiple banks to provide
such access or provide services to banks relating to operational,
compliance, data, or other functions in connection with the banks'
relationships with fintech companies or the platform provider itself.
Risk Implications
While bank-fintech arrangements may offer banks significant
benefits, they also may present the full spectrum of risks facing
banks, including, but not limited to, third-party, credit, liquidity,
compliance, and operational risk. Risks may also be heightened where
the fintech is the distributor of the banking product or service to the
end user, or where the fintech or intermediate platform provider
performs key functions, such as handling end-user complaints,
performing customer identification and due diligence, developing and
transmitting disclosures, monitoring transactions, maintaining end-user
ledgers, performing certain lending-related activities, developing and
deploying marketing materials, or directly communicating with end
users.\9\ Bank-fintech arrangements may also involve a wide range of
practices to deliver banking products and services to end users through
a combination of the fintech company's technological capabilities and
the bank's infrastructure, including the ability to provide access to
deposit accounts, access to payment rails, and extend credit. These
facets of bank-fintech arrangements may create heightened or novel
risks for banks relative to the risks associated with more traditional
third-party vendor relationships. The following discussion of risks in
bank-fintech arrangements is meant to be illustrative of certain select
concerns and is not meant to be comprehensive.
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\9\ A fintech company may also use subcontractors (referred to
variously as ``nth-party risk,'' ``nested risk,'' or ``banking
services supply chain risk'') in providing these services.
Ineffectual oversight of subcontractors (including failure to
properly account for subcontractors in the arrangement's business
continuity plan) could result in material disruptions of the
arrangement. See generally Interagency Guidance on Third-Party
Relationships: Risk Management, 88 FR 37920 (Jun. 9, 2023).
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Accountability
Contractual accountability for different aspects of the end-user
relationship may be allocated among the parties to a bank-fintech
arrangement. However, banks remain responsible for compliance with
applicable law. Failure to conduct sufficient due diligence, ongoing
monitoring, and oversight of the bank-fintech arrangement may
complicate the bank's ability to ensure such compliance and to identify
risk. In addition, contractual division of labor may complicate the
bank's ability to establish clear lines of accountability, implement
effective risk and compliance management strategies, and address and
remediate issues as they arise, especially where novel arrangements
place certain traditional banking activities outside of the bank. These
factors may expose the bank to compliance, litigation, and other risks.
For example, in a bank-fintech arrangement, the fintech company may
maintain the end-user relationship, including by interacting directly
with end users, responding to inquiries and complaints, and providing
required consumer protection and other disclosures. However,
independent of contractual responsibilities, the end user may still
qualify as a customer of the bank for certain regulatory purposes.\10\
The bank also remains responsible for its various other compliance
requirements, such as Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the
Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) compliance program requirements.\11\
Similarly, the fintech company's role in providing disclosures may
increase the risk of inaccurate or misleading representations
concerning, for example, the applicability, nature, or scope of Federal
deposit insurance available to end users.\12\ Such risks may be
heightened where the fintech company controls the end-user relationship
and uses the bank's name and branding in marketing or when an
intermediate platform provider is used and further distances the bank
from the end user.
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\10\ See, e.g., 12 CFR 1016.3(i) (defining customer
relationships for purposes of the Consumer Financial Protection
Bureau's (CFPB) Regulation P); OCC (12 CFR part 30, App. B
(I)(C)(2)(d); Board (12 CFR part 208, App. D-2 Sec. I.C.2.d) FDIC
(12 CFR part 364, App. B Sec. I.C.2.d) (adopting Regulation P's
definition of ``customer'' for the Interagency Guidelines
Establishing Information Security Standards); 31 CFR 1020.100(b)
(defining customer relationships for purposes of a bank's customer
identification program).
\11\ See, e.g., suspicious activity reporting and BSA/AML
program requirements for the OCC (12 CFR 21.11 and 21.21), Board (12
CFR 208.62 and 208.63), and FDIC (12 CFR 326.8 and part 353).
\12\ See, e.g., 12 U.S.C. 1828(a)(4); 12 CFR part 328, subpart
B; FDIC, FIL-35-2022, ``Advisory to FDIC-Insured Institutions
Regarding Deposit Insurance and Dealings with Crypto Companies''
(Jul. 29, 2022); see also 12 CFR 7.5010 (requiring banking
organizations to distinguish products and services offered by it
from those of a third party on co-branded websites and other shared
electronic spaces). Even when the parties intend that the financial
products or services will benefit from deposit insurance,
application of Federal deposit insurance may be complicated in novel
arrangements; 12 CFR 330.5, 330.7 (describing requirements for pass-
through deposit insurance).
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Under certain bank-fintech arrangements, it may be difficult for
the bank to perform oversight and control functions over the fintech
company effectively where the fintech company has substantial
negotiating power relative to the bank or where the bank relies on
revenue or liquidity from the fintech company. Difficulty in performing
this oversight and control function in turn could impede bank staff's
ability to provide effective challenge to critical aspects of the bank-
fintech relationship, including whether to terminate the contractual
arrangement if necessary. These risks may be heightened where the
fintech company is not familiar with or has a different risk tolerance
concerning the specific requirements of the laws and regulations
applicable to it,\13\ the bank, or the products and services offered
via the arrangement. These risks may be further heightened where an
intermediate platform provider assists the fintech company in
implementing risk management programs, such as compliance.
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\13\ The CFPB (for instance) possesses authority under 12 U.S.C.
5514 to engage in risk-based supervision of non-depository financial
institutions participating in certain markets for consumer financial
products and services. Fintech companies that are regulated as money
services businesses are also subject to certain BSA/AML and state
law requirements. See, e.g., 31 CFR part 1022.
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[[Page 61582]]
End-User Confusion
The fintech company's efforts to provide a seamless end-user
experience could make it difficult for end users to know in what
capacity they are dealing with the bank or the fintech company. In some
cases, marketing materials or other statements by the fintech company
or bank may exacerbate end-user confusion. For example, end users may
not be well-informed regarding the type of account relationship that
the end user is establishing through the fintech and may not understand
that Federal deposit insurance does not protect them from a nonbank
fintech company's failure. End-user confusion may also complicate
compliance efforts and pose other risks to the bank. For example, an
end user that is unaware of the bank's presence in the arrangement may
direct complaints solely to the fintech company. The bank's ability to
comply with its obligations under Federal consumer financial protection
laws could be undermined if the fintech company fails to timely
communicate to, or coordinate with, the bank on responses to consumer
complaints.\14\
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\14\ For example, the bank's ability to comply with its dispute
and error resolution obligations or undertake its risk monitoring
capabilities could be impaired.
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Rapid Growth
A bank may experience rapid growth as a result of engaging in a
bank-fintech arrangement (e.g., growth in deposits or transaction
volume), especially in the case of a community bank. Various risks can
emerge from rapid growth and the bank's changing risk profile,
including risks that may threaten the bank's safety and soundness or
its ability to comply with applicable laws and regulations.\15\ These
risks may arise from challenges such as appropriately scaling risk and
compliance management systems, operational complexities, significant
deposit growth, and insufficient capital to support the rapid growth,
among other things.
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\15\ See OCC Bulletin 2017-43, New, Modified, or Expanded Bank
Products and Services: Risk Management Principles (Oct. 20, 2017)
for a general discussion of these risks.
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For example, a bank's existing risk and compliance management
systems, as well as management's and employees' expertise and roles and
responsibilities, may neither be commensurate with the risk profile of
the new business model nor be sufficiently scalable without significant
investments in resources and training. Failure to scale compliance and
risk management functions and resources with the growth resulting from
the bank-fintech arrangement may increase the likelihood of the bank
violating applicable laws and regulations, including those related to
AML/CFT or sanctions, consumer protection, and fair lending.
Bank-fintech arrangements may also pose operational complexities,
which may lead to increased risk. For example, potentially significant
increases in the volume of payment processing may give rise to
increased transaction monitoring alerts. In addition, depending on the
integration of the bank's information technology systems with those of
the fintech company, security vulnerabilities and other sources of
operational disruption may arise, increasing the likelihood of data
breaches, privacy incidents, service interruptions, and fraud.\16\ In
some cases, banks do not have or are unable to develop the
infrastructure to adequately address these complexities, and instead
rely on manual workarounds, which could lead to operational breakdowns
that may implicate various other risks, including compliance and legal
risks. These risks may be heightened where the bank-fintech arrangement
involves an additional entity (e.g., an intermediate platform
provider).\17\
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\16\ Integration could also introduce security vulnerabilities,
including by providing another access point into the bank's systems.
Integration may amplify operational risks, such as fraud,
cybersecurity, and data privacy incidents occurring at the fintech
company that then affect the bank.
\17\ The growing prevalence of nested relationships may
materially alter the traditional third-party risks present,
complicating the bank's ability to provide effective oversight to
the arrangement. This is especially so if the additional entity may
be contractually allowed to add operating partners or subcontractors
without the bank's prior consent. See ``Interagency Guidance on
Third-Party Relationships,'' supra note 9, for more.
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Rapid deposit growth related to a bank-fintech arrangement can also
pose risks related to funds management. For example, a bank may need to
invest an influx of short-term deposits that greatly exceed amounts the
bank has traditionally managed. To the extent that deposits are used to
fund growth in longer-term or higher-risk fixed-rate assets, including
loans and securities, the bank may be exposed to greater liquidity,
interest rate, or credit risk, especially when such investments are
concentrated, or the risks are otherwise correlated. The bank may also
experience increased liquidity stress should it need to meet material
short-term withdrawal requests. Rapid deposit or asset growth also
implicates various other risks, including those relating to maintaining
sufficient capital to support expansion of the bank's business.\18\
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\18\ Additionally, to the extent that a fintech company meets
the definition of a deposit broker under 12 CFR 337.6, any related
deposits would be brokered deposits subject to applicable
restrictions if the bank becomes less than well capitalized under
the prompt corrective action provisions of the agencies' capital
rules.
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Concentration and Liquidity Management
Bank-fintech arrangements may also result in the bank's business
becoming highly concentrated in the arrangement. This concentration
risk may amplify other risks to the bank, including from any market
stresses or if deposits are used to fund longer-term assets. For
example, in a rising interest rate environment, a bank-fintech
arrangement involving loan products may see a reduction in
originations. This reduction may pose particular risk to a bank whose
business has become heavily concentrated in that arrangement and that,
as a result, relies on those originations for a material portion of its
earnings. Such an environment may increase the bank's exposure to
credit risk from the arrangement (e.g., the credit risk of the fintech
company or of loans originated under the arrangement, whether still on
the bank's balance sheet or for which the bank retains any contractual
interest, even if repurchased by the fintech company). Such an
environment may also lead to an increase in the credit risk of a bank's
overall retail loan portfolio.\19\
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\19\ These risks may be heightened where the arrangement results
in the bank's risk profile becoming more correlated to or
concentrated in a particular market segment or asset type, either
directly through its exposure to certain products, or indirectly
through its exposure to the fintech company.
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Bank-fintech arrangements may also pose liquidity risks if the bank
fails to establish adequate liquidity contingency plans and exit
strategies, particularly when arrangements represent a funding
concentration. An arrangement may be terminated or reduced in amount
for any number of reasons, including those over which the bank has
little control, and which may result in significant stress on a bank.
For example, if the fintech partner or an intermediate platform
provider in a deposit-taking bank-fintech arrangement faces a stress
event or terminates the contractual arrangement, that could lead to a
large withdrawal of end-user-related deposits, resulting in liquidity
stress and losses for the bank. Failure to establish adequate liquidity
contingency plans and exit strategies could also increase operational
and strategic risks for the bank.
[[Page 61583]]
Use and Ownership of Data and Customer Information
Bank-fintech arrangements often rely on new, innovative, and
potentially untested uses of data to expand or enhance access to
financial services, which may in turn lead to risks related to
compliance with laws and regulations, operational challenges, and the
ownership, use, and nature of that data. For instance, a bank-fintech
arrangement may be premised on underwriting credit using alternative
data. Introducing alternative data into a bank's existing systems may
pose risks. These include, for example, risks related to the bank's
ability to address concerns associated with alternative data and its
use (including as to accuracy and biases) and to incorporate
alternative data types and formats into its information technology
systems, credit risk modeling capabilities, and compliance management
systems.\20\
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\20\ For example, alternative datasets that impact credit
decisions could potentially create or heighten consumer protection
risks, such as unlawful discrimination in lending.
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Data ownership and use questions may also create risks for the
bank. For instance, the fintech company may attempt to limit the bank's
access to data generated as part of the arrangement if the fintech
company views the data as its proprietary information. Other issues
related to data ownership and use may arise where banks are required by
law to limit the fintech company's access to and use of certain data.
For example, banks are restricted in the sharing, use, and disposal of
end user nonpublic information, and end users may have opt-out rights,
which could pose operational difficulties and compliance risks.\21\
Therefore, the bank may require information on the bank-fintech
arrangement's end users to meet its own compliance obligations,
including, but not limited to, those related to recordkeeping, AML/CFT
or sanctions, fair lending, or state escheatment statutes or
regulations. This requirement for information may arise even where the
bank lacks a direct relationship with end users or where they are not
named account holders with the bank.\22\ As discussed in more detail
above, these risks may be heightened where aspects of the end-user
relationship or compliance-related activities are contractually
allocated among multiple entities (e.g., intermediate platform
providers).
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\21\ See Title V, subtitle A of the Gramm-Leach Bliley Act,
Public Law 106-102, 113 Stat. 1338, codified in relevant part at 15
U.S.C. 6801 et seq., implemented at OCC (12 CFR part 30 Appendix B,
including Supplement A), Board (12 CFR part 208 Appendix D-2,
including Supplement A), FDIC (12 CFR part 364 (Appendix B,
including Supplement A), and 12 CFR part 1016 (Regulation P).
\22\ See, e.g., suspicious activity reporting and BSA/AML
program requirements for the OCC (12 CFR 21.11 and 21.21), Board (12
CFR 208.62 and 208.63), and FDIC (12 CFR 326.8 and part 353). See
also supra note 10 and accompanying text.
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Request for Comment
In this RFI, the agencies are inviting interested members of the
public to comment on the descriptions of bank-fintech arrangements and
risks summarized in the document. The agencies are also seeking comment
on effective practices for managing these risks. Where questions ask
for the ``range of practices,'' respondents are encouraged to describe
the practices' advantages and disadvantages.
Bank-Fintech Arrangement Descriptions
1. Do the descriptions and categorizations in this RFI adequately
describe the types of bank-fintech arrangements in the industry and the
companies involved? If not, why? Are the descriptions or
categorizations overly broad or narrow, or are there any types of
companies or categories of arrangements missing from the descriptions?
2. Are there any benefits of bank-fintech arrangements that are not
addressed by this RFI? What benefits do the bank or the fintech company
receive by using an intermediate platform provider?
3. Describe the range of practices regarding banks' use of data
\23\ to monitor risk, ensure compliance with regulatory
responsibilities and obligations, or otherwise manage bank-fintech
arrangements. What data and information do banks typically receive in
bank-fintech arrangements, including in those involving intermediate
platform providers? To what extent is this information different from
the information banks would receive when interacting with end users
independent of fintech companies? What challenges have banks
experienced in bank-fintech arrangements--including those involving
intermediate platform providers--related to the timely access to
customer information, and what steps have the parties to bank-fintech
arrangements taken to assess potential compliance issues associated
with such challenges?
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\23\ For example, key performance indicators, product-level
data, service levels, end-user information, key risk indicators,
consumer complaints, fraud monitoring metrics, or KYC/CIP
information.
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4. How do the parties to bank-fintech arrangements determine the
end user's status as a customer of the bank, the fintech company, or
both, including for purposes of compliance with applicable laws and
regulations, and each party's responsibility in complying with
contractual requirements? What disputes or uncertainties regarding the
status of end users have the parties experienced, and how have they
sought to resolve them? How does the type of arrangement impact such
determinations?
5. Describe the range of practices regarding the use of a core bank
service provider or other third-party providers in bank-fintech
arrangements. How do these providers help or hinder bank-fintech
arrangements?
6. Describe the range of practices in cases where bank-fintech
arrangements involve affiliates of the bank, including fintechs. What
are the benefits and risks of these arrangements?
7. Bank-fintech arrangements can involve significant up-front and
ongoing costs and resources for the bank involved and may take some
time to recoup these costs and resources. What type of up-front and
ongoing costs and resources are associated with establishing bank-
fintech arrangements? Describe the range of practices regarding how a
bank factors such upfront costs and resources into its overall strategy
and risk management strategy. Describe the range of practices regarding
how revenues and costs resulting from these arrangements are allocated
between the bank and fintech company.
Risk and Risk Management
1. Describe the range of practices for maintaining safety and
soundness, and compliance with applicable laws and regulations arising
from bank-fintech arrangements. How do the practices differ as between
different categories of arrangements? Does the RFI adequately identify
and describe the potential risks of bank-fintech arrangements?
2. Bank-fintech arrangements can present unique or heightened
consumer protection risks, such as risks of discrimination, unfair or
deceptive acts or practices under the Federal Trade Commission Act, or
privacy concerns. Describe the range of practices for managing any
heightened risks.
3. Describe the range of practices parties to a bank-fintech
arrangement may use in contractually allocating functions among
themselves, including the advantages and disadvantages of each such
practice. For example, while the parties to such arrangements remain
responsible for their own compliance with applicable laws and
regulations, as a matter of contractual allocation, who performs which
activities related to risk and compliance management, customer
identification and due diligence,
[[Page 61584]]
transaction monitoring, sanctions screening, fraud monitoring, end-user
complaint management, dispute resolution, data protection, or credit
underwriting, if applicable? Who develops and oversees marketing
materials, develops and provides disclosures and account statements,
addresses errors, receives and resolves disputes, and responds to
complaints? How are contractual breaches and indemnifications typically
addressed in these types of arrangements? Describe the range of
practices for monitoring compliance with applicable laws and
regulations, notwithstanding contractual allocations.
4. How are risks resulting from these arrangements, including those
concerning credit, liquidity, concentration, compliance, and
operational risk, as well as concerns regarding negative end-user
experience managed? What techniques or strategies are most effective in
managing the impact of rapid growth, particularly related to deposit-
taking and payment-related arrangements?
5. Describe the range of risk management strategies banks and
fintech companies use to ensure that required disclosures in bank-
fintech arrangements, including those relating to rates and fees
associated with end-user banking products and services, are accurately
and plainly communicated, and comply with all relevant state and
Federal laws and regulations.
6. Describe the range of practices regarding disclosures (e.g.,
initial, annual, or ongoing) to end users about the involvement of
bank-fintech arrangements in the delivery of banking products and
service.
7. Describe the range of practices regarding the use of an
intermediate platform provider. Describe how the use of an intermediate
platform provider may amplify or mitigate risk, and to what extent, if
any, intermediate platform providers influence how banks handle
operational, compliance, or other issues when dealing with fintech
companies within the intermediate platform provider's network.
8. Describe the range of practices regarding how banks manage the
risks of connecting to multiple technology platforms and exchanging
data in bank-fintech arrangements.
9. Describe the range of practices regarding planning for when a
fintech company or intermediate platform provider exits an arrangement,
faces a stress event, or experiences a significant operational
disruption, such as a cyber-attack. Describe the range of practices
regarding how arrangements are structured to minimize harm to end
users, meet compliance requirements, and minimize liquidity risks and
other risks in the event of such exits, stresses, or disruptions.
10. Describe the range of practices, and challenges, in negotiating
contracts with, or conducting due diligence on fintech companies.
Describe the range of practices in maintaining ongoing monitoring of
bank-fintech arrangements, particularly related to risk management,
regulatory compliance, data ownership and use, and information security
assessment rights. What impact, if any, does the size and negotiating
power of the bank or the fintech company have on these issues? What
impact, if any, does the fintech company's or intermediary platform
provider's degree of control of operational functions have on these
issues? What impact, if any, does bank liquidity or revenues
concentration represented by any particular fintech company,
intermediary platform provider, or business line have on these issues?
11. Bank-fintech arrangements may involve processing payments
transactions unrelated to any specific deposit-taking or credit
offering in significant volumes. Describe the range of practices that
banks adopt to manage potential risks associated with processing large
volumes of otherwise unaffiliated payments transactions. Do banks view
bank-fintech arrangements involving such processing differently from
other payments-related products and services offered to end users?
12. How do banks ensure bank-fintech arrangements can be suspended
or terminated based upon safety and soundness, compliance, or consumer
protection concerns? What fees or other costs are typically involved in
exiting these arrangements?
13. Are there other techniques or strategies that banks use to
manage the various risks bank-fintech arrangements may present? Which
of these techniques or strategies are most effective in managing such
risks?
14. In the context of bank-fintech arrangements, how are deposit
accounts usually titled? Describe the range of practices reconciling
bank deposit account records with the fintechs' records. Generally,
what party holds and maintains the account records? Describe the
structure in place to exchange accurate customer information between
the bank and the fintech company and how the agreements between banks
and fintech companies generally address these matters. Describe any
additional controls, that banks or fintechs may use to provide for
accurate reconciliations.
15. Describe the range of practices regarding the maintenance of
systems of records and account titling in the context of bank-fintech
arrangements. Do certain account structures pose greater risk
considerations to banks and end users than others? What additional
controls, if any, do banks or fintechs place on these accounts to
manage these risks?
16. To what extent would additional clarifications or further
guidance be helpful to banks with respect to bank-fintech arrangements?
If so, please explain. In what specific areas would additional
clarification or further guidance be most helpful?
Trends and Financial Stability
1. What data would be helpful for the agencies in monitoring
developments regarding bank-fintech arrangements? For example, this
might include data to assist in monitoring developments and trends in
bank-fintech arrangement structures and use cases, concentrations, and
the number and types of bank-fintech arrangements in the financial
services industry.
2. In what ways do or can bank-fintech arrangements support
increased access to financial products and services? Alternatively, in
what ways do or can these arrangements disadvantage end users?
3. In what ways might bank-fintech arrangements function as
transmission mechanisms to amplify financial shocks (i.e., threaten
financial stability)? Conversely, how could these arrangements help to
contain shocks and reduce contagion?
4. What factors are important in determining whether bank-fintech
arrangements support or hinder responsible innovation and a competitive
and compliant financial services landscape?
Michael J. Hsu,
Acting Comptroller of the Currency.
By order of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve
System.
Ann E. Misback,
Secretary of the Board.
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.
Dated at Washington, DC, on July 23, 2024.
James P. Sheesley,
Assistant Executive Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2024-16838 Filed 7-30-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4810-33-P; 6210-01-P; 6714-01-P