The ability of infectious diseases such as coronavirus and SARS to send shock waves through the global economy has become painfully apparent. Given China’s expanded role in the global economy, the impact of coronavirus is expected to be far-reaching.

Creating a more racially and ethnically diverse industry is critical, and doing so aligns perfectly to our organization’s mission by ensuring more people, especially those in underserved communities, are better supported through the economic cycle.

Despite a truncated legislative calendar, we expect Congressional Committees to build on their success from 2019 in passing bipartisan legislation. In our most recent blog, we outlined upcoming Congressional priorities.

Today, we published a white paper titled “Collateralized Loan Obligations: Balancing Crucial Lending with Financial Safety and Soundness,” which, in many ways, embodies the reasons behind why the Structured Finance Association exists.

In December 2019, the Financial Stability Oversight Council issued its “Final Interpretive Guidance” regarding its authority to increase the Federal Reserve’s supervision of non-bank financial players and subject them to prudential standards. SFA member Laurence E. Platt, partner at Mayer Brown LLP, has reviewed the updated guidance.

While election day is still months away, conventional wisdom at this point would indicate that Republicans are likely to hold the Senate and Democrats are likely to maintain control of the House. Of course, a change in Administration would turn about significant shifts in policy and bring an end to the current cross-industry deregulatory trend.

The Education Finance Council (EFC) is working with other student loan industry leaders on a legislative solution that would transition the subsidy — called the Special Allowance Payment — paid to lenders on student loans originated under the Federal Family Education Loan Program, or FFELP, away from Libor.

A legislative solution may be necessary to ensure a smooth transition away from the London Interbank offered rate, or Libor, Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin said during his testimony to the House Financial Services Committee on December 5.

As the 2021 Libor transition nears, the finance industry looks to its proposed replacement – SOFR – for answers. As the panelists at our recent Residential Mortgage Symposium made clear, 2020 will be a telling year for the proposed Libor-SOFR transition.

The FDIC and OCC recently provided a much-needed clarification to the valid-when-made doctrine. We are pleased they have appropriately recognized that bad actors need to be policed. Read more about the details of their proposed rulemaking.