In relation to the report published by the European Banking Authority (EBA) in August Finansinspektionen would like to make the following clarification on the impact for Swedish banks of the revised Basel standards. According to Finansinspektionen’s calculation, the increase in tier 1 minimum required capital would be about 30 per cent instead of 53 per cent as shown in the report from the EBA (keeping the assumptions and methodology set by EBA, but taking into account the current Swedish mortgage floor for the current risk-weighted assets).
FI is opening a sanction case in the investigation into Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB’s (SEB) governance and control of measures to combat money laundering in the bank’s subsidiaries in the Baltic countries.
From Monday, 2 December, to Tuesday, 10 December, all of FI’s reporting systems will experience service disruptions or closures due to planned maintenance and updates. The extent to which individual systems will be affected will vary.
Finansinspektionen publishes the capital requirements of the largest Swedish banks and credit institutions that belong to supervisory categories 1 and 2 as of the end of Q3 2019.
FI is opening a sanction case in the investigation into Swedbank AB’s governance and control of measures to combat money laundering in the bank’s subsidiaries in the Baltic countries.
Finansinspektionen (FI) decided on 24 October not to change the countercyclical buffer rate. The buffer rate of 2.5 per cent, which has applied since 19 September 2019, shall thus continue to apply. The countercyclical buffer guide is set at 0.16 per cent.
The European Systemic Risk Board (ESRB) has issued warnings to five EEA countries and recommendations to six EU countries for medium-term vulnerabilities in their respective residential real estate sectors. Sweden is one of the countries that receives a recommendation. The recommendation suggests appropriate actions to address the identified vulnerabilities. In 2016, the ESRB issued a warning to Sweden regarding risks in the residential real estate sector.
FI’s Deputy Director General and Executive Director of Banking, Martin Noréus, has resigned from his position at FI to become Chief Compliance Officer at Handelsbanken.
Finansinspektionen (FI) has decided that Reinhold Europe AB must pay an administrative fine of SEK 750,000.
Finansinspektionen (FI) has decided that StrateVic Finance Group AB must pay an administrative fine of SEK 1,500,000.
New rules enter into force in the EU on 14 September 2019 on contingency mechanisms for a dedicated interface. Finansinspektionen would therefore like to provide the following information for firms under supervision.
FI is publishing a Q&A on new rules that will go into effect on 14 September.
Due to the announcement that Folksam’s CEO Jens Henriksson has been named President and CEO of Swedbank, FI has received questions about whether this gives rise to a conflict of interest since FI’s Director General Erik Thedéen was previously Managing Director of KPA, which Folksam owns together with SKL.
During the month of July, FI sent notification letters to SEB and Swedbank as part of the investigations into the banks’ management and control of money laundering risks in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.
Finansinspektionen publishes the capital requirements of the largest Swedish banks and credit institutions that belong to supervisory categories 1 and 2 as of the end of Q2 2019.
Eric Leijonram named Chief Legal Counsel at Finansinspektionen.
FI’s Director General Erik Thedéen was reappointed to the Management Board of the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) for a further 2½ year term.
Finansinspektionen (FI) decided on 5 July not to change the countercyclical buffer rate. The buffer rate of 2.5 per cent, which will be applied as of 19 September 2019, shall thus continue to apply. The countercyclical buffer guide is set at 0.04 per cent.
Finansinspektionen (FI) has decided that Hoylu AB (Hoylu) must pay an administrative fine of SEK 2.1 million due to deficiencies in following the EU Market Abuse Regulation (MAR). Hoylu, a company in the field of communication, is an issuer listed on Nasdaq First North.
Finansinspektionen (FI) considers the firms in the Swedish financial system to have sufficient resilience for withstanding a weaker economy. However, commercial real estate firms are vulnerable to shocks. FI therefore makes the assessment that the banks need more capital for these exposures. This is one of the conclusions in FI’s first stability report for the year, which is being presented today.
Finansinspektionen publishes the capital requirements of the largest Swedish banks and credit institutions that belong to supervisory categories 1 and 2 as of the end of Q1 2019.
Heads of the Nordic and Baltic financial supervisors met today in Stockholm. They agreed on measures to enhance the cooperation between the authorities with the aim of fighting money laundering and terrorist financing.
Finansinspektionen (FI) decided on 6 May not to change the countercyclical buffer rate. The buffer rate of 2.5 per cent, which will be applied as of 19 September 2019, shall thus continue to apply. The countercyclical buffer guide is set at 0.15 per cent.
FI sends verification letters at an early stage of its investigation process, and the aim of this letter is to verify the facts of the case. Verification letters may at times also include preliminary assessments, but these assessments assume that the information FI received is correct and has been understood correctly.
On Wednesday, 29 April 2019, the test environment of TRS2 will be closed and not available due to an upgrade to a new version of the system. Finansinspektionen will announce when the system is available again.
Over the past few weeks, the media has reported on potentially major problems related to money laundering primarily in Swedbank’s Estonian operations. These reports have caused the bank’s share price to fall and had a negative impact on the bank’s reputation.
New mortgagors are amortising, borrowing less and buying less expensive homes, but many still have high debt. These are FI’s conclusions in this year’s mortgage report. FI is also publishing an FI Analysis that shows the stricter amortisation requirement has reduced the percentage of borrowers with high debt in relation to their income.
FI has received a copy of Swedbank’s external review that was initiated by reports in the media of suspected money laundering in the Baltics.
FI confirms that it received a report from Swedbank on 1 March regarding suspected money laundering.
In this memorandum, Finansinspektionen (FI) develops its view on several specific areas of the EU regulatory framework for liquidity regulation.
SVT’s investigative journalism program Uppdrag Granskning has reported on certain transactions that occurred through Swedbank’s operations in the Baltics.
Finansinspektionen publishes the capital requirements of the largest Swedish banks and credit institutions that belong to the supervisory categories 1 and 2 as of the end of the fourth quarter 2018.
Due to the reports in the media regarding suspected money laundering in Swedbank’s Estonian operations, FI is issuing the following comments.
Eesti Finantsinspektioon (the Estonian FSA) and Finansinspektionen (the Swedish FSA) consider the reports regarding suspected money laundering that yesterday were made public yesterday on Swedish television (SVT) to be very serious. It is extremely important that the banks’ senior management and boards of directors view these matters seriously and take all necessary actions to ensure compliance with laws and regulations.
FI considers the disclosures regarding suspected money laundering presented by SVT’s program Uppdrag Granskning to be very serious. FI’s Director General Erik Thedéen has made the assessment in several interviews in conjunction with the events in Danske Bank that the possibility of Swedish banks being involved in money laundering cannot be ruled out entirely, but that the scope is most likely more narrow than what has been identified in Danske Bank.
We consider the recent disclosures regarding money laundering and other regulatory infringements in Swedish banks to be very serious. It is extremely important for the banks' management teams and boards of directors to take these matters seriously and ensure that the banks are following the laws and regulations.
FI is issuing Avanza Pension a warning for insufficient management of technical provisions and reporting. Avanza Pension must also pay an administrative fine of SEK 35 million.
On Wednesday, 20 February, the TRS 2 system will not be available at the beginning of the day due to a service window. The system is planned to reopen after 4 p.m.
The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) has announced that the transition to the new XML Schema and updated validation rules will not occur on Monday, 18 February 2019, as earlier planned. It will now be postponed until Q3 2019.
FI would like to clarify which decisions FI has made, which decisions were appealed and which rulings the courts announced with regard to a number of investigations into money laundering at Swedish banks.
The Nordic and Baltic financial stability authorities have conducted a joint financial crisis management exercise. The exercise was held from 22 to 23 January 2019 and involved 31 authorities from Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway and Sweden as well as relevant European Union authorities. A staff member of the International Monetary Fund observed the simulation.
Finansinspektionen (FI) decided on 30 January not to change the countercyclical buffer rate. The buffer rate of 2.5 per cent, which will be applied as of 19 September 2019, shall thus continue to apply. The countercyclical buffer guide is set at 0.29 per cent.
The newspaper Svenska Dagbladet previously appealed FI’s decisions regarding drafts of assessments in investigation matters. The Administrative Court of Appeal of Stockholm announced its ruling in the case today. The Administrative Court of Appeal upholds FI’s decision and thus rejects Svenska Dagbladet’s appeal.
Finansinspektionen (FI) is encouraging institutions that apply the IRB approach to analyse their rating systems to ensure that these systems meet forthcoming new requirements. Under the new requirements, Swedish institutions will need to change their rating methods. Such changes require FI’s approval.
FI is continuing to analyse the event that occurred in September 2018 when a member on the commodity market was declared in default. We describe here several of the issues that FI is currently analysing. We are also publishing a discussion paper that FI wrote to contribute to an ongoing international discussion on auctions as a method to manage a default in a central counterparty.
“The assertion that Finansinspektionen (FI) supposedly manipulated public documents related to money laundering investigations and that were requested by the newspaper Svenska Dagbladet is incorrect,” says FI’s Director General Erik Thedéen. An internal legal assessment that FI is publishing today shows that the documents and their release have been handled correctly. FI’s Board of Directors convened for an extraordinary meeting to receive information about this matter and how it will be handled.
At the moment, Friday, 7 December, the TRS 2 system is unable to create FD files (daily feedback).
Low interest rates have contributed to high risk-taking, rising asset prices and increasing debt. Higher interest rates in the next few years could reduce risk-taking and thus dampen the build-up of risk. However, unexpectedly large interest rate fluctuations and uncertain global developments could also test the financial sector’s resilience. These are some of the conclusions Finansinspektionen (FI) draws in this year’s second report on the stability in the financial system. The report will be presented at a press conference today.
On Monday, 26 November, TRS 2 was upgraded to a new system version.
Finansinspektionen publishes the capital requirements of the largest Swedish banks and credit institutions that belong to supervisory categories 1 and 2 as of the end of Q3 2018.
FI is extending the ongoing maintenance and upgrade of the production environment in the TRS2 system until further notice.
FI is publishing today three reports on sustainability. The reports show that the work with sustainability is progressing on several fronts and that the industry’s own initiatives, where relevant, are working. But there is still a lot of work left to be done. FI is also publishing a follow-up report for the Government on FI's work with sustainability-related matters in 2018.
The major Swedish banks are resilient and have the ability to withstand a sharp deterioration in the market, according to the stress test conducted by the European Banking Authority (EBA).
Finansinspektionen (FI) decided on 31 October not to change the countercyclical buffer rate. The buffer rate of 2.5 per cent, which will be applied as of 19 September 2019, shall thus continue to apply. The countercyclical buffer guide is set at 0.41 per cent.
The members of the international Network for Greening the Financial System (NGFS) acknowledge in their first report that climate-related risks are a source of financial risk. The Network therefore clarifies that it is within the mandates of central banks and supervisors to ensure the financial system is resilient to climate-related risks.
The International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) decided today to create a Sustainable Finance Network (SFN).
FI has decided to raise the buffer rate from 2.0 to 2.5 per cent. The reason for this change is that the systemic risks have increased.
Finansinspektionen has an ongoing dialogue with Nasdaq Clearing given that the company decided to declare a member in the firm’s commodity market in default. Finansinspektionen is also in contact with other affected authorities and organisations.
Nasdaq Clearing AB has decided to declare a clearing member in the firm’s commodity market in default. The member is active in the electricity derivatives markets through trading on the Norwegian Stock Exchange, Nasdaq Oslo ASA. These financial instruments are centrally cleared in Nasdaq Clearing AB, a firm under Finansinspektionen’s (FI’s) supervision.
Finansinspektionen publishes the capital requirements of the largest Swedish banks and credit institutions that belong to the supervisory categories 1 and 2 as of the end of the second quarter 2018.