[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 12, Volume 3, Parts 220 to 299]
[Revised as of January 1, 2001]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 12CFR225.2]

[Page 59-63]
 
                       TITLE 12--BANKS AND BANKING
 
                   CHAPTER II--FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM
 
PART 225--BANK HOLDING COMPANIES AND CHANGE IN BANK CONTROL (REGULATION Y)--Table of Contents
 
                      Subpart A--General Provisions
 
Sec. 225.2  Definitions.

    Except as modified in this regulation or unless the context 
otherwise requires, the terms used in this regulation have the same 
meaning as set forth in the relevant statutes.
    (a) Affiliate means any company that controls, is controlled by, or 
is under common control with, another company.
    (b)(1) Bank means:
    (i) An insured bank as defined in section 3(h) of the Federal 
Deposit Insurance Act (12 U.S.C. 1813(h)); or
    (ii) An institution organized under the laws of the United States 
which both:
    (A) Accepts demand deposits or deposits that the depositor may 
withdraw by check or similar means for payment to third parties or 
others; and
    (B) Is engaged in the business of making commercial loans.
    (2) Bank does not include those institutions qualifying under the 
exceptions listed in section 2(c)(2) of the BHC Act (12 U.S.C. 
1841(c)(2)).
    (c)(1) Bank holding company means any company (including a bank) 
that has direct or indirect control of a bank, other than control that 
results from the ownership or control of:
    (i) Voting securities held in good faith in a fiduciary capacity 
(other than as provided in paragraphs (e)(2)(ii) and (iii) of this 
section) without sole discretionary voting authority, or as otherwise 
exempted under section 2(a)(5)(A) of the BHC Act;

[[Page 60]]

    (ii) Voting securities acquired and held only for a reasonable 
period of time in connection with the underwriting of securities, as 
provided in section 2(a)(5)(B) of the BHC Act;
    (iii) Voting rights to voting securities acquired for the sole 
purpose and in the course of participating in a proxy solicitation, as 
provided in section 2(a)(5)(C) of the BHC Act;
    (iv) Voting securities acquired in satisfaction of debts previously 
contracted in good faith, as provided in section 2(a)(5)(D) of the BHC 
Act, if the securities are divested within two years of acquisition (or 
such later period as the Board may permit by order); or
    (v) Voting securities of certain institutions owned by a thrift 
institution or a trust company, as provided in sections 2(a)(5)(E) and 
(F) of the BHC Act.
    (2) Except for the purposes of Sec. 225.4(b) of this subpart and 
subpart E of this part, or as otherwise provided in this regulation, 
bank holding company includes a foreign banking organization. For the 
purposes of subpart B of this part, bank holding company includes a 
foreign banking organization only if it owns or controls a bank in the 
United States.
    (d)(1) Company includes any bank, corporation, general or limited 
partnership, association or similar organization, business trust, or any 
other trust unless by its terms it must terminate either within 25 
years, or within 21 years and 10 months after the death of individuals 
living on the effective date of the trust.
    (2) Company does not include any organization, the majority of the 
voting securities of which are owned by the United States or any state.
    (3) Testamentary trusts exempt. Unless the Board finds that the 
trust is being operated as a business trust or company, a trust is 
presumed not to be a company if the trust:
    (i) Terminates within 21 years and 10 months after the death of 
grantors or beneficiaries of the trust living on the effective date of 
the trust or within 25 years;
    (ii) Is a testamentary or inter vivos trust established by an 
individual or individuals for the benefit of natural persons (or trusts 
for the benefit of natural persons) who are related by blood, marriage 
or adoption;
    (iii) Contains only assets previously owned by the individual or 
individuals who established the trust;
    (iv) Is not a Massachusetts business trust; and
    (v) Does not issue shares, certificates, or any other evidence of 
ownership.
    (4) Qualified limited partnerships exempt. Company does not include 
a qualified limited partnership, as defined in section 2(o)(10) of the 
BHC Act.
    (e)(1) Control of a bank or other company means (except for the 
purposes of subpart E of this part):
    (i) Ownership, control, or power to vote 25 percent or more of the 
outstanding shares of any class of voting securities of the bank or 
other company, directly or indirectly or acting through one or more 
other persons;
    (ii) Control in any manner over the election of a majority of the 
directors, trustees, or general partners (or individuals exercising 
similar functions) of the bank or other company;
    (iii) The power to exercise, directly or indirectly, a controlling 
influence over the management or policies of the bank or other company, 
as determined by the Board after notice and opportunity for hearing in 
accordance with Sec. 225.31 of subpart D of this part; or
    (iv) Conditioning in any manner the transfer of 25 percent or more 
of the outstanding shares of any class of voting securities of a bank or 
other company upon the transfer of 25 percent or more of the outstanding 
shares of any class of voting securities of another bank or other 
company.
    (2) A bank or other company is deemed to control voting securities 
or assets owned, controlled, or held, directly or indirectly:
    (i) By any subsidiary of the bank or other company;
    (ii) In a fiduciary capacity (including by pension and profit-
sharing trusts) for the benefit of the shareholders, members, or 
employees (or individuals serving in similar capacities) of the bank or 
other company or any of its subsidiaries; or
    (iii) In a fiduciary capacity for the benefit of the bank or other 
company or any of its subsidiaries.

[[Page 61]]

    (f) Foreign banking organization and qualifying foreign banking 
organization have the same meanings as provided in Sec. 211.21(n) and 
Sec. 211.23 of the Board's Regulation K (12 CFR 211.21(n) and 211.23).
    (g) Insured depository institution includes an insured bank as 
defined in section 3(h) of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act (12 U.S.C. 
1813(h)) and a savings association.
    (h) Lead insured depository institution means the largest insured 
depository institution controlled by the bank holding company as of the 
quarter ending immediately prior to the proposed filing, based on a 
comparison of the average total risk-weighted assets controlled during 
the previous 12-month period by each insured depository institution 
subsidiary of the holding company.
    (i) Management official means any officer, director (including 
honorary or advisory directors), partner, or trustee of a bank or other 
company, or any employee of the bank or other company with policy-making 
functions.
    (j) Nonbank bank means any institution that:
    (1) Became a bank as a result of enactment of the Competitive 
Equality Amendments of 1987 (Pub. L. 100-86), on the date of enactment 
(August 10, 1987); and
    (2) Was not controlled by a bank holding company on the day before 
the enactment of the Competitive Equality Amendments of 1987 (August 9, 
1987).
    (k) Outstanding shares means any voting securities, but does not 
include securities owned by the United States or by a company wholly 
owned by the United States.
    (l) Person includes an individual, bank, corporation, partnership, 
trust, association, joint venture, pool, syndicate, sole proprietorship, 
unincorporated organization, or any other form of entity.
    (m) Savings association means:
    (1) Any federal savings association or federal savings bank;
    (2) Any building and loan association, savings and loan association, 
homestead association, or cooperative bank if such association or 
cooperative bank is a member of the Savings Association Insurance Fund; 
and
    (3) Any savings bank or cooperative that is deemed by the director 
of the Office of Thrift Supervision to be a savings association under 
section 10(l) of the Home Owners Loan Act.
    (n) Shareholder--(1) Controlling shareholder means a person that 
owns or controls, directly or indirectly, 25 percent or more of any 
class of voting securities of a bank or other company.
    (2) Principal shareholder means a person that owns or controls, 
directly or indirectly, 10 percent or more of any class of voting 
securities of a bank or other company, or any person that the Board 
determines has the power, directly or indirectly, to exercise a 
controlling influence over the management or policies of a bank or other 
company.
    (o) Subsidiary means a bank or other company that is controlled by 
another company, and refers to a direct or indirect subsidiary of a bank 
holding company. An indirect subsidiary is a bank or other company that 
is controlled by a subsidiary of the bank holding company.
    (p) United States means the United States and includes any state of 
the United States, the District of Columbia, any territory of the United 
States, Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, and the Virgin Islands.
    (q)(1) Voting securities means shares of common or preferred stock, 
general or limited partnership shares or interests, or similar interests 
if the shares or interest, by statute, charter, or in any manner, 
entitle the holder:
    (i) To vote for or to select directors, trustees, or partners (or 
persons exercising similar functions of the issuing company); or
    (ii) To vote on or to direct the conduct of the operations or other 
significant policies of the issuing company.
    (2) Nonvoting shares. Preferred shares, limited partnership shares 
or interests, or similar interests are not voting securities if:
    (i) Any voting rights associated with the shares or interest are 
limited solely to the type customarily provided by statute with regard 
to matters that would significantly and adversely affect the rights or 
preference of the security or other interest, such as the issuance of 
additional amounts or

[[Page 62]]

classes of senior securities, the modification of the terms of the 
security or interest, the dissolution of the issuing company, or the 
payment of dividends by the issuing company when preferred dividends are 
in arrears;
    (ii) The shares or interest represent an essentially passive 
investment or financing device and do not otherwise provide the holder 
with control over the issuing company; and
    (iii) The shares or interest do not entitle the holder, by statute, 
charter, or in any manner, to select or to vote for the selection of 
directors, trustees, or partners (or persons exercising similar 
functions) of the issuing company.
    (3) Class of voting shares. Shares of stock issued by a single 
issuer are deemed to be the same class of voting shares, regardless of 
differences in dividend rights or liquidation preference, if the shares 
are voted together as a single class on all matters for which the shares 
have voting rights other than matters described in paragraph (o)(2)(i) 
of this section that affect solely the rights or preferences of the 
shares.
    (r) Well-capitalized--(1) Bank holding company. In the case of a 
bank holding company,\2\ well-capitalized means that:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \2\ For purposes of this subpart and subparts B and C of this part, 
a bank holding company with consolidated assets under $150 million that 
is subject to the Small Bank Holding Company Policy Statement in 
Appendix C of this part will be deemed to be ``well-capitalized'' if the 
bank holding company meets the requirements for expedited/waived 
processing in Appendix C.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    (i) On a consolidated basis, the bank holding company maintains a 
total risk-based capital ratio of 10.0 percent or greater, as defined in 
Appendix A of this part;
    (ii) On a consolidated basis, the bank holding company maintains a 
Tier 1 risk-based capital ratio of 6.0 percent or greater, as defined in 
Appendix A of this part; and
    (iii) The bank holding company is not subject to any written 
agreement, order, capital directive, or prompt corrective action 
directive issued by the Board to meet and maintain a specific capital 
level for any capital measure.
    (2) Insured and uninsured depository institutions--(i) Insured 
depository institution. In the case of an insured depository 
institution, ``well capitalized'' means that the institution has and 
maintains at least the capital levels required to be well capitalized 
under the capital adequacy regulations or guidelines applicable to the 
institution that have been adopted by the appropriate Federal banking 
agency for the institution under section 38 of the Federal Deposit 
Insurance Act (12 U.S.C. 1831o).
    (ii) Uninsured depository institution. In the case of a depository 
institution the deposits of which are not insured by the Federal Deposit 
Insurance Corporation, ``well capitalized'' means that the institution 
has and maintains at least the capital levels required for an insured 
depository institution to be well capitalized.
    (3) Foreign banks--(i) Standards applied. For purposes of 
determining whether a foreign banking organization qualifies under 
paragraph (r)(1) of this section:
    (A) A foreign banking organization whose home country supervisor, as 
defined in Sec. 211.21 of the Board's Regulation K (12 CFR 211.21), has 
adopted capital standards consistent in all respects with the Capital 
Accord of the Basle Committee on Banking Supervision (Basle Accord) may 
calculate its capital ratios under the home country standard; and
    (B) A foreign banking organization whose home country supervisor has 
not adopted capital standards consistent in all respects with the Basle 
Accord shall obtain a determination from the Board that its capital is 
equivalent to the capital that would be required of a U.S. banking 
organization under paragraph (r)(1) of this section.
    (ii) Branches and agencies. For purposes of determining, under 
paragraph (r)(1) of this section, whether a branch or agency of a 
foreign banking organization is well-capitalized, the branch or agency 
shall be deemed to have the same capital ratios as the foreign banking 
organization.
    (s) Well managed--(1) In general. Except as otherwise provided in 
this part, a company or depository institution is well managed if:
    (i) At its most recent inspection or examination or subsequent 
review by

[[Page 63]]

the appropriate Federal banking agency for the company or institution, 
the company or institution received:
    (A) At least a satisfactory composite rating; and
    (B) At least a satisfactory rating for management and for 
compliance, if such a rating is given; or
    (ii) In the case of a company or depository institution that has not 
received an examination rating, the Board has determined, after a review 
of managerial and other resources of the company or depository 
institution and after consulting the appropriate Federal banking agency 
for the institution, that the company or institution is well managed.
    (2) Merged institutions. A depository institution that results from 
the merger of two or more depository institutions that are well managed 
shall be considered to be well managed unless the Board determines 
otherwise after consulting with the appropriate Federal banking agency 
for each depository institution involved in the merger.
    (3) Foreign banking organizations. Except as otherwise provided in 
this part, a foreign banking organization shall qualify under this 
paragraph(s) if the combined operations of the foreign banking 
organization in the United States have received at least a satisfactory 
composite rating at the most recent annual assessment.

[Reg. Y, 62 FR 9319, Feb. 28, 1997, as amended at 65 FR 3791, Jan. 25, 
2000; 65 FR 15055, Mar. 21, 2000]