[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 12, Volume 3]
[Revised as of January 1, 2003]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 12CFR221.3]

[Page 37-39]
 
                       TITLE 12--BANKS AND BANKING
 
                   CHAPTER II--FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM
 
PART 221--CREDIT BY BANKS AND PERSONS OTHER THAN BROKERS OR DEALERS FOR THE PURPOSE OF PURCHASING OR CARRYING MARGIN STOCK (REGULATION U)--Table of Contents
 
Sec. 221.3  General requirements.

    (a) Extending, maintaining, and arranging credit--(1) Extending 
credit. No lender, except a plan-lender, as defined in Sec. 221.4(a), 
shall extend any purpose credit, secured directly or indirectly by 
margin stock, in an amount that exceeds the maximum loan value of the 
collateral securing the credit.
    (2) Maintaining credit. A lender may continue to maintain any credit 
initially extended in compliance with this part, regardless of:
    (i) Reduction in the customer's equity resulting from change in 
market prices;
    (ii) Change in the maximum loan value prescribed by this part; or
    (iii) Change in the status of the security (from nonmargin to 
margin) securing an existing purpose credit.
    (3) Arranging credit. No lender may arrange for the extension or 
maintenance of any purpose credit, except upon the same terms and 
conditions under which the lender itself may extend or maintain purpose 
credit under this part.
    (b) Registration of nonbank lenders; termination of registration; 
annual report--(1) Registration. Every person other than a person 
subject to part 220 of this chapter or a bank who, in the ordinary 
course of business, extends or maintains credit secured, directly or 
indirectly, by any margin stock shall register on Federal Reserve Form 
FR G-1 (OMB control number 7100-0011) within 30 days after the end of 
any calendar quarter during which:
    (i) The amount of credit extended equals $200,000 or more; or
    (ii) The amount of credit outstanding at any time during that 
calendar quarter equals $500,000 or more.
    (2) Deregistration. A registered nonbank lender may apply to 
terminate its registration, by filing Federal Reserve Form FR G-2 (OMB 
control number 7100-0011), if the lender has not, during the preceding 
six calendar months, had more than $200,000 of such credit outstanding. 
Registration shall be deemed terminated when the application is approved 
by the Board.
    (3) Annual report. Every registered nonbank lender shall, within 30 
days following June 30 of every year, file Form FR G-4 (OMB control 
number 7100-0011).
    (4) Where to register and file applications and reports. 
Registration statements, applications to terminate registration, and 
annual reports shall be filed with the Federal Reserve Bank of the 
district in which the principal office of the lender is located.

[[Page 38]]

    (c) Purpose statement--(1) General rule--(i) Banks. Except for 
credit extended under paragraph (c)(2) of this section, whenever a bank 
extends credit secured directly or indirectly by any margin stock, in an 
amount exceeding $100,000, the bank shall require its customer to 
execute Form FR U-1 (OMB No. 7100-0115), which shall be signed and 
accepted by a duly authorized officer of the bank acting in good faith.
    (ii) Nonbank lenders. Except for credit extended under paragraph 
(c)(2) of this section or Sec. 221.4, whenever a nonbank lender extends 
credit secured directly or indirectly by any margin stock, the nonbank 
lender shall require its customer to execute Form FR G-3 (OMB control 
number 7100-0018), which shall be signed and accepted by a duly 
authorized representative of the nonbank lender acting in good faith.
    (2) Purpose statement for revolving-credit or multiple-draw 
agreements or financing of securities purchases on a payment-against-
delivery basis--(i) Banks. If a bank extends credit, secured directly or 
indirectly by any margin stock, in an amount exceeding $100,000, under a 
revolving-credit or other multiple-draw agreement, Form FR U-1 must be 
executed at the time the credit arrangement is originally established 
and must be amended as described in paragraph (c)(2)(iv) of this section 
for each disbursement if all of the collateral for the agreement is not 
pledged at the time the agreement is originally established.
    (ii) Nonbank lenders. If a nonbank lender extends credit, secured 
directly or indirectly by any margin stock, under a revolving-credit or 
other multiple-draw agreement, Form FR G-3 must be executed at the time 
the credit arrangement is originally established and must be amended as 
described in paragraph (c)(2)(iv) of this section for each disbursement 
if all of the collateral for the agreement is not pledged at the time 
the agreement is originally established.
    (iii) Collateral. If a purpose statement executed at the time the 
credit arrangement is initially made indicates that the purpose is to 
purchase or carry margin stock, the credit will be deemed in compliance 
with this part if:
    (A) The maximum loan value of the collateral at least equals the 
aggregate amount of funds actually disbursed; or
    (B) At the end of any day on which credit is extended under the 
agreement, the lender calls for additional collateral sufficient to 
bring the credit into compliance with Sec. 221.7 (the Supplement).
    (iv) Amendment of purpose statement. For any purpose credit 
disbursed under the agreement, the lender shall obtain and attach to the 
executed Form FR U-1 or FR G-3 a current list of collateral which 
adequately supports all credit extended under the agreement.
    (d) Single credit rule. (1) All purpose credit extended to a 
customer shall be treated as a single credit, and all the collateral 
securing such credit shall be considered in determining whether or not 
the credit complies with this part, except that syndicated loans need 
not be aggregated with other unrelated purpose credit extended by the 
same lender.
    (2) A lender that has extended purpose credit secured by margin 
stock may not subsequently extend unsecured purpose credit to the same 
customer unless the combined credit does not exceed the maximum loan 
value of the collateral securing the prior credit.
    (3) If a lender extended unsecured purpose credit to a customer 
prior to the extension of purpose credit secured by margin stock, the 
credits shall be combined and treated as a single credit solely for the 
purposes of the withdrawal and substitution provision of paragraph (f) 
of this section.
    (4) If a lender extends purpose credit secured by any margin stock 
and non-purpose credit to the same customer, the lender shall treat the 
credits as two separate loans and may not rely upon the required 
collateral securing the purpose credit for the nonpurpose credit.
    (e) Exempted borrowers. (1) An exempted borrower that has been in 
existence for less than one year may meet the definition of exempted 
borrower based on a six-month period.
    (2) Once a member of a national securities exchange or registered 
broker or dealer ceases to qualify as an exempted borrower, it shall 
notify its lenders of this fact. Any new extensions of credit

[[Page 39]]

to such a borrower, including rollovers, renewals, and additional draws 
on existing lines of credit, are subject to the provisions of this part.
    (f) Withdrawals and substitutions. (1) A lender may permit any 
withdrawal or substitution of cash or collateral by the customer if the 
withdrawal or substitution would not:
    (i) Cause the credit to exceed the maximum loan value of the 
collateral; or
    (ii) Increase the amount by which the credit exceeds the maximum 
loan value of the collateral.
    (2) For purposes of this section, the maximum loan value of the 
collateral on the day of the withdrawal or substitution shall be used.
    (g) Exchange offers. To enable a customer to participate in a 
reorganization, recapitalization or exchange offer that is made to 
holders of an issue of margin stock, a lender may permit substitution of 
the securities received. A nonmargin, nonexempted security acquired in 
exchange for a margin stock shall be treated as if it is margin stock 
for a period of 60 days following the exchange.
    (h) Renewals and extensions of maturity. A renewal or extension of 
maturity of a credit need not be considered a new extension of credit if 
the amount of the credit is increased only by the addition of interest, 
service charges, or taxes with respect to the credit.
    (i) Transfers of credit. (1) A transfer of a credit between 
customers or between lenders shall not be considered a new extension of 
credit if:
    (i) The original credit was extended by a lender in compliance with 
this part or by a lender subject to part 207 of this chapter in effect 
prior to April 1, 1998, (See part 207 appearing in the 12 CFR parts 200 
to 219 edition revised as of January 1, 1997), in a manner that would 
have complied with this part;
    (ii) The transfer is not made to evade this part;
    (iii) The amount of credit is not increased; and
    (iv) The collateral for the credit is not changed.
    (2) Any transfer between customers at the same lender shall be 
accompanied by a statement by the transferor customer describing the 
circumstances giving rise to the transfer and shall be accepted and 
signed by a representative of the lender acting in good faith. The 
lender shall keep such statement with its records of the transferee 
account.
    (3) When a transfer is made between lenders, the transferee shall 
obtain a copy of the Form FR U-1 or Form FR G-3 originally filed with 
the transferor and retain the copy with its records of the transferee 
account. If no form was originally filed with the transferor, the 
transferee may accept in good faith a statement from the transferor 
describing the purpose of the loan and the collateral securing it.
    (j) Action for lender's protection. Nothing in this part shall 
require a bank to waive or forego any lien or prevent a bank from taking 
any action it deems necessary in good faith for its protection.
    (k) Mistakes in good faith. A mistake in good faith in connection 
with the extension or maintenance of credit shall not be a violation of 
this part.