Office of Thrift Supervision

International

Thrift Industry is Part of a Global Financial Marketplace

Worldwide financial conglomerates supervised by the OTS operate in more than 100 countries.

OTS-supervised holding companies held about $8.5 trillion in U.S. domiciled assets in fiscal year 2007. Because these enterprises conduct an extensive range of global business, OTS routinely engages in international policy discussions and supervisory coordination to ensure effective supervision with minimal regulatory overlap.

With the increasing globalization of financial services, OTS has intensified its cooperation with fellow regulators around the world to broaden its international perspective on the risk profiles and financial performance of its internationally active firms.  To enhance this cross-border coordination, OTS has entered into statements of cooperation with a number of foreign supervisors.

In its supervisory programs, OTS applies the principles of the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision (2006 Core Principles for Effective Banking Supervision and Home-Host Information Sharing For Effective Basel II Implementation) and the Joint Forum (1999 Supervision of Financial Conglomerates).  OTS also functions as an equivalent consolidated supervisor with the European Union for its firms operating in Europe.

As the home supervisor of internationally active conglomerates, the OTS employs a range of tools to coordinate with foreign supervisors, from conference calls to joint examinations to annual “supervisory college” meetings, where supervisors in banking, securities and insurance from around the world discuss supervisory issues and concerns.  As a host supervisor, OTS coordinates its efforts with the activities of foreign home supervisors regarding conglomerate supervision as well as implementation of the Basel II capital regime.

In the international policy arena, OTS is a member of the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision and a participant in the International Association of Insurance Supervisors.  OTS also contributes regularly to the work of the Joint Forum on Financial Conglomerates.

Basel II Accord - Information about the new risk-based capital adequacy framework.