The change — effective immediately — will reduce capital demands by about 2% overall, the Fed estimated, and will be open for a 45-day comment period.

Speculative-grade borrowers are different because they made a conscious choice to take on more debt in the hopes of generating bigger returns for equity holders. They did this even though they knew it would make them more vulnerable in an economic downturn.

Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said the central bank will maintain its muscular efforts to support the flow of credit in the U.S. economy as Americans hunker down from the coronavirus pandemic.

With economists fearing high unemployment stemming from the pandemic, the housing finance system is grappling with how it will recoup lost revenue from delinquencies, forbearance plans and other tremors.

The central bank's sweeping actions suggest a cash shortage gripping sectors directly hit by the pandemic. Banks were supposed to be protected by Dodd-Frank but are still vulnerable to a funding domino effect.

The Federal Reserve committed Monday to conducting more asset purchases of Treasury securities and mortgage-backed securities and announced $300 billion in new financing for credit facilities.

Accommodations for borrowers affected by the coronavirus pandemic, such as payment delays and fee waivers, are "positive and proactive actions that can manage or mitigate adverse impacts," the regulators said.

Mark Calabria said Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are currently equipped to handle elevated delinquencies, but they might need congressional or Federal Reserve help if fallout from the coronavirus persists.

The central bank said it was establishing the Commercial Paper Funding Facility to "support the flow of credit to households and businesses."

The actions include cutting the federal funds rate to between 0% and 0.25% and other steps to ease economic stress from the spread of the coronavirus.

Sen. Mark Warner led a group of Democratic senators in calling on bank, credit union and GSE regulators to give detailed instructions on helping consumer and commercial borrowers hurt by the COVID-19 outbreak.

The agencies recommend steps banks should take to proactively prevent disruption of operations, minimize contact between staff and customers, and plan for how affected employees reenter the workplace, among other things.

Compliance, risk management and staffing will likely come under added scrutiny as regulators lay out a framework for future fintech-bank mergers.

In announcing the central bank’s emergency rate cut, Chairman Jerome Powell warned that the Fed can only do so much.

The Federal Reserve has voted unanimously to cut the interest rate 50 basis points to 1.10% effective March 4, in the first emergency rate cut since 2008.

The Federal Reserve is monitoring the COVID-19 issue and its economic effects, according to a release from the central bank, attributed to Chairman Jerome Powell, released Friday.

Sens. Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania and Richard Shelby of Alabama had been among a handful of Republicans who had expressed uneasiness with Judy Shelton's views on monetary policy.

Three key Republicans on the Senate Banking Committee said Monday that they remain undecided on President Donald Trump's nomination of Judy Shelton to the Federal Reserve Board.

A proposed change could resurrect bond buckets, but loan industry observers also point to "covered fund" changes shielding loans from a potentially disruptive court decision.

Both Democrats and Republicans aired concerns about controversial statements made by Judy Shelton on monetary policy, deposit insurance and other issues, raising doubts about her confirmation.