SOFR

The group that worked with the Fed to devise an alternative rate to Libor rejects criticism that the index favors megabanks.

Regulators on both sides of the Atlantic have spent the better part of three years trying to kill the London interbank offered rate. Now, they’re looking to it once again to underpin hundreds of billions of dollars in loans as they seek to rescue their economies.

The biggest issuers of bonds tied to the benchmark tapped to replace U.S. dollar Libor are suddenly pulling back, a potential blow to efforts by regulators to wean the financial system off a much-maligned reference rate.

The government-sponsored enterprises’ plan to cease accepting loans pegged to the London interbank offered rate a year ahead of its scheduled expiration is expected to hasten action in securitized markets.

Regulators' oversight of the industry's switch to a new interest rate benchmark is expected to intensify as a key deadline approaches.

Lenders have until the end of 2021 to phase out their use of the London interbank offered rate in setting interest rates, but ServisFirst Bancshares and its CEO Tom Broughton see little reason to wait when a replacement is already available.

Freddie Mac launched a groundbreaking multifamily structured pass-through deal that includes a class of floating rate bonds indexed to the Secured Overnight Financing Rate for the first time ever.

The agency’s semiannual report warned institutions to be mindful of operational risks from the innovation in core banking systems, and detailed supervisory steps to monitor the adoption of a new reference rate.

The Treasury secretary suggested a role for lawmakers in containing any fallout with financial contracts stemming from the transition to a new interest rate benchmark.

Concerns over banks’ level of preparation have led to worries about disruptions in the lending market, and some financial institutions warn that a new interest rate benchmark could cause lenders to pull back on credit.