Stress tests still unpopular with fund industry

Industry trade group, as well as some mutual fund giants, push back against Financial Stability Board's proposal for stress tests.
OCT 03, 2016
The fund industry is pushing back against the Financial Stability Board's proposal for stress tests on mutual funds. The Basel, Switzerland-based FSB proposed stress tests for mutual funds, similar to those for banks , in June to regulators in the G20 nations. The FSB's proposals would be designed to show how funds would react to large waves of redemptions, such as might happen in bond funds during an interest rate spike. The FSB also proposed redemption fees to limit redemptions and offset the damage done if funds had to sell at fire-sale prices to meet investor demands for their cash. FSB argues that waves of redemptions could pose risks to the entire financial system, not just mutual fund customers. In short, it's saying that fund redemptions would be a systemic risk, much like the failure of a major bank. Not surprisingly, the fund industry has pushed back. “We continue to believe that the FSB's process should be driven by historical experience and empirical data, rather than by hypothesis and conjecture,” said Paul Schott Stevens, the chief executive of the Investment Company Institute, the funds' trade group. “In particular, we emphasize again that there is no empirical basis for the FSB to pursue the designation of regulated funds or their managers as global systemically important financial institutions.” Similarly, Vanguard was generally lukewarm about the proposal. “Vanguard does not agree with the FSB's claims that the asset management industry has structural vulnerabilities that could present systemic risk,” said Vanguard spokesman David Hoffman. “Vanguard contends that the existing regulatory regimes effectively mitigate risks posed by funds, although we fully support the FSB's recommendations that seek to improve transparency to both regulators, and investors, in order to advance oversight of the industry.” Both Vanguard and BlackRock, however, did not reject the proposals out of hand. “We commend the FSB for shifting focus to activities based on empirical assessment of risk within the asset management industry,” Mr. Hoffman said. “We believe systemic risk designations based on fund or firm size would harm capital markets and retail investors, whereas a sharper focus on investment-related activities can help foster more constructive outcomes. We also support the general principle of fund-level stress-testing, as long as firms have discretion over implementation and it's not overly prescriptive.” BlackRock backed stress-testing of individual funds, but also rejected a system-wide test, arguing that asset managers represented only about a third of the market for securities, with pensions, hedge funds and other investors representing the bulk. “Genuine efforts to address risks to the entire financial system must at a minimum address the majority of participants within the system,” BlackRock said in a Sept. 21 letter to the FSB. “Limiting recommendations to only activities and services performed by asset managers, as opposed to all such activities taking place across the system, will shift risk around but will not mitigate risk.” Fidelity, for now, is saying little. “We understand that any proposals remain a work in progress,” said Fidelity spokesman Charles Keller. “So, it would be premature for us to comment at this time.”

Latest News

JPMorgan tells fintech firms to start paying for customer data
JPMorgan tells fintech firms to start paying for customer data

The move to charge data aggregators fees totaling hundreds of millions of dollars threatens to upend business models across the industry.

FINRA snapshot shows concentration in largest firms, coastal states
FINRA snapshot shows concentration in largest firms, coastal states

The latest snapshot report reveals large firms overwhelmingly account for branches and registrants as trend of net exits from FINRA continues.

Why advisors to divorcing couples shouldn't bet on who'll stay
Why advisors to divorcing couples shouldn't bet on who'll stay

Siding with the primary contact in a marriage might make sense at first, but having both parties' interests at heart could open a better way forward.

SEC spanks closed Osaic RIA for conflicts, over-charging clients on alternatives
SEC spanks closed Osaic RIA for conflicts, over-charging clients on alternatives

With more than $13 billion in assets, American Portfolios Advisors closed last October.

William Blair taps former Raymond James executive to lead investment management business
William Blair taps former Raymond James executive to lead investment management business

Robert D. Kendall brings decades of experience, including roles at DWS Americas and a former investment unit within Morgan Stanley, as he steps into a global leadership position.

SPONSORED How advisors can build for high-net-worth complexity

Orion's Tom Wilson on delivering coordinated, high-touch service in a world where returns alone no longer set you apart.

SPONSORED RILAs bring stability, growth during volatile markets

Barely a decade old, registered index-linked annuities have quickly surged in popularity, thanks to their unique blend of protection and growth potential—an appealing option for investors looking to chart a steadier course through today's choppy market waters, says Myles Lambert, Brighthouse Financial.