The era of risk-free rates has begun and the era of interbank offered rates (and this blog) is ending.
The key LIBOR rates, other than USD LIBOR, are long retired. USD LIBOR continues to exist only as a synthetic rate to aid the transition of tough legacy contracts, and that too will end in a
On December 16, 2022, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System adopted final rule 12 C.F.R. Part 253, “Regulation Implementing the Adjustable Interest Rate (LIBOR) Act (Regulation ZZ)” (“Rule 253” or the “Final Rule”). Rule 253 identifies SOFR-based benchmark rates that will replace U.S. dollar LIBOR in certain financial contracts after June 30
As we await the Federal Reserve Board to finalize the LIBOR transition regulations set forth in its notice of proposed rulemaking – Regulation Implementing the Adjustable Interest Rate (LIBOR) Act,[1] we are grateful[2] that on 23 November 2022 the Financial Conduct Authority (“FCA”) published Consultation Paper CP22/21: Consultation on ‘synthetic’ US dollar LIBOR and feedback to CP22/11 (“CP22/21”), in which it (a) proposes to require continued publication, under an unrepresentative “synthetic” methodology, of 1-, 3-, and 6-month USD LIBOR until the end of September 2024 and (b) announced that 3-month synthetic GBP LIBOR will continue to be published until the end of March 2024, after which each will cease permanently. Comments are requested on or prior to 6 January 2023.Continue Reading Thankful for Increasing Clarity on LIBOR’s Final Fate
On 19 July 2022, the Federal Reserve Board (the “Board”) published a notice of proposed rulemaking – Regulation Implementing the Adjustable Interest Rate (LIBOR) Act, as it was required to do by Section 110[1] of the Adjustable Interest Rate (LIBOR) Act (the “LIBOR Act”),[2] which was signed into law on 15 March 2022.[3]
In its related press release, the Board notes, “Consistent with the [LIBOR Act], the proposal would replace references to LIBOR in certain contracts with the applicable Board-selected replacement rate after June 30, 2023. The contracts include those governed by [US] law that do not mature before LIBOR ends and that lack adequate fallback provisions. The proposal identifies separate Board-selected replacement rates for derivatives transactions, contracts where a government-sponsored enterprise is a party, and all other affected contracts. As required by the [LIBOR Act], each proposed replacement rate is based on the Secured Overnight Financing Rate.”Continue Reading Switching to SOFR: Proposed Rule Published to Implement the 2022 Federal LIBOR Act
Market participants have been warned not to kid themselves. The last remaining settings of the London InterBank Offered Rate—those relating to select US Dollar tenors—are scheduled to become unavailable following publication on 30 June 2023. After this final USD LIBOR publication, the sunsetting of “the world’s most important number” will be complete.Continue Reading No foolin’: USD LIBOR to sunset one year from today
With the inclusion of the Adjustable Interest Rate (LIBOR) Act (the “LIBOR Act”) as Division U of H.R. 2471, Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022 (the “Appropriations Act”) passed by the U.S. House of Representatives on 9 March 2022 and the Senate on 10 March 2022, the United States is on the cusp of a federal solution for legacy LIBOR-linked contracts that contain inadequate fallback provisions, or none at all. Indeed, the final version of the legislation provides additional legal certainty with respect to the use of non-SOFR benchmarks not included in the earlier version of the legislation passed by the U.S. House of Representatives.
Continue Reading Consolidated Appropriations Act Advances Federal LIBOR Transition Solution
On 30 December 2021, the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) published final regulations for IBOR transition. Our 7 January 2022 Legal Update provides background on the principle U.S. federal income tax concern with IBOR-related amendments to existing contracts, an overview of previous IRS guidance aimed at addressing the concern, the types of modifications that can
We are in the final days of LIBOR as we know it. Partner, Ash McDermott, discusses the recent advances in the export finance community toward LIBOR transition, with a specific focus on the question of whether export credit agencies should publish general “umbrella” guidance that would permit export loan documentation to transition to a recommended
Further to our post yesterday, on 8 December 2021, after a brief debate, the Adjustable Interest Rate (LIBOR) Act of 2021 was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives by a 415-9 vote. The bill, which was introduced in the House on 22 July 2021, now moves to the Senate for consideration. The bill’s
On 7 December 2021, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (“CFPB”) issued a Final Rule to facilitate LIBOR transition, via amendments to Regulation Z. The amendments take effect on 1 April 2022, and compliance becomes mandatory on 1 October 2022.
Continue Reading CFPB Issues Final Rule Addressing LIBOR Transition