Leveraged Lending

Regulators Roll Back Bank Capital & Leverage Rules—What That Means for Lending Risk

Leave a Comment / Bank Capital, Banking Regulation, Community Banking, Credit Risk, Leveraged Lending / By

Executive Summary Regulators have rescinded longstanding limits on “leveraged lending”—bank loans made to highly indebted companies—by withdrawing the interagency guidance from 2013 on such transactions. Additionally, bank capital rules are being loosened: the enhanced supplementary leverage ratio (eSLR) will be relaxed for large banks and their depository subsidiaries beginning April 1, 2026, and the community …

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US Regulators Ease Post-Crisis Bank Rules: Big Relief for Lending, Risks Ahead

Leave a Comment / Bank Capital & Leverage, Banking Regulation, Community Banking, Leveraged Lending, Private Credit & Nonbank Lenders / By

Executive Summary US financial regulators have rescinded the 2013 leveraged-lending guidance, which limited loans with debt-to-EBITDA ratios above six unless certain repayment criteria were met, calling it “overly restrictive” and driving activity into lightly regulated private credit funds [2][5]. Concurrently, a final rule easing enhanced supplementary leverage ratio (eSLR) requirements will reduce capital held by …

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US Rescinds 2013 Leveraged-Lending Rules: What This Means for Banks & Risk

Leave a Comment / Bank Capital & Leverage, Banking Regulation, Leveraged Lending, Private Credit & Private Equity, Systemic Risk / By

Executive Summary On December 5, 2025, the FDIC and OCC withdrew the 2013 leveraged-lending guidance that limited bank exposure to loans where debt exceeded about six times earnings, particularly curbing lending by banks to private equity and loss-generating tech firms. This rollback aims to bring more leveraged loan activity under bank supervision and boost competitiveness …

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Regulators Rescind 2013 Leveraged-Lending Guidance, Lifting Limits on Risky Bank Loans

Leave a Comment / Banking Regulation, Financial Risk, Leveraged Lending, Private Credit, Private Equity / By

Executive Summary In early December 2025, U.S. regulators including the FDIC and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency officially rescinded the 2013 leveraged‐lending guidance, which had previously discouraged banks from underwriting loans with debt‐to‐earnings ratios above six times, particularly to private-equity backed or unprofitable tech firms [1][3]. The rollback is expected to shift …

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Regulators Lift Caps on Leveraged Lending — What It Means for Banks and Risk

Leave a Comment / Bank Capital, Banking Regulation, Credit Risk, Leveraged Lending, Private Credit / By

Executive Summary NYSE regulators FDIC and OCC have withdrawn the 2013 leveraged-lending guidance, ending formal caps (notably a 6× debt/EBITDA limit) and restrictive venture lending standards, citing competitive disadvantage and excessive rigidity in past years. These changes are already effective and accompany additional easing of capital rules (e.g., community bank leverage ratios), but criticism warns …

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