(a) Determination of necessary credit enhancement. At the earlier of 270 days from the date of the Bank's acquisition of the first loan in a pool, or the date at which the amount of a pool's assets reaches $100 million, a Bank shall determine the total credit enhancement necessary to enhance the asset or pool of assets to a credit quality that is equivalent to that of an instrument having at least the fourth highest credit rating from an NRSRO, or such higher credit rating as the Bank may require. The Bank shall make this determination for each AMA product using a methodology that is confirmed in writing by an NRSRO to be comparable to a methodology that the NRSRO would use in determining credit enhancement levels when conducting a rating review of the asset or pool of assets in a securitization transaction.
(b) Credit risk-sharing structure. A Bank acquiring AMA shall implement, and have in place at all times, a credit risk-sharing structure for each AMA product under which a member or housing associate of the Bank or, with the approval of both Banks, a member or housing associate of another Bank, provides a sufficient credit enhancement from the first dollar of credit loss for each asset or pool of assets such that the acquiring Bank's exposure to credit risk for the life of the asset or pool of assets is no greater than that of an asset rated in the fourth highest credit rating category, as determined pursuant to paragraph (a) of this section, or such higher rating as the acquiring Bank may require. This credit enhancement structure shall meet the following requirements:
(1) A portion of the credit enhancement may be provided by:
(i) Contracting with an insurance affiliate of that member or housing associate to provide an enhancement or undertaking against losses to the Bank, but only where such insurance is positioned in the credit enhancement structure so as to cover only losses remaining after the member or housing associate has borne losses as required under paragraph (b)(2) of this section;
(ii) Purchasing loan-level insurance, which may include United States government insurance or guarantee, but only where:
(A) The member or housing associate is legally obligated at all times to maintain such insurance with an insurer rated not lower than the second highest credit rating category; and
(B) Such insurance is positioned in the credit enhancement structure so as to cover only losses remaining after the member or housing associate has borne losses as required under paragraph (b)(2) of this section;
(iii) Purchasing pool-level insurance, but only where such insurance:
(A) Insures that portion of the required credit enhancement attributable to the geographic concentration and size of the pool; and
(B) Is positioned last in the credit enhancement structure so as to cover only those losses remaining after all other elements of the credit enhancement structure have been exhausted; or
(iv) Contracting with another member or housing associate in the Bank's district or in another Bank's district, pursuant to an arrangement with that Bank, to provide an enhancement or undertaking against losses to the Bank in return for some compensation;
(2) The member or housing associate that is providing the credit enhancement required under paragraph (b)(1) of this section shall in all cases bear the direct economic consequences of actual credit losses on the asset or pool of assets:
(i) From the first dollar of loss up to the amount of expected losses; or
(ii) Immediately following expected losses, but in an amount equal to or exceeding the amount of expected losses;
(3) The portion of the credit enhancement that is an obligation of a Bank System member or housing associate shall be fully secured; and
(4) The Bank shall obtain written verification from an NRSRO that concludes to the satisfaction of the Finance Board, based on the underlying economic terms of the credit enhancement structure as represented by the Bank for each AMA product, that either:
(i) The level of credit enhancement provided by the member or housing associate is generally sufficient to enhance the asset or pool of assets to a credit quality that is equivalent to that of an instrument having the fourth highest credit rating from an NRSRO, or such higher rating as the Bank may require; or
(ii) The methodology used by the Bank for estimating the level of credit enhancement provided by the member or housing associate is in accordance with the practices established by the NRSRO.
(c) Timing of NRSRO opinions. For AMA programs already in operation at the time of the effective date of this rule, a Bank shall have 90 days from the effective date of this rule to obtain the NRSRO verifications required under paragraphs (a) and (b)(4) of this section. [65 FR 43981, July 17, 2000, as amended at 67 FR 12852, Mar. 20, 2002]