By Hannah Lang
(Reuters) – The U.S. Federal Reserve and Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. identified a shortcoming in Citigroup Inc’s so-called “living will” that details how the firm would be unwound in the event of bankruptcy.
The banking regulators said that issues regarding Citi’s data governance program could adversely affect its ability to produce timely and accurate data during a period of financial stress.
The issues were related to previous concerns the Fed had identified with Citi’s data quality and data management programs in an October 2020 enforcement action against the bank. The Fed had directed Citi to correct several “longstanding deficiencies” in its internal controls to improve its risk infrastructure and internal governance.
The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) imposed a $400 million fine on Citi in 2020, citing similar concerns.
In a statement, Citi said it is making significant investments in its data integrity and data management and is “completely committed” to addressing the shortcoming.
“The result of these efforts will be more streamlined systems that improve the quality of our data as well as the speed with which it can be accessed,” the statement said.
Citi will be required to submit information to the Fed and FDIC in January 2023 detailing how it plans to address the shortcomings. The banking regulators did not identify shortcomings in the plans of any of the other seven large banks that submitted resolution plans.
“Resolvability is about capabilities, not just passing a paper test. The agencies’ determination regarding Citigroup reflects and reinforces this,” said Michael Hsu, the acting Comptroller of the Currency, in a statement.
Acting FDIC chairman Martin Gruenberg said in a statement that the shortcoming “requires urgent attention by the firm’s senior management and board of directors.”
Reuters reported in September that Citi had submitted a comprehensive multiyear plan to the Fed and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency outlining steps to fix weaknesses in its risk management and internal controls, two sources familiar with matter said.
While the Fed and FDIC acknowledged that Citi has continued to address the data concerns laid out in the Fed’s enforcement action, the agencies said the bank should continue improving its liquidity resolution capabilities as well as the processes by which it uses data to execute its resolution plan.
(Reporting by Hannah Lang in Washington; Editing by Andrea Ricci)
