U.S. financial observers plan to undertake another attempt to regulate Wall Street executive pay, an exceptional requirement of the 2010 Dodd-Frank Act that has repeatedly failed to materialize.
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. aims to vote on a measure in the coming weeks, according to people familiar with the initiative, who asked not to be identified discussing confidential deliberations. However, the rules would have to clear half a dozen regulators before going into effect. Two previous campaigns to this effect ended unsuccessfully.
The incentive rules, long opposed by the financial industry, are intended to curb risky behavior by forcing executives and other top employees to wait longer to collect their bonuses. An earlier proposal would have given companies seven years to recover payments related to misconduct, even if the bonus had already accrued. Financial firms should also provide regulators with further details on compensation packages that may be made available to the public.
The agencies had previously proposed versions of the rule in 2011 and 2016. The renewed regulatory push was previously reported by the Wall Street Journal.
While last year’s regional banking turmoil has fueled debates about the stability of the industry overall, finalizing executive compensation rules would still be a big step forward. Beyond the FDIC, imposing the rules would require action and approval from the Federal Reserve, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, Securities and Exchange Commission, the Federal Housing Finance Agency and the National Credit Administration Union.
Each agency will move at its own pace, and there is no guarantee that all will complete efforts before November elections that could usher in a change in administrations. However, some have signaled a willingness to try.
In response to a request for comment, an SEC spokesperson cited a December speech by agency Chairman Gary Gensler in which he said, “We stand ready to work with our fellow regulators to fulfill this mandate and repurposing the rules in this sector. “
Representatives from the FDIC, Fed, OCC and NCUA declined to comment. An FHFA spokesperson did not immediately respond to a message.