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December 17, 2019

NAFCU to NCUA: More guidance needed to alleviate CECL burdens

Commenting on federal financial regulators' proposed interagency policy statement for the current expected credit loss (CECL) standard, NAFCU's Andrew Morris said the proposal "does little to alleviate the future cost, disruption, and uncertainty associated with the most significant accounting change in decades."

Morris, NAFCU's senior counsel for research and policy, provided feedback on the proposed policy statement on allowances for credit losses (ACLs) to the NCUA directly. NAFCU maintains that credit unions should not be subject to CECL due to the negative impact it will have on institutions' capital, and continues to ask the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) to consider less burdensome alternatives for the industry and work with the NCUA to provide more resources for credit unions.

The NCUA's fall rulemaking agenda indicates a proposed rule early next year that is expected to adopt a phase-in of CECL's negative impact on credit union net worth ratios.

In the letter, Morris acknowledged that the proposed statement does "modestly [improve] understanding of supervisory expectations surrounding implementation of [CECL]." However, he specifically requested "the NCUA develop its own, tailored guidance for credit unions to clearly communicate examiner expectations well in advance of CECL's 2023 compliance date."

In addition, Morris recommended the proposed policy statement should:

  • include practical examples to illustrate how credit unions can comply with CECL using simplified models; and
  • clarify that deference to managerial judgment encompasses the decision to rely on independent auditors to validate ACL measurement.

Read Morris' full detailed recommendations here.

NAFCU for years has shared credit unions' concerns about the negative impacts of the CECL standard to FASB. In October, the industry received a big win as FASB approved the drafting of a final accounting standards update to delay CECL by an additional year. That delay became official in November, pushing the implementation deadline to 2023 for not-for-profits, including credit unions. 

The association has numerous resources available to credit unions as they prepare to implement the standard. This is just one of the issues that will be addressed during NAFCU's Q4 Member Call-In tomorrow.

Related Resources

Add to Calendar 2020-12-14 14:00:00 2020-12-14 14:00:00 Understanding Current Expected Credit Losses (CECL) Hear directly from the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) staff regarding the credit loss accounting standard – Current Expected Credit Losses (CECL). In addition to covering recent FASB staff Q&A documents, including the Weighted Average Remaining Maturity (WARM) method, the FASB staff will answer your questions. PROGRAM UNDERWRITTEN BY   Key Takeaways Review FASB’s Post Implementation Review activities regarding CECL Understand the Weighted Average Remaining Maturity (WARM) method Learn more about other FASB Staff CECL Q&A documents Register Now For On-Demand AccessRegistration is complimentary, but you must register to attend.One registration gives your entire credit union access to the on-demand recording until December 14, 2021.Already registered? Go to the Online Training Center to view live. Who Should Attend? Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) Chief Financial Officers (CFOs) Accounting titles Education Credits CPA credit information is below; recommended 1.5 CPE credits. CPA Certification Credit Information Reviewer: Josie Collins, Associate Director of Education, NAFCU Learning Objectives: Review FASB’s Post Implementation Review activities regarding CECL. Understand the Weighted Average Remaining Maturity (WARM) method. Learn more about other FASB Staff CECL Q&A documents. Program Level: Basic Prerequisites Needed: None Advance Preparation Needed: None Delivery Method: Group Internet-Based Recommended CPE Credits: 1.5 credits Recommended Field of Study: Accounting – Technical National Association of Federal Credit Unions (NAFCU) is registered with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) as a sponsor of continuing professional education on the National Registry of CPE Sponsors. Learn more. About Our Webinars Our webinars are streamed live from NAFCU headquarters near Washington, D.C. Your audio/video feed of the presenters includes presentation slides and downloadable handouts. You can easily submit your questions to the presenters at any time during the live broadcast, with no dialing over the phone! The audio and video stream directly through your computer. Web NAFCU digital@nafcu.org America/New_York public

Understanding Current Expected Credit Losses (CECL)

Credits: CPE

Program underwritten by NAFCU Services
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