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Regulatory Requirements
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12 Months Ended | ||||||
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Dec. 31, 2011
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| Mortgage Banking [Abstract] | |||||||
| Regulatory Requirements |
As a wholly-owned subsidiary of Bank of America, a bank holding company that is also a financial holding company, Merrill Lynch is subject to the oversight of, and inspection by, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System.
Certain U.S. and non-U.S. subsidiaries are subject to various securities and banking regulations and capital adequacy requirements promulgated by the regulatory and exchange authorities of the countries in which they operate. These regulatory restrictions may impose regulatory capital requirements and limit the amounts that these subsidiaries can pay in dividends or advance to ML & Co. The principal regulated subsidiaries of ML & Co. are discussed below.
Securities Regulation
As a registered broker-dealer and futures commission merchant, MLPF&S is subject to the uniform net capital requirements of SEC Rule 15c3-1, and CFTC Regulation 1.17. MLPF&S has elected to compute the minimum capital requirement in accordance with the “Alternative Net Capital Requirement” as permitted by SEC Rule 15c3-1. At December 31, 2011, MLPF&S’s regulatory net capital as defined by Rule 15c3-1 was $10.8 billion and exceeded the minimum requirement of $803 million by $10.0 billion.
In accordance with the Alternative Net Capital Requirement, MLPF&S is required to maintain tentative net capital in excess of $1 billion, net capital in excess of $500 million, and notify the SEC in the event its tentative net capital is less than $5 billion. As of December 31, 2011, MLPF&S had tentative net capital and net capital in excess of the minimum and notification requirements.
MLI, a U.K. regulated investment firm, is subject to capital requirements of the U.K.’s FSA. Financial resources, as defined, must exceed the total financial resources requirement set by the FSA. At December 31, 2011, MLI’s financial resources were $19.7 billion, exceeding the minimum requirement by $5.1 billion.
MLJS, a Japan-based regulated broker-dealer, is subject to capital requirements of the Japanese Financial Services Agency (“JFSA”). Net capital, as defined, must exceed 120% of the total risk equivalents requirement of the JFSA. At December 31, 2011, MLJS’s net capital was $1.8 billion, exceeding the minimum requirement by $1.1 billion.
Banking Regulation
MLIB, an Ireland-based regulated bank, is subject to the capital requirements of the Central Bank of Ireland. MLIB is required to meet minimum regulatory capital requirements under the European Union (“EU”) banking law as implemented in Ireland by the Central Bank of Ireland. At December 31, 2011, MLIB’s financial resources were $13.7 billion, exceeding the minimum requirement by $4.9 billion.
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