Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

Regulatory Requirements and Restrictions

v3.20.4
Regulatory Requirements and Restrictions
 12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2020
Banking and Thrift, Interest [Abstract]  
Regulatory Requirements and Restrictions Regulatory Requirements and RestrictionsThe Federal Reserve, Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) and FDIC (collectively, U.S. banking regulators) jointly establish regulatory capital adequacy rules, including Basel 3, for U.S. banking organizations. As a financial holding company, the Corporation is subject to capital adequacy rules issued by
the Federal Reserve. The Corporation’s banking entity affiliates are subject to capital adequacy rules issued by the OCC.
The Corporation and its primary banking entity affiliate, BANA, are Advanced approaches institutions under Basel 3. As Advanced approaches institutions, the Corporation and its banking entity affiliates are required to report regulatory risk-based capital ratios and risk-weighted assets under both the Standardized and Advanced approaches. The approach that yields the lower ratio is used to assess capital adequacy, including under the Prompt Corrective Action (PCA) framework.
The Corporation is required to maintain a minimum supplementary leverage ratio (SLR) of 3.0 percent plus a leverage buffer of 2.0 percent in order to avoid certain restrictions on capital distributions and discretionary bonus payments. The Corporation’s insured depository institution subsidiaries are required to maintain a minimum 6.0 percent SLR to be considered well capitalized under the PCA framework.
The following table presents capital ratios and related information in accordance with Basel 3 Standardized and Advanced approaches as measured at December 31, 2020 and 2019 for the Corporation and BANA.
Regulatory Capital under Basel 3
Bank of America Corporation Bank of America, N.A.
Standardized Approach (1, 2)
Advanced Approaches (1)
Regulatory Minimum (3)
Standardized Approach (1, 2)
Advanced Approaches (1)
Regulatory Minimum (4)
(Dollars in millions, except as noted) December 31, 2020
Risk-based capital metrics:    
Common equity tier 1 capital $ 176,660  $ 176,660  $ 164,593  $ 164,593 
Tier 1 capital 200,096  200,096  164,593  164,593 
Total capital (5)
237,936  227,685  181,370  170,922 
Risk-weighted assets (in billions) 1,480  1,371  1,221  1,014 
Common equity tier 1 capital ratio 11.9  % 12.9  % 9.5  % 13.5  % 16.2  % 7.0  %
Tier 1 capital ratio 13.5  14.6  11.0  13.5  16.2  8.5 
Total capital ratio 16.1  16.6  13.0  14.9  16.9  10.5 
Leverage-based metrics:
Adjusted quarterly average assets (in billions) (6)
$ 2,719  $ 2,719  $ 2,143  $ 2,143 
Tier 1 leverage ratio 7.4  % 7.4  % 4.0  7.7  % 7.7  % 5.0 
Supplementary leverage exposure (in billions) (7)
$ 2,786  $ 2,525 
Supplementary leverage ratio 7.2  % 5.0  6.5  % 6.0 
  December 31, 2019
Risk-based capital metrics:        
Common equity tier 1 capital $ 166,760  $ 166,760  $ 154,626  $ 154,626 
Tier 1 capital 188,492  188,492  154,626  154,626 
Total capital (5)
221,230  213,098  166,567  158,665 
Risk-weighted assets (in billions) 1,493  1,447  1,241  991 
Common equity tier 1 capital ratio 11.2  % 11.5  % 9.5  % 12.5  % 15.6  % 7.0  %
Tier 1 capital ratio 12.6  13.0  11.0  12.5  15.6  8.5 
Total capital ratio 14.8  14.7  13.0  13.4  16.0  10.5 
Leverage-based metrics:
Adjusted quarterly average assets (in billions) (6)
$ 2,374  $ 2,374  $ 1,780  $ 1,780 
Tier 1 leverage ratio 7.9  % 7.9  % 4.0  8.7  % 8.7  % 5.0 
Supplementary leverage exposure (in billions) $ 2,946  $ 2,177 
Supplementary leverage ratio 6.4  % 5.0  7.1  % 6.0 
(1)As of December 31, 2020, capital ratios are calculated using the regulatory capital rule that allows a five-year transition period related to the adoption of CECL.
(2)Derivative exposure amounts are calculated using the standardized approach for measuring counterparty credit risk at December 31, 2020 and the current exposure method at December 31, 2019.
(3)The capital conservation buffer and global systemically important bank surcharge were 2.5 percent at both December 31, 2020 and 2019. At December 31, 2020, the Corporation's stress capital buffer of 2.5 percent was applied in place of the capital conservation buffer under the Standardized approach. The countercyclical capital buffer for both periods was zero. The SLR minimum includes a leverage buffer of 2.0 percent.
(4)Risk-based capital regulatory minimums at December 31, 2020 and 2019 are the minimum ratios under Basel 3, including a capital conservation buffer of 2.5 percent. The regulatory minimums for the leverage ratios as of both period ends are the percent required to be considered well capitalized under the PCA framework.
(5)Total capital under the Advanced approaches differs from the Standardized approach due to differences in the amount permitted in Tier 2 capital related to the qualifying allowance for credit losses.
(6)Reflects total average assets adjusted for certain Tier 1 capital deductions.
(7)Supplementary leverage exposure for the Corporation at December 31, 2020 reflects the temporary exclusion of U.S. Treasury securities and deposits at Federal Reserve Banks.
The capital adequacy rules issued by the U.S. banking regulators require institutions to meet the established minimums outlined in the table above. Failure to meet the minimum requirements can lead to certain mandatory and discretionary actions by regulators that could have a material adverse impact on the Corporation’s financial position. At December 31, 2020 and 2019, the Corporation and its banking entity affiliates were well capitalized.
In response to the uncertainty arising from the pandemic, the Federal Reserve required all large banks to suspend share repurchase programs during the second half of 2020, except for repurchases to offset shares awarded under equity-based compensation plans, and to limit common stock dividends to existing rates that did not exceed the average of the last four quarters’ net income. In December 2020, the Federal Reserve announced that beginning in the first quarter of 2021, large banks would be permitted to pay common stock dividends at existing rates and to repurchase shares in an amount that, when combined with dividends paid, does not exceed the average of net income over the last four quarters. For more information, see Note 13 – Shareholders’ Equity.
Other Regulatory Matters
The Federal Reserve requires the Corporation’s bank subsidiaries to maintain reserve requirements based on a percentage of certain deposit liabilities. The average daily reserve balance requirements, in excess of vault cash, maintained by the Corporation with the Federal Reserve Bank were $3.8 billion for 2020, reflecting the Federal Reserve's reduction of the reserve requirement to zero in the first quarter due to COVID-19, and $14.6 billion for 2019. At December 31, 2020 and 2019, the Corporation had cash and cash equivalents in the amount of $4.9 billion and $6.3 billion, and securities with a fair value of $16.8 billion and $14.7 billion that were segregated in compliance with securities regulations. Cash held on deposit with the Federal Reserve Bank to meet reserve requirements and cash and cash equivalents segregated in compliance with securities regulations are components of restricted cash. For more information, see Note 10 – Federal Funds Sold or Purchased, Securities Financing Agreements, Short-term Borrowings and Restricted Cash. In addition, at December 31, 2020 and 2019, the Corporation had cash deposited with clearing organizations of $10.9 billion and $7.6 billion primarily recorded in other assets on the Consolidated Balance Sheet.
Bank Subsidiary Distributions
The primary sources of funds for cash distributions by the Corporation to its shareholders are capital distributions received from its bank subsidiaries, BANA and Bank of America California, N.A. In 2020, the Corporation received dividends of $10.3 billion from BANA and $62 million from Bank of America California, N.A.
The amount of dividends that a subsidiary bank may declare in a calendar year without OCC approval is the subsidiary bank’s net profits for that year combined with its retained net profits for the preceding two years. Retained net profits, as defined by the OCC, consist of net income less dividends declared during the period. In 2021, BANA can declare and pay dividends of approximately $10.3 billion to the Corporation plus an additional amount equal to its retained net profits for 2021 up to the date
of any such dividend declaration. Bank of America California, N.A. can pay dividends of $198 million in 2021 plus an additional amount equal to its retained net profits for 2021 up to the date of any such dividend declaration.