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February 26, 2008
Dear Seattle Bank Members,
On February 20, 2008, our regulator, the Federal Housing Finance Board (Finance
Board), approved two changes to the Seattle Bank’s Capital Plan that, we believe,
will provide our members with greater flexibility in managing their excess stock,
support the growth of our cooperative’s advance business, and help to improve our
overall profitability.
The first change to our Capital Plan allows transfers of excess stock between Seattle
Bank members. Currently, the Seattle Bank allows the transfer of excess stock between
members that are affiliated with one another. The change allows transfers of excess
stock between members that are not affiliated with one another, provided that the
stock is transferred at its par value of $100 per share and the transfer receives
the prior approval of the Seattle Bank.
Several of our members have expressed interest in having this ability, particularly
with the current restrictions on our ability to repurchase excess Class B stock.
While we hope to resume a modest excess Class B stock repurchase program in 2008,
pending the approval of the Director of the Office of Supervision at the Finance
Board, we expect that this measure will be helpful for members who wish to transfer
excess Class B stock now and in the future.
The second change to our Capital Plan increases the range within which the Seattle
Bank’s Board of Directors can set the member advance stock purchase requirement,
from the current range (2.5 percent to 4.5 percent) to 2.5 percent to 6.0 percent
of a member’s outstanding principal balance of advances. Although we are not currently
considering an increase in the member advance stock purchase requirement, our ability
to increase this requirement provides greater flexibility in our balance sheet management
practices, which is critical to effectively managing growth in our advance business.
Any changes to this requirement are only applied prospectively to new or renewing
advances.
These changes to our Capital Plan are effective immediately. We invite you to contact
your Seattle Bank Relationship Manager with any questions you may have regarding
these changes to our Capital Plan or our products and services.
All of us here at the Seattle Bank welcome the opportunity to meet your funding needs and appreciate your ongoing support of the Seattle Bank cooperative.
Sincerely,
Richard M. Riccobono
President and Chief Executive Officer
This Member News includes forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Actual performance and future bank actions, including changes to the member advance stock purchase requirement, may differ materially because of many factors. Such factors may include, but are not limited to, business and capital management plan adjustments and amendments, changes in the bank's management and Board of Directors, regulatory actions or approvals, competitive pressure from other Federal Home Loan Banks and alternative funding sources, accounting adjustments or requirements, interest-rate volatility, the bank's ability to maintain adequate capital levels, changes in projected business volumes, our ability to appropriately manage our cost of funds, changes in our membership profile or the withdrawal of one or more large members, the cost-effectiveness of our funding, hedging and asset-liability management activities, shifts in demand for our products and consolidated obligations, and general economic conditions. Additional factors are discussed in the Seattle Bank's unaudited financial statements and related condensed footnotes and Management’s Discussion and Analysis in the bank’s Form 10-Q for third-quarter 2007 and the audited 2006 financial statements and related footnotes and other disclosures in the bank’s Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2006 and Form 10-Qs for 2007. The Seattle Bank does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements made in this announcement.
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