Title 12 › CHAPTER 22 — TYING ARRANGEMENTS › § 1972
Banks must not make a loan, lease, sale, or any service dependent on the customer also getting or giving extra products or services. That rule covers extra things from the bank itself, from its holding company or subsidiaries, or stopping the customer from using a competitor. A bank may still set reasonable rules needed to protect the safety of a loan. The Federal Reserve Board can write rules to carry out these limits and, with the Comptroller of the Currency and the FDIC, allow narrow exceptions that do not defeat the law’s purpose. If one bank keeps a correspondent account for another bank, neither bank may give credit to the other bank’s executive officers, directors, or anyone who owns or controls more than 10 percent of voting stock (or to related interests of those people), unless the credit is on the same terms as for other customers and does not add unusual risk. Likewise, a bank may not open a correspondent account at another bank while it has such outstanding credit to those insiders unless that credit met the same fair terms. “Extension of credit” and “executive officer” are defined under sections 375b and 375a, respectively. Civil penalties apply: up to $5,000 per day for a basic violation; up to $25,000 per day if the violation is part of a pattern, causes more than minimal loss, or gives benefit; and, for knowing violations that cause substantial loss or gain, up to $1,000,000 per day for a person, or for a bank the lesser of $1,000,000 or 1 percent of the bank’s total assets. The OCC, the Board, or the FDIC enforces penalties by bank type. A bank or person can request an agency hearing within 20 days of penalty notice. Collected penalties go to the Treasury. “Violate” includes helping or aiding a violation. Agencies must make procedures and regulations. “Bank” also covers mutual savings banks, savings banks, and savings associations; “related interests” means companies or political committees controlled by or benefiting the person; and “control” and “company” have the meanings in section 375b. Agencies can still issue notices and act against former institution-affiliated parties if the notice is served within 6 years after the person stopped serving (whether before, on, or after August 9, 1989).
Full Legal Text
Banks and Banking, Source: USLM XML via OLRC
Legislative History
Reference
Citation
12 U.S.C. § 1972
Title 12, Banks and Banking
Last Updated
Sep 22, 2026
Release point: 119-110