MIPRU 4.2D Liquidity resources requirements

This section applies to a firm carrying on any home financing or home finance administration connected to regulated mortgage contracts, unless as at 26 April 2014 its Part 4A permission was and continues to remain subject to a restriction preventing it from undertaking new home financing or home finance administration connected to regulated mortgage contracts.

A firm must at all times maintain liquidity resources which are adequate, both as to amount and quality, to ensure that there is no significant risk that its liabilities cannot be met as they fall due.

A firm must have in place robust strategies, policies, processes and systems that enable it to identify, measure, manage and monitor liquidity risk over the appropriate set of time horizons for its business activities, to ensure that it maintains adequate levels of liquidity resources. These strategies, policies, processes, and systems must be appropriate to the firm's business lines, currencies in which it operates, and its group companies and must include adequate allocation mechanisms of liquidity costs, benefits and risks.

The strategies, policies, processes and systems referred to in MIPRU 4.2D.4 R must be proportionate to the nature, scale and complexity of the firm's activities and the risk profile of the firm.

A firm must have in place reliable management information systems to provide its governing body, senior managers and other appropriate personnel with timely and forward-looking information on the liquidity position of the firm.

A firm must ensure that its governing body reviews regularly (and not less frequently than annually) the continued adequacy of any strategies, policies, processes and systems in place in accordance with MIPRU 4.2D.4 R

A firm must consider alternative scenarios in which its liquidity position could be impacted. The consideration of alternative scenarios must include and deal with off-balance sheet items and other contingent liabilities, including those of securitisation special purpose entities (SSPEs) or other special purpose entities, in relation to which the firm acts as sponsor or provides material liquidity support. These scenarios must be incorporated into the stress testing under MIPRU 4.2D.9 R.

In order to ensure compliance with MIPRU 4.2D.2 R, a firm must:

1. (1)

   conduct on a regular basis appropriate stress tests so as to:

   1. (a)

      identify sources of potential liquidity strain; and

   2. (b)

      ensure that the risks of current liquidity exposures can be adequately managed; and

2. (2)

   analyse the separate and combined impact of possible future liquidity stresses on its:

   1. (a)

      cash flows;

   2. (b)

      liquidity position; and

   3. (c)

      solvency; and

3. (3)

   make, as soon as is practicable after a test has been performed, and maintain a written record of all stress tests and their results

A firm must ensure that its governing body reviews regularly the stresses and scenarios tested and the assumptions underlying the funding position of the firm to ensure that their nature and severity remain appropriate and relevant to it.

A firm must adjust its strategies, internal policies and limits on liquidity risk, taking into account the outcome of the alternative scenarios referred to in MIPRU 4.2D.8 R.

1. (1)

   A firm must have in place contingency funding plans setting out adequate strategies and proper implementation measures in order to address potential liquidity shortfalls.

2. (2)

   The contingency funding plans must be:

   1. (a)

      in writing;

   2. (b)

      approved by the firm's governing body;

   3. (c)

      regularly tested; and

   4. (d)

      updated on the basis of the outcome of the stress tests, testing alternative scenarios set out in MIPRU 4.2D.8 R.