This subpart, along with the notice and application procedures in subpart H of part 303 of this chapter, implements the provisions of section 28(a) of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act (12 U.S.C. 1831e(a)) that restrict and prohibit insured state savings associations and their service corporations from engaging in activities and investments of a type that are not permissible for a Federal savings association and their service corporations. This subpart also implements the provision of section 28(d) of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act (12 U.S.C. 1831e(d)) that restricts state and federal savings associations from investing in certain corporate debt securities. The phrase “activity permissible for a Federal savings association” means any activity authorized for a Federal savings association under any statute including the Home Owners' Loan Act (HOLA) (12 U.S.C. 1464 et seq.), as well as activities recognized as permissible for a Federal savings association in regulations issued by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) or in bulletins, orders or written interpretations issued by the OCC, or by the former Office of Thrift Supervision until modified, terminated, set aside, or superseded by the OCC.

This subpart does not cover the following activities:

Activities conducted by the insured state savings association other than “as principal”, defined for purposes of this subpart as activities conducted as agent for a customer, conducted in a brokerage, custodial, advisory, or administrative capacity, or conducted as trustee, or in any substantially similar capacity. For example, this subpart does not cover acting solely as agent for the sale of insurance, securities, real estate, or travel services; nor does it cover acting as trustee, providing personal financial planning advice, or safekeeping services.

Interests in real estate in which the real property is used or intended in good faith to be used within a reasonable time by an insured savings association or its service corporations as offices or related facilities for the conduct of its business or future expansion of its business or used as public welfare investments of a type and in an amount permissible for Federal savings associations.

Equity investments acquired in connection with debts previously contracted (DPC) if the insured savings association or its service corporation takes only such actions as would be permissible for a Federal savings association's or its service corporation's DPC holdings.

The FDIC intends to allow insured state savings associations and their service corporations to undertake only safe and sound activities and investments that do not present significant risks to the Deposit Insurance Fund and that are consistent with the purposes of Federal deposit insurance and other applicable law. This subpart does not authorize any insured state savings association to make investments or conduct activities that are not authorized or that are prohibited by either Federal or state law.