Background Information

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2019

Background Information [Abstract]

Nature of Operations [Text Block]

Background Information

The Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines (the Bank) is a federally chartered corporation organized on October 31, 1932, that is exempt from all federal, state, and local taxation (except real property taxes and certain employer payroll taxes) and is one of 11 district Federal Home Loan Banks (FHLBanks). The FHLBanks were created under the authority of the Federal Home Loan Bank Act of 1932 (FHLBank Act). With the passage of the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 (Housing Act), the Federal Housing Finance Agency (Finance Agency) was established and became the new independent federal regulator of Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae) and Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac) (collectively, Enterprises), as well as the FHLBanks and FHLBanks’ Office of Finance, effective July 30, 2008. The Finance Agency’s mission is to ensure that the Enterprises and FHLBanks operate in a safe and sound manner so that they serve as a reliable source of liquidity and funding for housing finance and community investment. The Finance Agency establishes policies and regulations governing the operations of the Enterprises and FHLBanks. Each FHLBank operates as a separate entity with its own management, employees, and board of directors.

The FHLBanks are government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) that serve the public by enhancing the availability of funds for residential mortgages and targeted community development. The Bank provides a readily available source of funding and liquidity to its member institutions and eligible housing associates in Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, Wyoming, and the U.S. Pacific territories of American Samoa, Guam, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Commercial banks, savings institutions, credit unions, insurance companies, and community development financial institutions (CDFIs) may apply for membership. State and local housing associates that meet certain statutory criteria may also borrow from the Bank; while eligible to borrow, housing associates are not members of the Bank and, as such, are not permitted to hold capital stock.

The Bank is a cooperative. This means the Bank is owned by its customers, whom the Bank calls members. As a condition of membership in the Bank, all members must purchase and maintain membership capital stock based on a percentage of their total assets, subject to a minimum and maximum amount, as of the preceding December 31^st. Each member is also required to purchase and maintain activity-based capital stock to support certain business activities with the Bank.

The Bank’s current and former members own all of the outstanding capital stock of the Bank. Former members own capital stock (included in mandatorily redeemable capital stock) to support business transactions still carried on the Bank’s Statements of Condition. All stockholders, including current and former members, may receive dividends on their capital stock investment to the extent declared by the Bank’s Board of Directors.