Regulatory Capital and Other Regulatory Matters

The FRB and other U.S. banking agencies have adopted risk-based and leverage capital standards that establish minimum capital-to-asset ratios for BHCs, like Ally, and depository institutions, like Ally Bank. The risk-based capital ratios are based on a banking organization’s risk-weighted assets (RWAs), which are generally determined under the standardized approach applicable to Ally and Ally Bank by (1) assigning on-balance sheet exposures to broad risk weight categories according to the counterparty or, if relevant, the guarantor or collateral (with higher risk weights assigned to categories of exposures perceived as representing greater risk), and (2) multiplying off-balance sheet exposures by specified credit conversion factors to calculate credit equivalent amounts and assigning those credit equivalent amounts to the relevant risk weight categories. The leverage ratio, in contrast, is based on an institution’s average unweighted on-balance sheet exposures.

Ally and Ally Bank are subject to capital requirements issued by U.S. banking regulators that require us to maintain risk-based and leverage capital ratios above minimum levels. As of January 1, 2015, Ally and Ally Bank became subject to the rules implementing the 2010 Basel III capital framework in the United States (U.S. Basel III), which generally reflects higher capital requirements, capital buffers, and changes to regulatory capital definitions, deductions and adjustments, relative to the predecessor requirements implementing the Basel I capital framework in the United States. Certain aspects of U.S. Basel III, including the capital buffers were subject to a phase-in period through December 31, 2018.

Failure to meet minimum capital requirements can initiate certain mandatory and possibly additional discretionary action by regulators that, if undertaken, could have a direct material effect on the Consolidated Financial Statements or the results of operations and financial condition of Ally and Ally Bank. Under capital adequacy guidelines and the regulatory framework for prompt corrective action, we and Ally Bank must meet specific capital guidelines that involve quantitative measures of capital, assets and certain off-balance sheet items. These measures and related classifications, which are used in the calculation of our risk-based and leverage capital ratios and those of Ally Bank, are also subject to qualitative judgments by the regulators about the components of capital, the risk-weightings of assets and other exposures, and other factors. The FRB also uses these ratios and guidelines as part of the capital planning and stress testing processes. In addition, in order for Ally to maintain its status as an FHC, Ally and its bank subsidiary, Ally Bank, must remain well capitalized and well managed, as defined under applicable laws. The well capitalized standard for insured depository institutions, such as Ally Bank, reflects the capital requirements under U.S. Basel III.

Under U.S. Basel III, Ally and Ally Bank must maintain a minimum Common Equity Tier 1 risk-based capital ratio of 4.5%, a minimum Tier 1 risk-based capital ratio of 6%, and a minimum total risk-based capital ratio of 8%. In addition to these minimum risk-based capital ratios, Ally and Ally Bank are also subject to a Common Equity Tier 1 capital conservation buffer of more than 2.5%, subject to a phase-in period from January 1, 2016, through December 31, 2018. Failure to maintain the full amount of the buffer would result in restrictions on the ability of Ally and Ally Bank to make capital distributions, including dividend payments and stock repurchases and redemptions, and to pay discretionary bonuses to executive officers. U.S. Basel III also subjects Ally and Ally Bank to a minimum Tier 1 leverage ratio of 4%.

U.S. Basel III also revised the eligibility criteria for regulatory capital instruments and provides for the phase-out of instruments that had previously been recognized as capital but that do not satisfy these criteria. For example, subject to certain exceptions (e.g., certain debt or equity issued to the U.S. government under the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act), trust preferred and other hybrid securities were excluded from a BHC’s Tier 1 capital as of January 1, 2016. Also, subject to a phase-in schedule, certain items are deducted from Common Equity Tier 1 capital under U.S. Basel III that had not previously been deducted from regulatory capital, and certain other deductions from regulatory capital have been modified. Among other things, U.S. Basel III requires significant investments in the common stock of unconsolidated financial institutions, mortgage servicing assets, and certain deferred tax assets that exceed specified individual and aggregate thresholds to be deducted from Common Equity Tier 1 capital. U.S. Basel III also revised the standardized approach for calculating RWAs by, among other things, modifying certain risk weights and the methods for calculating RWAs for certain types of assets and exposures.

Ally and Ally Bank are subject to the U.S. Basel III standardized approach for counterparty credit risk, but not to the U.S. Basel III advanced approaches for credit risk or operational risk. Ally is also not subject to the U.S. market risk capital rule, which applies only to banking organizations with significant trading assets and liabilities.

In December 2018, the FRB and other U.S. banking agencies approved a final rule to mitigate the impact of CECL on regulatory capital by allowing BHCs and banks, including Ally, to phase in the day-one impact of CECL over a period of three years for regulatory capital purposes. In addition, the FRB announced that although BHCs subject to company-run stress tests as part of CCAR must incorporate CECL beginning in the 2020 cycle, the FRB also further clarified that, in order to reduce uncertainty, it will maintain its current modeling framework for the allowance for loan losses in supervisory stress tests through the 2021 cycle.

In May 2018, targeted amendments to the Dodd-Frank Act and other financial-services laws were enacted through the Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act (EGRRCP Act), including amendments that affect whether and, if so, how the FRB applies enhanced prudential standards to BHCs like us with $100 billion or more but less than $250 billion in total consolidated assets. During the fourth quarter of 2018, the FRB and other U.S. banking agencies issued proposals that would implement these amendments in the EGRRCP Act and establish risk-based categories for determining the prudential standards and the capital and liquidity requirements that apply to large U.S. banking organizations. Under the proposals, Ally would be treated as a Category IV firm and, as such, would be (1) made subject to the FRB’s Comprehensive Capital Analysis and Review (CCAR) on a two-year cycle rather than the current one-year cycle, (2) made subject to supervisory stress testing on a two-year cycle rather than the current one-year cycle, (3) required to continue submitting an annual capital plan to the FRB for non-objection, (4) allowed to continue excluding accumulated other comprehensive income (AOCI) from regulatory capital, (5) required to continue maintaining a buffer of unencumbered highly liquid assets to meet projected net cash outflows for 30 days, (6) required to conduct liquidity stress tests on a quarterly basis rather than the current monthly basis, (7) allowed to engage in more tailored liquidity risk management, including monthly rather than weekly calculations of collateral positions, the elimination of limits for activities that are not relevant to the firm, and fewer required elements of monitoring of intraday liquidity exposures, (8) exempted from company-run stress testing, the modified liquidity coverage ratio (LCR), and the proposed modified net stable funding ratio (NSFR), and (9) allowed to remain exempted from the supplementary leverage ratio, the countercyclical capital buffer, and single counterparty credit limits.

In April 2018, the FRB issued a proposal to more closely align forward-looking stress testing results with the FRB’s non-stress regulatory capital requirements for banking organizations with $50 billion or more in total consolidated assets. The proposal would introduce a stress capital buffer based on firm-specific stress test performance, which would effectively replace the non-stress capital conservation buffer. The proposal would also make several changes to the CCAR process, such as eliminating the CCAR quantitative objection, narrowing the set of planned capital actions assumed to occur in the stress scenario, and eliminating the 30% dividend payout ratio as a criterion for heightened scrutiny of a firm’s capital plan. In December 2017, the Basel Committee approved revisions to the global Basel III capital framework (commonly known as Basel IV), many of which—if adopted in the United States—could heighten regulatory capital standards even more.

At this time, how all of these proposals and revisions will be harmonized and finalized in the United States is not clear or predictable and we continue to evaluate the impacts these proposals and revisions may have to us.

Compliance with capital requirements is a strategic priority for Ally. We expect to be in compliance with all applicable requirements within the established timeframes.

The following table summarizes our capital ratios under the U.S. Basel III capital framework.



	December 31, 2018				December 31, 2017				Required minimum (a)		Well-capitalized minimum
($ in millions)	Amount		Ratio		Amount		Ratio		Required minimum (a)		Well-capitalized minimum
Capital ratios
Common Equity Tier 1 (to risk-weighted assets)
Ally Financial Inc.	$	13,397	9.14	%	$	13,237	9.53	%	4.50	%	(b)
Ally Bank	16,552		12.61		17,059		15.04		4.50		6.50	%
Tier 1 (to risk-weighted assets)
Ally Financial Inc.	$	15,831	10.80	%	$	15,628	11.25	%	6.00	%	6.00	%
Ally Bank	16,552		12.61		17,059		15.04		6.00		8.00
Total (to risk-weighted assets)
Ally Financial Inc.	$	18,046	12.31	%	$	17,974	12.94	%	8.00	%	10.00	%
Ally Bank	17,620		13.42		17,886		15.77		8.00		10.00
Tier 1 leverage (to adjusted quarterly average assets) (c)
Ally Financial Inc.	$	15,831	9.00	%	$	15,628	9.53	%	4.00	%	(b)
Ally Bank	16,552		10.69		17,059		12.87		4.00		5.00	%


(a)	In addition to the minimum risk-based capital requirements for common equity Tier 1 capital, Tier 1 capital, and total capital ratios, Ally and Ally Bank were required to maintain a minimum capital conservation buffer of 1.875% and 1.25% at December 31, 2018, and December 31, 2017, respectively, which increased to 2.5% on January 1, 2019.


(b)	Currently, there is no ratio component for determining whether a BHC is “well-capitalized.”


(c)	Federal regulatory reporting guidelines require the calculation of adjusted quarterly average assets using a daily average methodology.

At December 31, 2018, Ally and Ally Bank were “well-capitalized” and met all applicable capital requirements to which each was subject.

Capital Planning and Stress Tests

Pending the adoption of proposals issued by the FRB and other U.S. banking agencies during the fourth quarter of 2018 that would implement the EGRRCP Act, Ally is required to conduct semi-annual company-run stress tests, is subject to an annual supervisory stress test conducted by the FRB, and must submit a proposed capital plan to the FRB.

Ally’s proposed capital plan must include an assessment of our expected uses and sources of capital and a description of all planned capital actions over a nine-quarter planning horizon, including any issuance of a debt or equity capital instrument, any dividend or other capital distribution, and any similar action that the FRB determines could have an impact on Ally’s capital. The proposed capital plan must also include a discussion of how Ally, under expected and stressful conditions, will maintain capital commensurate with its risks and above the minimum regulatory capital ratios, and will serve as a source of strength to Ally Bank. The FRB will either object to Ally’s proposed capital plan, in whole or in part, or provide a notice of non-objection. If the FRB objects to the proposed capital plan, or if certain material events occur after approval of the plan, Ally must submit a revised capital plan within 30 days. Even if the FRB does not object to our capital plan, Ally may be precluded from or limited in paying dividends or other capital distributions without the FRB’s approval under certain circumstances—for example, when we would not meet minimum regulatory capital ratios and capital buffers after giving effect to the distributions.

The following table presents information related to our common stock for each quarter since the commencement of our common-stock-repurchase programs and initiation of a quarterly cash dividend on common stock.



	Common stock repurchased during period (a)			Number of common shares outstanding		Cash dividends declared per common share (b)
($ in millions, except per share data; shares in thousands)	Approximate dollar value		Number of shares	Beginning of period	End of period	Cash dividends declared per common share (b)
2016
Third quarter	$	159	8,298	483,753	475,470	$	0.08
Fourth quarter	167		8,745	475,470	467,000	0.08
2017
First quarter	$	169	8,097	467,000	462,193	$	0.08
Second quarter	204		10,485	462,193	452,292	0.08
Third quarter	190		8,507	452,292	443,796	0.12
Fourth quarter	190		7,033	443,796	437,054	0.12
2018
First quarter	$	185	6,473	437,054	432,691	$	0.13
Second quarter	195		7,280	432,691	425,752	0.13
Third quarter	250		9,194	425,752	416,591	0.15
Fourth quarter	309		12,121	416,591	404,900	0.15


(a)	Includes shares of common stock withheld to cover income taxes owed by participants in our share-based incentive plans.


(b)	On January 14, 2019, the Ally Board of Directors (the Board) declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.17 per share on all common stock, payable on February 15, 2019. Refer to Note 31 for further information regarding this common stock dividend.

Ally submitted its 2018 capital plan and company-run stress test results to the FRB on April 5, 2018. On June 21, 2018, we publicly disclosed summary results of the stress test under the severely adverse scenario in accordance with applicable regulatory requirements. On June 28, 2018, we received from the FRB a non-objection to our capital plan, which included increases in both our stock-repurchase program and our planned dividends. Consistent with the capital plan, the Board authorized a 32% increase in our stock-repurchase program, permitting us to repurchase up to $1.0 billion of our common stock from time to time from the third quarter of 2018 through the second quarter of 2019. Also consistent with the capital plan, on January 14, 2019, the Board declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.17 per share of our common stock. Refer to Note 31 for further information on the most recent dividend. On October 5, 2018, we submitted to the FRB the results of our company-run mid-cycle stress test and publicly disclosed summary results under the severely adverse scenario in accordance with applicable regulatory requirements.

During the first quarter of 2019, the FRB announced that a number of large and noncomplex BHCs with $100 billion or more but less than $250 billion in total consolidated assets, including Ally, will not be required to submit a capital plan to the FRB, participate in the supervisory stress test or CCAR, or conduct company-run stress tests during the 2019 cycle. Instead, Ally’s capital actions during this cycle will be largely based on the results from its 2018 supervisory stress test.

Our ability to make capital distributions, including our ability to pay dividends or repurchase shares of our common stock, will continue to be subject to the FRB’s review. The amount and size of any future dividends and share repurchases also will depend upon our results of operations, capital levels, future opportunities, consideration and approval by the Board, and other considerations.

In January 2017, the FRB amended its capital planning and stress testing rules, effective for the 2017 cycle and beyond. As a result of this amendment, the FRB may no longer object to the capital plan of a large and noncomplex BHC, like Ally, on the basis of qualitative deficiencies in its capital planning process. Instead, the qualitative assessment of Ally’s capital planning process is now conducted outside of CCAR through the supervisory review process. The amendment also decreased the de minimis threshold for the amount of capital that Ally could distribute to stockholders outside of an approved capital plan without the FRB’s prior approval, and modified Ally’s reporting requirements to reduce unnecessary burdens.

Depository Institutions

Ally Bank is a member of the Federal Reserve System and is subject to regulation, supervision, and examination by the FRB and the UDFI. Ally Bank’s deposits are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), and Ally Bank is required to file periodic reports with the FDIC concerning its financial condition. Total assets of Ally Bank were $159.0 billion and $137.4 billion at December 31, 2018, and 2017, respectively. Federal and Utah law place a number of conditions, restrictions, and limitations on dividends and other capital distributions that may be paid by Ally Bank to Ally. Dividends or other distributions made by Ally Bank to Ally were $2.6 billion and $3.3 billion in 2018 and 2017, respectively.

The FRB requires banks to maintain minimum average reserve balances. The amount of the required reserve balance for Ally Bank was $279 million and $370 million at December 31, 2018, and 2017, respectively.

Ally Bank is required to satisfy regulatory net worth requirements. Failure to meet minimum capital requirements can initiate certain mandatory actions by federal, state, and foreign agencies that could have a material effect on our results of operations and financial condition. Ally Bank was in compliance with these requirements at December 31, 2018.

Insurance Companies

Certain of our Insurance operations are subject to certain minimum aggregate capital requirements, net asset and dividend restrictions under applicable state and foreign insurance laws, and the rules and regulations promulgated by various U.S. and foreign regulatory agencies. Under various state and foreign insurance regulations, dividend distributions may be made only from statutory unassigned surplus, with approvals required from the regulatory authorities for dividends in excess of certain statutory limitations. At December 31, 2018, the maximum dividend that could be paid by the U.S. insurance subsidiaries over the next twelve months without prior statutory approval was $134 million.