South Carolina § 34-28-540 - Other investment powers and limitations; reserves and liquidity requirements.

§ 34-28-540. Other investment powers and limitations; reserves and liquidity requirements.

Subject to Section 34-28-510 through Section 34-28-530 an association may invest its funds subject to the following definitions, restrictions, and limitations:

(1) Except as otherwise provided in this subsection, there is no limitation, with respect to investment of the total assets of the investing association, in the following investments:

(a) direct obligations of the United States Government;

(b) stock or obligations of federal agencies created by act of the United States Congress and authorized thereby to issue securities or evidences of indebtedness, regardless of guarantee of repayment of principal and interest by the United States;

(c) stock or obligations of any Federal Home Loan Bank, the Federal Savings and Loan Insurance Corporation, the Federal National Mortgage Association, the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, or the Government National Mortgage Association or any successor thereto, or any other governmental or quasi-governmental organization or similar company approved by the Board;

(d) obligations issued or guaranteed by the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development;

(e) obligations issued or guaranteed by the Inter-American Development Bank;

(f) demand, time, or savings deposits, shares, or accounts of any state or federal financial institution including without limitation any state or federally chartered association;

(g) bankers' acceptances which are eligible for purchase by federal reserve banks;

(h) public housing authority obligations;

(i) general obligations of the states of the United States and of the political subdivisions and the municipalities thereof;

(j) obligations issued by the State Board of Education under authority of the Constitution of this State or by law;

(k) tax anticipation certificates or warrants of counties or municipalities having maturities not exceeding one year;

(l) prerefunded municipal bonds, the principal and interest of which are secured by the principal and interest of a direct obligation of the United States Government;

(m) the sale of federal funds on a daily basis; however, no association shall sell at any one time federal funds to any depository institution, Federal Home Loan Bank, or Federal Reserve Bank in an amount exceeding twenty-five percent of the total assets of the selling association.

(2) Up to twenty-five percent of the total assets of an association may be invested in the obligations of state agencies.

(3) Up to ten percent of the total assets of an association may be invested in the sum of any equity and debt securities of any service corporation and equity and debt securities of any other corporation that is not controlled by the investing association; provided, that except as otherwise authorized in Section 34-28-120(6) and subsection (4) of this section, no association shall own five percent or more of any class of voting stock in any corporation other than a service corporation, or a subsidiary in which it owns all of the voting shares.

(4) Subject to Section 34-28-120(6), an association may make those other investments, including investments in capital stock of other financial depository institutions, as the Board may approve by regulation of general application.

(5)(a) Every association shall set up and maintain adequate allowances for potential losses satisfactory to the Board, in accordance with minimum capital reserve regulations which must be promulgated by the Board.

(b) A stock association may designate any portion or all of its capital, surplus, or retained earnings as any insurance or other reserve required by law or by any insurer.

(c) No association shall invest in any security, other than in liquid assets, or in any loan, at any time when its liquid assets are less than the required percentage of total liabilities established by regulation promulgated by the Board.

HISTORY: 1985 Act No. 124, SECTION 1.