CRED 7A

Shareholding

CRED 7A.1

Application and purpose

CRED 7A.1.1

See Notes

handbook-rule
This chapter applies to all credit unions.

CRED 7A.1.2

See Notes

handbook-guidance
The purpose of this chapter is to provide for limits on holdings of shares and deposits, joint accounts, dividends and insurance cover (based on the aggregate value of shares and deposits).

CRED 7A.2

Members' shares

Maximum shareholdings

CRED 7A.2.1

See Notes

handbook-rule
A credit union must not permit a member to have or claim any interest in the shares of the credit union exceeding the greater of £5,000 and 1.5 per cent of the total shareholdings in the credit union.

CRED 7A.2.2

See Notes

handbook-rule
Where CRED 7A.2.1 R or CRED 7A.2.6 R would be breached in relation to a member of a credit union because of a reduction in the total shareholdings in the credit union, those rules must, in relation to him, have effect, as respects any shares which he had, or interest which he claimed, immediately before the reduction, as if there were added at the end "at the time, or latest time, when he acquired shares, or an interest in the shares of the credit union."

CRED 7A.2.3

See Notes

handbook-guidance
CRED 7A.2.2 R makes it unnecessary for a member to reduce his shareholding merely because of a reduction in the total shareholdings of the credit union.

CRED 7A.2.4

See Notes

handbook-rule
For the purposes of CRED 7A.2.1 R and CRED 7A.2.2 R, the total shareholdings in a credit union at any time must be taken to be the total shareholdings as shown in the most recent annual return to have been sent to the FSA under SUP 16.7.62 (see CRED 14.10.7 G).

Joint accounts

CRED 7A.2.5

See Notes

handbook-rule
Shares in a credit union must not be held in the joint names of more than two members.

CRED 7A.2.6

See Notes

handbook-rule
For the purpose only of the limit in CRED 7A.2.1 R, the interest of a member in a joint account must be treated as 50 per cent of the shareholding in that account.

Dividends on shares

CRED 7A.2.7

See Notes

handbook-rule

A version 1 credit union must not:

  1. (1) pay different dividends on different accounts; and
  2. (2) pay dividends out of interim profits more than once a year.

CRED 7A.2.8

See Notes

handbook-guidance

A version 2 credit union is permitted to:

  1. (1) pay different dividends on different accounts; and
  2. (2) pay dividends out of interim profits more than once a year.

CRED 7A.3

Deposits

CRED 7A.3.1

See Notes

handbook-rule
  1. (1) A credit union must not accept deposits except:
    1. (a) as shares from its members who are natural persons qualifying in accordance with CRED 13 Annex 2 G Table 1G 1; or
    2. (b) from natural persons too young to be members under CRED 7A.3.1 R(2); or
    3. (c) as loans from persons under CRED 7.3.1A R - CRED 7.3.2A R.
  2. (2) A credit union must not accept deposits exceeding the greater of £5,000 and 1.5 per cent of the total shareholdings in the credit union from a person who is under the age at which, under section 20 of the Industrial and Provident Societies Act 1965, he may become a member of the credit union unless the deposits are held in a CTF, in which case the credit union may accept a larger deposit.

CRED 7A.3.1A

See Notes

handbook-guidance
Credit unions that provide CTFs should ensure that under their rules depositors under the age of 18 whose deposits are held within a CTF continue to be treated as juvenile depositors until the age of 18. This will provide for the fact that CTF account holders may not withdraw any money from the CTF until they reach the age of 18 in contrast to the position in relation to other deposits which become shares and may be withdrawn earlier.

CRED 7A.3.2

See Notes

handbook-guidance
  1. (1) The effect of the general prohibition in section 19 of the Act is that no person may carry on the regulated activity of accepting deposits, unless authorised or exempt.
  2. (2) CRED 7.3.1A R and CRED 7A.3.1 R are intended to ensure that the liberalisation of credit union borrowing (CRED 7.3.2A R) does not have the unintended effect of undermining the common bond concept (CRED 13 Annex 1 G) by allowing credit unions to operate deposit accounts for natural persons who do not qualify for membership.
  3. (3) Section 20 of the Industrial and Provident Societies Act 1965 provides that a person above the age of 16 may be member of a credit union, unless its rules provide to the contrary (see CRED 13 Annex 2 G Table1G3).
  4. (4) CRED 13 Annex 2 G Table 1G 3 gives guidance on the eligibility of natural persons too young to be members.
  5. (5)
    1. (a) A credit union is no longer required to:
      1. (i) hold such juvenile deposits in a fund apart from the general funds of the credit union; and
      2. (ii) distribute all the interest earned on the fund (after deduction of expenses) to juvenile depositors.
    2. (b) A credit union may make a commercial judgement on the appropriate amount of interest to pay juvenile depositors.
    3. (c) These changes were made by amendment of section 9 of the Credit Unions Act 1979 by Order under section 428 of the Act. (The Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Consequential Amendments and Transitional Provisions) (Credit Unions) Order 2002 - SI 2002 No. 1501)

CRED 7A.4

Insurance against fraud or other dishonesty

CRED 7A.4.1

See Notes

handbook-rule
A credit union must at all times maintain in force a policy of insurance complying with CRED 7A.4.2 R.

CRED 7A.4.2

See Notes

handbook-rule

In order to comply with CRED 7A.4.1 R, a policy of insurance subject to the exception in CRED 7A.4.3 R:

  1. (1) must insure the credit union in respect of every description of loss suffered or liability incurred by reason of the fraud or other dishonesty of any of its officers or employees;
  2. (2) must so insure the credit union up to the limits set out in CRED 7A Annex 1 R in respect of any one claim, except that the liability of the insurer may be restricted to the amounts set out in CRED 7A Annex 1 R in respect of the total of the claims made in any one year; and
  3. (3) must not provide in relation to any claim for any amount greater than one per cent of the limits on any one claim set out in CRED 7A Annex 1 R to be met by the credit union.

CRED 7A.4.3

See Notes

handbook-rule
From the losses and liabilities against which a policy complying with CRED 7A.4.2 R must insure there must be excepted all loss suffered or liability incurred by a credit union other than direct pecuniary loss discovered during the currency of the policy of insurance or within 18 months of the date on which either the policy of insurance lapses, or the duties of the officer or employee concerned are terminated, whichever occurs first.

CRED 7A Annex 1

Insurance against fraud or other dishonesty

See Notes

handbook-rule