Although FHLBanks can use published securities ratings to help make investment decisions, they should also consider other sources of financial information. Exclusive reliance on ratings can be an unsafe and unsound banking practice because credit ratings may lag actual changes in credit quality. There have been a number of instances where companies maintained investment grade ratings until just before they defaulted. To manage investment risks prudently, FHLBanks should supplement external ratings with internal credit analysis. The depth of the FHLBank’s internal analysis should be a function of the security’s rating, the complexity of.
