THE FEDERAL CREDIT UNION ACT

Several key terms that are used throughout this report bear mention. The two most significant related terms for subsets of “credit rating agencies” are “nationally recognised statistical rating organisations” (NRSROs), which are regulated by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (US SEC), and “external credit assessment institutions” (ECAIs), a term set forth in the Basel II framework. The term “NRSRO” is defined in United States (US) legislation4 and is limited to credit rating agencies that have applied for and been granted registration by the US SEC. This statutory definition of NRSRO is cross-referenced extensively in US regulations as...