The agency created to ensure that risks to the stability of the U.S. financial system are quickly identified and dealt with needs greater transparency to do its job correctly, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) said in a new study.
It also needs to create a better system of coordination, and share more information with the public, the study reported.
The GAO said that is necessary because the agency, the Financial Stability Oversight Council (FSOC), is composed of the heads of a number of disparate agencies whose primary responsibility is to oversee various components of the U.S. financial services system.
The report also voiced concern with the work of the Office of Financial Research (OFR). This bureau, which is located in the Treasury Department, was created to be the "back office" of the FSOC, producing financial data and establishing metrics that members of the FSOC can use to measure financial risk within the system.
The GAO recommended that the FSOC and the OFR strengthen transparency and accountability by collecting and sharing financial risk indicators, keeping detailed records of closed-door sessions and developing forward-looking plans to help "prioritize the threats."
The report prompted two reactions. As part of the report, Mary Miller, Treasury undersecretary for domestic finance, said that Treasury supports the recommendations.
She also said that the FSOC has already "moved quickly to fulfill its statutory mission" and "promote greater collaboration among its members."
Rep. Spencer Bachus, R-Ala., chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, asked that the FSOC and the OFR "operate transparently and efficiently, without imposing an undue burden on the nation's financial system."
Bachus's letter was sent to Timothy Geithner, secretary of the Treasury Department. Under the Dodd-Frank Act provision which established the two agencies, the Treasury secretary heads the FSOC.
Bachus also demanded additional information.
The letter said that the OFR has not filled three of its top eight leadership positions, and asked what steps the Treasury Department is taking to fill those spots.
