FDIC Director Jonathan McKernan said regulators should investigate the impact of the “Big Three” asset managers—Vanguard, BlackRock, and State Street—on the banking industry.

Details: Speaking in Washington, McKernan said:

  • Regulators should revisit how much of a stake the asset managers can have in the industry without being found to “control” a banking organization, given the growing body of evidence that suggests they are not passive investors.

  • Vanguard, BlackRock, and State Street have used their voting power to influence corporate policy, such as by advancing environmental, social, and governance objectives.

  • This raises “a real and significant problem” of whether these entities have control over any banking organization, which the banking regulators “need to get in front of quickly.”