12 C.F.R. § 238.52 – Exempt savings and loan holding companies and grandfathered activities.

(a) Exempt savings and loan holding companies.
1. (1) The following savings and loan holding companies are exempt from the limitations of § 238.51(b):
  1. (i) Any savings and loan holding company (or subsidiary of such company) that controls only one savings association, if the savings association subsidiary of such company is a qualified thrift lender as defined in § 238.2(k).
  2. (ii) Any savings and loan holding company (or subsidiary thereof) that controls more than one savings association if all, or all but one of the savings association subsidiaries of such company were acquired pursuant to an acquisition under section 13(c) or 13(k) of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act, or section 408(m) of the National Housing Act, as in effect immediately prior to the date of enactment of the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery and Enforcement Act of 1989, and all of the savings association subsidiaries of such company are qualified thrift lenders as defined in § 238.2(k).
2. (2) Any savings and loan holding company whose subsidiary savings association(s) fails to qualify as a qualified thrift lender pursuant to 12 U.S.C. 1467a(m) may not commence, or continue, any service or activity other than those permitted under § 238.51(b) of this part, except that, the Board may allow, for good cause shown, such company (or subsidiary of such company which is not a savings association) up to 3 years to comply with the limitations set forth in § 238.51(b) of this part: Provided, That effective August 9, 1990, any company that controls a savings association that should have become or ceases to be a qualified thrift lender, except a savings association that requalified as a qualified thrift lender pursuant to section 10(m)(3)(D) of the Home Owners' Loan Act, shall within one year after the date on which the savings association fails to qualify as a qualified thrift lender, register as and be deemed to be a bank holding company, subject to all of the provisions of the Bank Holding Company Act, section 8 of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act, and other statutes applicable to bank holding companies in the same manner and to the same extent as if the company were a bank holding company and the savings association were a bank, as those terms are defined in the Bank Holding Company Act.
(b) Grandfathered activities for certain savings and loan holding companies. Notwithstanding § 238.51(b) and subject to paragraph (c) of this section, any savings and loan holding company that received approval prior to March 5, 1987 to acquire control of a savings association may engage, directly or indirectly or through any subsidiary (other than a subsidiary savings association of such company) in any activity in which it was lawfully engaged on March 5, 1987, provided, that:
1. (1) The holding company does not, after August 10, 1987, acquire control of a bank or an additional savings association, other than a savings association acquired pursuant to section 13(c) or 13(k) of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act, or section 406(f) or 408(m) of the National Housing Act, as in effect immediately prior to the date of enactment of the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery and Enforcement Act of 1989;
2. (2) Any savings association subsidiary of the holding company continues to qualify as a domestic building and loan association under section 7701(a)(19) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 after August 10, 1987;
3. (3) The holding company does not engage in any business activity other than those permitted under § 238.51(b) or in which it was engaged on March 5, 1987;
4. (4) Any savings association subsidiary of the holding company does not increase the number of locations from which such savings association conducts business after March 5, 1987, other than an increase due to a transaction under section 13(c) or 13(k) of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act, or under section 408(m) of the National Housing Act, as in effect immediately prior to the date of enactment of the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery and Enforcement Act of 1989; and
5. (5) Any savings association subsidiary of the holding company does not permit any overdraft (including an intra-day overdraft) or incur any such overdraft in its account at a Federal Reserve bank, on behalf of an affiliate, unless such overdraft results from an inadvertent computer or accounting error that is beyond the control of both the savings association subsidiary and the affiliate.
(c) Termination by the Board of grandfathered activities. Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph (b) of this section, the Board may, after opportunity for hearing, terminate any activity engaged in under paragraph (b) of this section upon determination that such action is necessary:
1. (1) To prevent conflicts of interest;
2. (2) To prevent unsafe or unsound practices; or
3. (3) To protect the public interest.
(d) Foreign holding company. Any savings and loan holding company organized under the laws of a foreign country as of June 1, 1984 (including any subsidiary thereof that is not a savings association) that controlled a single savings association on August 10, 1987, shall not be subject to the restrictions set forth in § 238.51(b) with respect to any activities of such holding company that are conducted exclusively in a foreign country.