The proposal is the Fed's latest response to criticism that it failed to crack down on lax lending, reckless gambles and other practices that led to the financial crisis.
The central bank's more activist stance carries a risk, though: It could intensify accusations from lawmakers and other critics that the Fed is overstepping its bounds and should be reined in.
The compensation issue probably will surface when President Barack Obama meets with his counterparts from other major industrialized countries in Pittsburgh next week. French President Nicolas Sarkozy is leading a European attempt to rein in banker bonuses at the Group of 20 summit.
G-20 leaders promised at their London meeting in April to pass "tough new principles on pay and compensation." But little progress has been made.
Under its proposal, the Fed would review — and could reject — pay policies that could cause too much risk taking by executives or other employees, according to those familiar with the plan. The Fed would not actually set compensation, however, they said.
The proposal is far reaching. The Fed would review salaries, bonuses and other compensation for CEOs and other senior management, the people with knowledge of the proposal said.
It also would cover certain employees, such as traders, who can take big risks on behalf of a firm, they said. And it would cover some workers whose compensation could affect their risk taking, such as loan officers making mortgages, they added.
Policy would control riskThe Fed could examine not only the compensation level but also how it's structured, such as when it is awarded, the sources said.
The goal is to make sure banks' pay policies don't encourage top managers or other employees to take gambles that could endanger a company, the broader financial system or the economy. The failure of many banks to closely monitor risk and limit compensation that might encourage too much risk contributed to the financial crisis.
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