Having sought ways to make regulation simpler and less burdensome for firms, US Federal Reserve vice-chair Randal Quarles is now shifting his attention to supervision.

In remarks on December 11, Quarles focused on the Fed’s “supervisory ratings”, confidential decisions that supervisors make about banks and their management. He said that, given the Fed’s “success” with its “refinement” of regulation, supervision should be next.

“My concern is that, despite the fact that our examiners have used