By Steve Schaefer, Exile on Wall Street blog @ forbes.com, June 10, 2011

 The Federal Reserve is seeking comment on a plan to stress test many U.S. banks on an annual basis, according to a press release from the central bank Friday. Aside from assessing how companies are managing risk, the plan would also Wall Street check with regulators before returning capital to shareholders.

Friday’s announcement calls for annual tests on banks with over $50 billion in consolidated assets, a broader scope than the 19 banks the Fed has stress tested under its Comprehensive Capital Analysis and Review (CCAR)....

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Fed Looks to Broaden Capital Reviews to Top 35 Banks
By Jeffrey Sparshott, Wall Street Journal, June 10, 2011

WASHINGTON—The Federal Reserve on Friday said it wants its reviews of bank capital plans to include a deeper look at more institutions as it works to ensure the financial system could withstand a severe economic downturn.

The Fed proposal would require the biggest U.S. banks to develop detailed capital plans and submit them for federal review before making dividend payments or stock repurchases.....