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HomeFinancial CodeDiv. 1.1Ch. 5Art. 4§ 1151 Bank Capital Accounts Allocation

§ 1151 Bank Capital Accounts Allocation

Financial Code·California
AI Summary·Official Text·Key Terms·Related Statutes·References
AI SummaryVerified

§ 1151 Bank Capital Accounts Allocation

This law lets a bank set up separate accounts for its capital, surplus, and undivided profits and move money between them, but it must follow three simple rules.

Key Takeaways

  • •Banks can move money among capital, surplus, and undivided profits accounts.
  • •Money that came from shareholders (contributed capital) can never be put into the undivided profits account.
  • •Undivided profits can never be bigger than the bank’s retained earnings.
  • •The capital account must always be at least as big as the total par value of all shares that are out there.

Example

A bank wants to move $5 million from its surplus account into the undivided profits account.

The bank can do that only if the undivided profits after the move are still less than or equal to the bank’s retained earnings, and it must still keep all contributed capital out of the undivided profits account.

How to Calculate

Capital Account ≥ (Par Value per Share × Number of Outstanding Shares)

  1. Find the par value that each share of the bank is supposed to have.
  2. Count how many shares are currently owned by shareholders (outstanding shares).
  3. Multiply the par value by the number of outstanding shares to get the total required capital.
  4. Make sure the bank’s capital account balance is at least this total amount.

The bank’s shares have a par value of $1 each and there are 10 million shares outstanding.

Result: Required capital = $1 × 10,000,000 = $10,000,000. The bank must keep at least $10 million in its capital account.

AI-generated — May contain errors. Not legal advice. Always verify source.

Official Source
View on CA.gov

§ 1151 Bank Capital Accounts Allocation

For purposes of any statute, regulation, or requirement of any governmental official or agency which refers to the capital (including, without limitation, stated capital, paid-in capital, and paid-up capital, but excluding contributed capital), surplus, or undivided profits of a bank, a bank, with the approval of its board, may establish and maintain capital, surplus, and undivided profits accounts and may from time to time allocate and reallocate its shareholders’ equity among such accounts; provided, however: (a) That no part of the contributed capital of the bank shall be allocated to the undivided profits account of the bank; (b) That the undivided profits account of the bank shall at no time exceed the retained earnings of the bank; and (c) That, in case the articles of the bank provide that any of the bank’s shares shall have par value and specify the par value of such shares or in case the bank has determined the par value of any of its shares pursuant to Section 1120, the capital account of the bank shall be not less than the aggregate par value of such shares which are outstanding. (Added by Stats. 2011, Ch. 243, Sec. 3. (SB 664) Effective January 1, 2012.)

Last verified: January 10, 2026

Key Terms

capital accountsurplusundivided profits accountcontributed capitalretained earningspar value

Related Statutes

  • § 1120 Bank Share Par Value
  • § 1132 Bank Shareholder Distribution Limits
  • § 1133 Bank Shareholder Distribution Limits
  • § 1134 Bank Shareholder Distributions
  • § 1150 Bank Shareholder Equity Adequacy

References

  • Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
  • California Legislature. Financial Code. Section 1151.
View Official Source