Master Data Search Engine for Large and Million Credit Reporting

Deutsche Bundesbank Frankfurt am Main, January 2016 B 42 Information Sheet Master Data Search Engine for Large and Million Credit Reporting

1. Preliminary Remarks
   With the Master Data Search Engine for Large and Million Credit Reporting, the Deutsche Bundesbank provides reporting credit lenders with the opportunity to inform themselves at any time online about the stored master data of borrowers, borrower units, and lenders held by the Deutsche Bundesbank. In this context, master data refers to the information useful for identification (e.g., first name, surname, company name, registered office, registration number).

This offer provides the following advantages for credit lenders:
Credit lenders can check before submitting a master data report whether borrowers to be reported for the first time are already present in the Bundesbank database. It is permissible to report these borrowers in the initial report using the collective report. The elaborate creation of individual master data reports is thereby avoided (see Section 6). The master data stored at the Bundesbank can be compared in full scope with the lender's own information at any time. Any discrepancies can be addressed by submitting a master data report. This close cooperation between credit lenders and the Bundesbank achieves an improvement in the quality of the master data.

2. Confidentiality
   According to Section 14, Paragraph 2, Sentences 8 to 13 of the German Banking Act (KWG), the information made known to credit lenders through the search engine must not be passed on to third parties and may only be used for the purposes of banking supervisory reporting. Accesses to the master data are logged by the Bundesbank. The Deutsche Bundesbank reserves the right to exclude credit lenders from using the search engine in cases of misuse.

3. Disclaimer of Liability, Duty to Verify
   The Deutsche Bundesbank assumes no liability for the accuracy of the disclosed master data. The master data is based on the information reported to the Bundesbank by the reporting credit lenders regarding their borrowers or borrower units. The currency of a master data record depends mainly on when the last large or million credit report was submitted for the respective borrower. Borrowers who have not been reported for a longer period are still findable via the search engine but reflect the information status of the last credit extension. Unfortunately, for reasons of confidentiality, the date of the last credit report cannot be disclosed in the search engine.

It cannot be concluded solely from the fact that a master data record is displayed in the master data search engine that this company or person was, is, or will be a borrower.
Before using master data for banking supervisory reporting, credit lenders must in any case completely cross-check the found information with their own knowledge of their borrowers.

4. Access to the Search Engine
   The use of the search engine is possible for all companies participating in the million credit reporting procedure in accordance with Section 14, Paragraph 1, Sentence 1 of the KWG. The technical prerequisites are merely a PC with internet access and a browser.
   Access is granted via personal user registration in the ExtraNet of the Deutsche Bundesbank. Registration is possible at https://extranet.bundesbank.de/bsvpub/. There, in the specialized procedure "Banking Supervisory Reporting," the function "Master Data Search for Borrowers according to Sections 13 to 14 KWG" must be selected. As part of the registration process, a user ID is assigned. After sending the printed registration application, a password is sent to the new user by post. With the user ID and password, access to the user area of the specialized procedure is then possible. Existing ExtraNet users can expand their scope of authorization to include the search engine via a follow-up registration.

5. Scope of Functionality
   In addition to the actual search function, the search engine offers the user several views designed to identify a searched borrower and obtain a complete overview of the stored master data. Specifically, the following evaluations are available:

5.1 Search
In the search, a borrower, borrower unit (KNE), or lender master data record can be searched for using search terms or the identification number. When searching for natural persons using search terms, the date of birth must also be provided. For data protection reasons, a maximum of 30 hits are displayed in the results. The number of hits can be restricted using the "advanced search" function or the "full-text search" function within the search results.

5.2 Master Data View
The master data view of a master data record displays all attributes required for identification, such as first name, surname, company name, registered office, and registration number. It also shows the affiliation to a KNE; for civil law partnerships (GbR), it shows their partners, and for partners, the associated GbRs. In the case of a large number of borrower units, partners, or GbRs, only a selection of these relationships is displayed.

5.3 All Relationships of a Borrower
The view with the same name provides a list of all relationships of a borrower. Here, all affiliations to borrower units and generally all civil law partnerships in which a borrower is a partner are displayed, regardless of the number.

5.4 GbR Mirror
In the GbR mirror, generally all partners of a GbR can be viewed.

5.5 KNE Mirror
The KNE mirror displays all borrowers who belong to the evaluated borrower unit according to Section 19, Paragraph 2 of the KWG.

5.6 Appendices MKNE and GbR
The views Appendix GbR and Appendix MKNE show, for each credit lender, which reporting obligations according to Sections 13 to 14 KWG are stored for the individual partners or the individual borrower units.

In all views (5.2 to 5.6), the master data status of up to four reporting dates can be displayed. In most cases, the three most recently reported reporting periods are provided. This allows the development of master data to be traced back over a period of one year. Due to this historical master data storage, master data is also found in the search (5.1) even if search terms are formed from outdated company names or addresses. However, in such cases, the output in the results display is done with the currently stored master data. Details on all available functionalities and the information displayed can be found in the online help of the search engine.

6. Reporting in Collective Report
   Master data found with the help of the search engine and fully verified should be used to avoid creating an individual report for a borrower to be reported for the first time or after an interruption. Reporting such borrowers in the collective report is only permissible if the master data stored at the Bundesbank corresponds completely with the credit lender's own findings (see also Section 3, Disclaimer of Liability, Duty to Verify).

Master data distinguishes between borrower, borrower unit, and lender master data. In particular, credit institutions are usually present in the database with multiple master data records, once as a borrower and once as a lender, and possibly also with a borrower unit master data record of the same name. When transferring the identification numbers into the collective report, it is essential to ensure that only borrower numbers are entered in the fields "POS050 'Borrower-ID'" of the BA data records, only borrower unit numbers in the BAZ data records, and only lender numbers in the fields "POS080 'Lender-ID'" of the BA6 and BA7 data records.

7. Handling of Deleted Master Data
   Master data is marked as "deleted" in the holdings of the Deutsche Bundesbank for various reasons. Examples include mergers, deletion of companies from the register, and completed inheritance divisions, as well as non-extension of credit over a longer period. If the identified master data record is deleted, it must not be reported via the collective report. A report via individual report with the aim of reactivation by the Deutsche Bundesbank is permissible in justified cases. The deleted identification number may be entered in the field "Identification number if known" of the individual report.

8. Costs
   The Deutsche Bundesbank does not charge credit lenders any fees for the use of the search engine. Only the costs for the use of the internet are incurred.

9. Contact Person for the "Search Engine" Area
   For further questions, the following communication channels are available:
   Telephone: (069) 95 66 – 71 41 or – 71 42
   Fax: (069) 95 66 – 52 52 e-Mail: MIO-DTA@bundesbank.de