The federal government’s extraordinary multi-pronged attack against executive compensation practices took another step forward, this time with the Federal Reserve Board of Governors (“FRB”) taking aim. On October 22, 2009, the FRB proposed new guidance that will dramatically affect incentive compensation arrangements for the banking industry. The proposed guidance is consistent with and largely patterned after the multi-national Financial Stability Board’s September 25, 2009 report titled “FSB Principles for Sound Compensation Practices.” Not to be left out of the headlines, on the same day, the Special Master for the government’s Troubled Asset Relief Program (“TARP”) Executive Compensation also announced significant reductions in compensation for the top executives and employees at companies receiving exceptional TARP assistance along with various other mandated reforms to compensation practices.