What is a Systemic Bank?

A systemic bank is a financial institution that is deemed so important to the overall stability of a country’s economy that its failure could have severe consequences on the entire financial system. These banks play a crucial role in stabilizing the economy and preventing systemic risks.

Criteria for Systemic Banks

There are several factors that regulators consider when determining whether a bank is systemic. Some of the critical criteria include:

• SIZE: Systemic banks are often large institutions with significant assets under management. Their size makes them critical players in the financial market, as their failure could have widespread repercussions.
• INTERCONNECTEDNESS: Systemic banks are highly interconnected with other financial institutions, both domestically and internationally. This means that if one systemic bank were to fail, it could trigger a domino effect, causing other institutions to collapse as well.
• SUBSTITUTABILITY: A bank is considered systemic if there are no viable alternatives that can quickly step in and replace its services. This means that the failure of a systemic bank would leave a void in the financial system that could not be easily filled.
• COMPLEXITY: Systemic banks are often engaged in complex financial transactions and have intricate organizational structures.

Cashbox Global’s Use of Systemic Banks as Issuers

To mitigate issuer risk, Cashbox Global strategically partners with systemically important banks as issuers. Issuer risk refers to the possibility that the issuer of a financial instrument may default on its obligations, causing investors to lose their investment. By working with systemic banks, Cashbox Global minimizes this risk for its clients.

CASHBOX GLOBAL’S METHODOLOGY

Cashbox Global identifies and evaluates systemically important banks by considering factors such as their size, interconnectedness, substitutability, and complexity. They also take into account the bank’s credit rating, financial health, credit swap rates, and regulatory compliance.

BENEFIT OF USING SYSTEMIC BANKS AS ISSUERS

Systemic banks, due to their significant role in the economy and financial system, are often considered “too big to fail.” This means that governments and regulators are highly likely to step in and provide support or assistance if a systemic bank is at risk of failing. The rationale behind this is to prevent a domino effect that could lead to widespread economic instability and even a potential financial crisis.

Government intervention can take various forms, such as providing emergency funding, facilitating mergers or acquisitions with healthier institutions, or even nationalizing the bank temporarily. However, government intervention is not guaranteed, and the specific approach may vary depending on the circumstances and jurisdiction.

In recent years, there has been a growing emphasis on implementing regulatory measures and safeguards to minimize the likelihood of systemic bank failures. These include stricter capital and liquidity requirements, stress testing, and resolution planning to ensure that banks can be wound down in an orderly manner without causing disruptions to the financial system.