
The Net Stable Funding Ratio (NSFR) plays a crucial role in maintaining financial stability. It's a regulatory requirement designed to ensure banks have sufficient stable funding to meet their short-term liquidity needs.
The NSFR is calculated by dividing a bank's available stable funding by its required stable funding. This ratio helps regulators assess a bank's ability to withstand short-term liquidity shocks.
Banks with a high NSFR are considered more stable, as they have a lower risk of not meeting their short-term obligations. Conversely, banks with a low NSFR may struggle to meet their short-term liquidity needs, posing a risk to financial stability.
A key aspect of the NSFR is its focus on short-term liquidity, which is essential for maintaining financial stability.
What is the NSFR?
The Net Stable Funding Ratio (NSFR) is a metric used to measure a bank's ability to meet its short-term funding needs. It's a key component of the Basel III banking regulations.
The NSFR is calculated by dividing the available stable funding by the required stable funding. This ratio is typically expressed as a percentage.
Banks with a high NSFR are considered to have a stable funding profile, while those with a low NSFR may struggle to meet their short-term obligations.
In essence, the NSFR is a liquidity metric that helps regulators assess a bank's ability to withstand stress scenarios and maintain its financial stability.
Calculating the NSFR
Calculating the NSFR is a straightforward process that involves applying the Available Stable Funding (ASF) and Required Stable Funding (RSF) factors. The ASF and RSF factors are applied through business assumptions and reflect through the execution of a Business as Usual (BAU) run in the OFS LRRCBNM application.
The ASF and RSF factors are applied as weights at the account level, and the Total ASF and Total RSF are obtained by taking a sum of all the weighted amounts. The ratio is then computed by the application as the Total ASF amount divided by the Total RSF amount.
The pre-defined business assumptions for ASF and RSF, as defined in the NSFR guidelines, are prepackaged in the application. These assumptions are listed in the Regulation Addressed through Business Assumptions section of the OFS LRRCBNM application.
The following table lists the Document Identifiers provided in the Regulatory Reference column of the Regulations Addressed through Business Assumptions section:
Computing Net
Computing the Net Stable Funding Ratio is a crucial step in calculating the Net Stable Funding Ratio (NSFR). The NSFR is a key metric in ensuring a Board-regulated institution's stability and resilience.
To calculate the Net Stable Funding Ratio, you need to divide the Available Stable Funding (ASF) amount by the Required Stable Funding (RSF) amount. The ASF amount is calculated based on the carrying values of the institution's NSFR regulatory capital elements and liabilities, multiplied by the ASF factor. The RSF amount, on the other hand, is calculated based on the institution's assets and undrawn amounts of credit and liquidity facilities, multiplied by the RSF factors.
Here's a breakdown of the calculation:
Available Stable Funding (ASF) ÷ Required Stable Funding (RSF) = Net Stable Funding Ratio
The minimum Net Stable Funding Ratio requirement is 1.0, meaning the institution must maintain a ratio of at least 1.0 on an ongoing basis. If the calculated ratio is less than 1.0, the institution needs to take corrective actions to improve its stable funding position.
In some cases, the institution may be allowed to use its previous required stable funding adjustment percentage for a certain period after a change in its categorization. This is to give the institution time to adjust its stable funding position.
Process Flow
The process flow of calculating the NSFR involves applying the Available Stable Funding (ASF) factor and Required Stable Funding (RSF) factor through business assumptions.
These factors are applied as weights at the account level, and the Total ASF and Total RSF are obtained by summing all the weighted amounts.
A set of pre-defined business assumptions for ASF and RSF are prepackaged in the application, based on the NSFR guidelines.
The application then computes the ratio by dividing the Total ASF amount by the Total RSF amount.
For the complete list of pre-seeded ASF and RSF assumptions, see the Regulation Addressed through Business Assumptions section.
Factors Affecting the NSFR
The Net Stable Funding Ratio (NSFR) is influenced by several key factors. One of the main factors is the liquidity of the bank's assets, which can affect the availability of stable funding.
The quality of the bank's assets is also important, with higher-quality assets providing more stable funding. For example, loans to high-quality borrowers are generally considered to be more stable than loans to lower-quality borrowers.
The bank's funding structure, including the mix of short-term and long-term funding, can also impact the NSFR. A high proportion of short-term funding can make it difficult for the bank to meet its liquidity needs.
The NSFR is also affected by the bank's risk appetite and the level of risk it is willing to take on. A bank with a high risk appetite may be more likely to use short-term funding to finance riskier assets, which can negatively impact the NSFR.
Subpart K
Subpart K is a crucial component of the Net Stable Funding Ratio (NSFR) calculation. It accounts for the operational deposits placed at the Board-regulated institution.
An operational deposit is a type of deposit that is not considered High-Quality Liquid Assets (HQLA). This means it's not as liquid as other types of deposits, such as those placed with the Federal Reserve.
A publicly traded common equity share that is not HQLA is also considered part of Subpart K. This type of share is not as liquid as other types of shares, making it less suitable for meeting the NSFR requirements.
ASF Factors
The ASF Factors are a crucial part of the NSFR, and they're actually pretty straightforward once you understand them.
The Stable Funding Factor is a required component of the ASF Factors, which means it's a pre-seeded assumption that affects assets and off-balance sheet items.
This Stable Funding Factor is enlisted in the Required section of the article, and it plays a significant role in determining the overall NSFR.
In essence, the ASF Factors are all about ensuring that banks have stable funding sources to back up their assets and off-balance sheet items.
RSF Factors
The available stable funding factor, or ASF, plays a crucial role in calculating the available amount of stable funding. This factor is a pre-determined weight ranging from 0% to 100% applied through business assumptions for accounts falling under specific dimensional combinations.
For example, foreign bank branches can account for undrawn contractual committed facilities from its head office or other branches as ASF up to 40% of the minimum ASF required to meet the minimum requirement of the NSFR.
The ASF factor is guided by the NSFR standard and is applied to various accounts, such as deposits. In the case of deposits, the ASF factor can be as high as 95% for certain dimensional combinations, such as retail deposits with a residual maturity band of less than 6 months.
The formula for calculating the available amount of stable funding involves applying the ASF factor to the weighted amounts of each account. This is done by multiplying the stable balance of each account by the corresponding ASF weight.
Here's an example of how this works:
In this example, the ASF factor is applied to each account's stable balance to determine the ASF weighted amount. This process is repeated for all accounts falling under the same dimensional combination.
It's worth noting that the LRRCBNM application does not compute ASF items such as Tier 1 and Tier 2 capital, deferred tax liabilities, and minority interest. Instead, these items are taken as a download from the OFS Basel application.
Derivatives
Derivatives play a significant role in the Net Stable Funding Requirement (NSFR). The BNM has pre-configured assumptions for derivatives that need to be considered when calculating the NSFR.
One important assumption is that 20% of negative mark-to-market value for derivative contracts is subject to a 100% Risk-Weighted Assets (RWA) factor. This is specified in Paragraph 9.18(d).
The BNM also has an assumption for Net NSFR Derivative Liabilities, which applies a 0% Asset Serviceability Factor (ASF) factor to derivative liabilities net of derivative assets, where the net aggregate mark to the market value of the contracts is negative. This is mentioned in Paragraphs 8.13(c) and 10.3.

For derivative assets net of derivative liabilities, the BNM applies a 100% RWA factor when the net aggregate mark to the market value of the contracts is positive. This is specified in Paragraphs 9.18(b) and 10.7.
The BNM also has an assumption for Margin for Derivatives, which applies an 85% RWA factor to the initial margin posted against derivative contracts. This is mentioned in Paragraph 9.17(b).
Here's a summary of the BNM's assumptions for derivatives:
Derivatives and Off-Balance Sheet Items
Derivatives and Off-Balance Sheet Items can significantly impact a bank's Net Stable Funding Ratio (NSFR).
Derivatives are financial contracts that can be used to manage risk, but they can also create off-balance sheet liabilities that must be accounted for in the NSFR calculation.
BNM-Additional Derivative Liability for RSF assumption applies a 100% Risk-Weighted Funding (RSF) factor to the 20% of negative mark-to-market value for derivative contracts.
To calculate the RSF factor for derivatives, you can use the following table:
BNM-Net NSFR Derivative Liabilities and BNM-Net NSFR Derivative Assets assumptions apply different RSF factors to net derivative liabilities and assets, respectively.
Off-Balance Sheet Items
Off-balance sheet items are a crucial aspect of financial reporting, and understanding how they work can be a challenge. Off-balance sheet items are considered under the application of RSF factor and are given the appropriate factor as guided.
Some off-balance sheet products, such as Variable Rate Demand Notes (VRDN) and Adjustable Rate Notes (ARN), do not have pre-defined factors and are left to the discretion of the jurisdictions. For such products, define assumptions and apply the desired RSF factors as applicable.
The Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) has pre-configured off-balance sheet assumptions that can be used to simplify the process. These assumptions are listed in the table below:
These pre-configured assumptions can save time and reduce errors when calculating off-balance sheet items.
NSFR Derivatives Amounts Calculation
Calculating the NSFR derivatives amounts can be a complex task, but understanding the pre-seeded assumptions can make it more manageable.
The BNM NSFR derivatives amounts are determined by four pre-configured derivatives assumptions, which are outlined in the BNM NSFR derivatives table.
One of these assumptions, BNM-Additional Derivative Liability for RSF, applies a 100% RSF factor to the 20% of negative mark-to-market value for derivative contracts.
BNM-Net NSFR Derivative Liabilities assumption applies a 0% ASF factor to derivative liabilities net of derivative assets, where the net aggregate mark to the market value of the contracts is negative.
BNM-Net NSFR Derivative Assets assumption applies a 100% RSF factor to derivative assets net of derivative liabilities, where the net aggregate mark to the market value of the contracts is positive.
BNM-Margin for Derivatives assumption applies an 85% RSF factor to the initial margin posted against derivative contracts.
Here's a summary of the four assumptions:
These assumptions are crucial in calculating the required stable funding amount, which is determined by the Board-regulated institution's required stable funding adjustment percentage.
The required stable funding adjustment percentage is determined by table 1 to paragraph (b) of the Board-regulated institution's RSF amount calculation.
Consequences and Regulation

The consequences of not meeting the Net Stable Funding Ratio (NSFR) are significant. Banks will need to find a large amount of stable funding to meet the NSFR ratio, which could put pressure on the stable funding market.
The Basel Committee is reviewing the NSFR to avoid unintended consequences, but banks will still need to comply with this second ratio. This will require a large amount of work, which could lead to dramatic consequences if not managed properly.
The market might witness large and dramatic unintended consequences if €2.0 trillion are demanded in a too short period of time.
Pressure
Pressure is mounting on banks to meet the NSFR standard, with the Basel Committee expecting them to comply by 2018. Banks still need to raise a significant amount of stable source of funding.
At the end of 2012, Group 1 banks showed an average NSFR of 100%, but many banks still struggle to meet this requirement. The aggregate NSFR shortfall at a minimum requirement of 100% was €2.0 trillion.
What Are the Financial Sector's Consequences?
The financial sector is in for a significant challenge as banks struggle to meet the new liquidity standards set by the Basel Committee. Banks still need a large amount of stable funding to meet the Net Stable Funding Ratio (NSFR) ratio.
This is a major concern because banks typically left compliance with the NSFR ratio until the second phase of their Basel III adaptation, while focusing on the Liquidity Coverage Ratio (LCR) ratio in the first phase. The result is that banks will now have to do a lot of work to comply with the NSFR ratio, which will put pressure on the stable funding market.
If €2.0 trillion in stable funding is demanded in a short period of time, the market could experience large and dramatic unintended consequences. The Basel Committee is currently reviewing the NSFR to avoid these consequences, but it's unclear what the outcome will be.
Banks will have to work hard to comply with the NSFR ratio, which could lead to a shortage of stable funding in the market. This could have significant consequences for the financial sector as a whole.
Regulation Through Business Assumptions
The application supports multiple assumptions with preconfigured rules and scenarios based on regulator specified NSFR scenario parameters.
The list of preconfigured business assumptions and the corresponding reference to the regulatory requirement that it addresses is provided in tables.
These preconfigured rules and scenarios can help organizations address regulatory requirements more efficiently.
Regulatory requirements are addressed through specific business assumptions that are preconfigured in the application.
The application provides a clear and organized way to understand which business assumptions address which regulatory requirements.
This can help organizations navigate complex regulatory landscapes and ensure compliance.
Agencies Propose Rule
The agencies have proposed a rule to strengthen the resilience of large banking organizations by requiring them to maintain a minimum level of stable funding relative to the liquidity of their assets.
The proposed rule, called the net stable funding ratio (NSFR), would be designed to reduce the likelihood that disruptions to a banking organization's sources of funding will compromise its liquidity position.

The NSFR proposal would complement the liquidity coverage ratio rule, which requires large banking organizations to hold a minimum amount of high-quality liquid assets.
The proposed rule would be tailored to the risk of the banking organizations, with the most stringent requirements applying to the largest firms.
The largest firms, those with $250 billion or more in total consolidated assets or $10 billion or more in on-balance sheet foreign exposure, would be subject to the most stringent requirements.
Holding companies with less than $250 billion, but more than $50 billion in total consolidated assets, and less than $10 billion in on-balance sheet foreign exposure, would be subject to a less stringent, modified NSFR requirement.
The rule would not apply to holding companies with less than $50 billion in total consolidated assets and would not apply to community banks.
Holding companies subject to the proposal would be required to publicly disclose information about their NSFR levels each quarter.
The NSFR would become effective on January 1, 2018, and is consistent with the liquidity standard agreed to by the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision.
The public is invited to submit comments on the proposed rule through August 5, 2016.
Implementation and Tools

Implementing the Net Stable Funding Ratio (NSFR) requires a robust framework that captures the liquidity needs of banks. This framework should be based on the Basel III liquidity standards.
To calculate the NSFR, banks must identify their stable funding and liquidity sources. These include deposits, long-term funding, and other forms of stable funding.
Banks must also identify their liquidity needs, which include funding for lending and other financial activities. A bank's liquidity needs are typically higher than its stable funding sources.
The NSFR is calculated by dividing a bank's stable funding by its liquidity needs. This ratio must be at least 100% to meet the Basel III liquidity standards.
Banks can use various tools to implement the NSFR, including the Liquidity Coverage Ratio (LCR) and the Cash Flow Projection (CFP) model. These tools help banks manage their liquidity and funding needs.
By using these tools and frameworks, banks can ensure they have sufficient stable funding to meet their liquidity needs. This helps maintain financial stability and reduces the risk of liquidity crises.
Maturity and Bands
Maturity bands are used to allocate factors for NSFR computation, and the BNM NSFR band is pre-defined as per regulatory guidelines.
The maturity bands are categorized into three values: less than 6 months, greater than or equal to 6 months but less than 1 year, and all accounts will be categorized on one of these bands depending on the maturity date.
To categorize any product into open maturity, the LRM - Classification of Products as Open Maturity rule should be edited, and the product must be included in the rule.
Accounts with maturity dates less than 6 months are categorized into one of the maturity bands.
Calculating Required Amount
Calculating the required amount of stable funding is a crucial step in determining a bank's net stable funding ratio (NSFR). The required stable funding amount is calculated by multiplying the required stable funding adjustment percentage by the sum of the carrying values of a bank's assets and the undrawn amounts of its credit and liquidity facilities, both multiplied by the RSF factors.
The required stable funding adjustment percentage is determined based on the bank's category and average weighted short-term wholesale funding. For example, a Category III Board-regulated institution with $75 billion or more in average weighted short-term wholesale funding has a required stable funding adjustment percentage of 100%.
The formula for calculating the required amount of stable funding is as follows: Required Stable Funding Amount = (Required Stable Funding Adjustment Percentage x (Carrying Values of Assets + Undrawn Amounts of Credit and Liquidity Facilities)).
Here's a breakdown of the required stable funding adjustment percentages for different categories of banks:
Note that the required stable funding adjustment percentage can change over time, and banks must continue to use their previous required stable funding adjustment percentage until the first day of the third calendar quarter after the change.
Overview
The Net stable funding ratio (NSFR) is a key concept in banking regulation. It's defined as the amount of available stable funding relative to the required stable funding.
Available stable funding refers to the portion of capital and liabilities expected to be reliable over the horizon of 1 year. This is a crucial aspect of a bank's financial stability.
The NSFR ratio is expected to be at least 100%. This means that banks must ensure they have a stable funding base to support their assets and off-balance sheet exposures.
A bank's available stable funding includes capital and liabilities that are expected to be reliable over the 1-year horizon. This can include deposits, loans, and other sources of funding.
The NSFR is an important tool for regulators to assess a bank's ability to meet its short-term obligations. It helps to ensure that banks have a stable funding base to support their operations.
Here's a breakdown of the key components of the NSFR:
The NSFR ratio is a critical metric for banks to manage their risk and ensure financial stability. By maintaining a stable funding base, banks can better weather economic downturns and maintain their operations.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the LCR and NSFR?
The LCR (Liquidity Coverage Ratio) and NSFR (Net Stable Funding Ratio) are two key ratios that help banks manage their liquidity and funding risks, ensuring they have enough cash to meet their obligations. These ratios are part of the Basel III agreements, designed to maintain financial stability and prevent bank failures.
What is the net stable deposit ratio?
The Net Stable Funding Ratio (NSFR) measures the amount of stable funding a bank has compared to its required stable funding. It's a key metric to ensure banks have sufficient stable funding to meet their obligations.
Sources
- https://www.sia-partners.com/en/insights/publications/net-stable-funding-ratio-impacts-financial-sector
- https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-12/chapter-II/subchapter-A/part-249/subpart-K
- https://docs.oracle.com/cd/E99053_01/PDF/8.1.2/LRS_Malaysia_UG_HTML/4_Net_Stable_Funding_Ratio_Calculation.htm
- https://www.federalreserve.gov/newsevents/pressreleases/bcreg20160503a.htm
- https://bpi.com/six-questions-about-the-net-stable-funding-ratio-nsfr-requirement/
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