Secondar y Reserve Require ments
Secondary reserve requirements refer to the amount of capital that financial institutions in the United States must maintain to fulfill regulatory standards. Its purpose is to ensure that banks, credit unions, and other depository institutions remain financially secure, even in times of stress or crisis.
Secondary reserve requirements are also known as statutory reserves and are maintained in addition to the federal reserve requirements. Financial institutions must meet these requirements each quarter, and the level set is determined by the institutions primary federal regulator, generally the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC).
Secondary reserve requirements are based on the type of loan and deposit liabilities a financial institution has on its balance sheet. Specifically, the financial institution must maintain a certain percentage of its loan and deposit liabilities, typically anywhere from one to five percent, as statutory reserves on deposit with the Federal Reserve.
The purpose of the secondary reserve requirement is to act as a buffer should a financial institution experience losses on its loan and deposit liabilities. It is meant to protect the customer deposits of the financial institution in the event of such losses. It also serves as an additional safeguard for protecting the financial system from financial loss, as it limits how much money a bank can lend out.
For example, if a bank has $2 million in loan liabilities, and a reserve requirement of two percent, it must maintain $40,000 of statutory reserves. This means the bank will be limited to only lending out $1.96 million of its loan liabilities.
In addition to maintaining statutory reserve requirements, financial institutions must also ensure that they have sufficient liquidity to meet any cash requirements. This requires banks to maintain a certain level of liquid assets, such as cash or U.S. Treasury bills, on hand at all times.
In conclusion, secondary reserve requirements are an important part of the regulatory framework in the United States. These requirements are designed to protect the financial system and ensure the safety and soundness of the banking system by preventing the overleveraging of loan and deposit liabilities and maintaining a sufficient liquidity level. These requirements have proven to be an effective measure in reducing the impact of economic downturns on financial institutions and customers.