Systemically Important Financial Institution

Systemically Important Financial Institution (or SIFI) is a bank, insurance company, or other financial institution whose failure could trigger a global financial crisis and therefore it gets the guarantees and/or other protection by states.

As the 2007-2012 global financial crisis has unfolded, the international community has moved to protect the global financial system through preventing the failure of SIFIs, or, if one does fail, limiting the adverse effects of its failure. In November 2011, the Financial Stability Board published a list of global systemically important financial institutions (G-SIFIs).

The Basel Committee on Banking Supervision introduced new regulations (known as Basel III) that also specifically target SIFIs. The main focus of the regulations is to increase bank capital requirements and to introduce capital surcharges for systemically important banks. However, some economists have warned that the tighter Basel III capital regulation, which is primarily based on risk-weighted assets, may further negatively affect the stability of the financial system.