IMF Paper Examines Macro-Prudential Policy Frameworks Worldwide

The report presents state-of-the-art approaches on macro-prudential stress testing, including modeling and implementation challenges. It also provides a roadmap for future research and discusses the potential uses of macro-prudential stress testing to support policy. A table at the end of the report lists and summarizes the macro-prudential tools in use being used in various countries (refer to Table 1). Another table examines the design of stress testing frameworks of EU, IMF, UK, United States, Canada, Singapore, Bank of Japan, Bank of Korea, and Norges Bank (refer to Table 2).

Macro-prudential stress tests can offer quantitative, forward-looking assessments of the resilience of financial systems as a whole, to particularly adverse shocks. Therefore, they are well-suited to support the surveillance of macro-financial vulnerabilities and to inform the use of macro-prudential policy instruments. The report argues that it would be useful for authorities to adopt a structured yet flexible approach to stress testing for macro-prudential purposes. Such an approach can employ a number of separate models as part of the analysis. The report also concludes that there needs to be accountability for those in charge of formulating macro-prudential policy to the broader policymaking authorities. Also, there needs to be a clear policy on the delicate issue of transparency of stress testing results. There are costs and benefits of communicating stress test results and this involves weighing possible effects on operations of individual institutions versus the system, perception of risks at different times of the cycle, and consequences for risk-sharing within the system.

Related Link: Report

Keywords: International, Banking, Macro-prudential Policy, Stress Testing, Systemic Risk, IMF