Terminology used in Banking more

Tier 1 Capital

What Does Tier 1 Capital Mean?
A term used to describe the capital adequacy of a bank. Tier I capital is core capital, this includes equity capital and disclosed reserves. Equity capital includes instruments that can't be redeemed at the option of the holder.

Tier 2 Capital
What Does Tier 2 Capital Mean?
A term used to describe the capital adequacy of a bank. Tier II capital is secondary bank capital that includes items such as undisclosed reserves, general loss reserves, subordinated term debt, and more.

Tier 3 Capital
What Does Tier 3 Capital Mean?
Tertiary capital held by banks to meet part of their market risks, that includes a greater variety of debt than tier 1 and tier 2 capitals. Tier 3 capital debts may include a greater number of subordinated issues, undisclosed reserves and general loss reserves compared to tier 2 capital. To qualify as tier 3 capital, assets must be limited to 250% of a banks tier 1 capital, be unsecured, subordinated and have a minimum maturity of two years.

Capital Adequacy Ratio - CAR
What Does Capital Adequacy Ratio - CAR Mean?
A measure of a bank's capital. It is expressed as a percentage of a bank's risk weighted credit exposures. Also known as "Capital to Risk Weighted Assets Ratio (CRAR)." This ratio is used to protect depositors and promote the stability and efficiency of financial systems around the world.

Two types of capital are measured: tier one capital, which can absorb losses without a bank being required to cease trading, and tier two capital, which can absorb losses in the event of a winding-up and so provides a lesser degree of protection to depositors.

Basel I
What Does Basel I Mean?
A set of international banking regulations put forth by the Basel Committee on Bank Supervision, which set out the minimum capital requirements of financial institutions with the goal of minimizing credit risk. Banks that operate internationally are required to maintain a minimum amount (8%) of capital based on a percent of risk-weighted assets. The first accord was the Basel I. It was issued in 1988 and focused mainly on credit risk by creating a bank asset classification system. This classification system grouped a bank's assets into five risk categories:

0% - cash, central bank and government debt and any OECD government debt
0%, 10%, 20% or 50% - public sector debt
20% - development bank debt, OECD bank debt, OECD securities firm debt, non-OECD bank debt (under one year maturity) and non-OECD public sector debt, cash in collection
50% - residential mortgages
100% - private sector debt, non-OECD bank debt (maturity over a year), real estate, plant and equipment, capital instruments issued at other banks

The bank must maintain capital (Tier 1 and Tier 2) equal to at least 8% of its risk-weighted assets. For example, if a bank has risk-weighted assets of $100 million, it is required to maintain capital of at least $8 million.

Basel II
What Does Basel II Mean?
A set of banking regulations put forth by the Basel Committee on Bank Supervision, which regulates finance and banking internationally. Basel II attempts to integrate Basel capital standards with national regulations, by setting the minimum capital requirements of financial institutions with the goal of ensuring institution liquidity. Basel II is the second of the Basel Committee on Bank Supervision's recommendations, and unlike the first accord, Basel I, where focus was mainly on credit risk, the purpose of Basel II was to create standards and regulations on how much capital financial institutions must have put aside. Banks need to put aside capital to reduce the risks associated with its investing and lending practices.

Basel III
What Does Basel III Mean?
A comprehensive set of reform measures designed to improve the regulation, supervision and risk management within the banking sector. The Basel Committee on Banking Supervision published the first version of Basel III in late 2009, giving banks approximately three years to satisfy all requirements. Largely in response to the credit crisis, banks are required to maintain proper leverage ratios and meet certain capital requirements. Basel III is part of the continuous effort made by the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision to enhance the banking regulatory framework. It builds on the Basel I and Basel II documents, and seeks to improve the banking sector's ability to deal with financial and economic stress, improve risk management and strengthen the banks' transparency. A focus of Basel III is to foster greater resilience at the individual bank level in order to reduce the risk of system wide shocks.

Source: investopedia