Economic capital

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In finance, mainly for financial services firms, economic capital has the following meaning:

The amount of risk capital, assessed on a realistic basis, which a firm requires to cover the risks that it is running or collecting. Typically this is calculated by determining the amount of capital that the firm needs to ensure that its realistic balance sheet stays solvent, over a certain time period, with a pre-specified probability. Firms and financial services regulators should then aim to hold risk capital of an amount equal at least to economic capital.

See also financial services conglomerate and financial risk management.

[edit] References

Porteous, Bruce T., Pradip Tapadar (2005). Economic Capital and Financial Risk Management for Financial Services Firms and Conglomerates. Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN 1-4039-3608-0.