Stress Testing for Financial Risk Management

Abstract

The complexity and duration of the financial crisis has led many banks and authorities to question the adequacy of stress testing practices prior to the crisis and their efficiency to cope with rapidly changing circumstances. Stress testing is a process to identify and manage situations that could cause extraordinary losses and it is an important risk management tool that is used by banks as part of their internal risk management. Majority of models make assumptions that do not hold in abnormal markets. Therefore, stress tests are vital for a comprehensive picture of risk. In this thesis we will be introducing basics of stress-testing and elaborate on its models and methodologies.