Asset Liability Management
Full Form of ALM
What is ALM?
Asset Liability Management (ALM) is a strategic approach used by banks and financial institutions to manage the risks arising from mismatches between assets and liabilities. In the Indian context, ALM is critical for maintaining liquidity, interest rate stability, and capital adequacy under the regulatory framework of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). It involves coordinating the maturity profiles, interest rate sensitivities, and cash flows of assets (loans, investments) and liabilities (deposits, borrowings) to ensure solvency and profitability. ALM is typically performed by a dedicated asset‑liability committee (ALCO) that meets regularly to assess market conditions, set pricing strategies, and comply with statutory liquidity ratio (SLR) and cash reserve ratio (CRR) requirements. The practice gained prominence in India after the 1990s financial sector reforms, and now forms a core part of risk management for all scheduled commercial banks. ALM also helps in stress testing for scenarios like sudden deposit withdrawals or interest rate shocks. For banking exams such as JAIIB, CAIIB, and RBI Grade B, questions on ALM concepts, duration gap analysis, and liquidity coverage ratio are frequently asked. A robust ALM framework enables Indian banks to navigate volatile markets while serving the credit needs of the economy.
ALM का फुल फॉर्म
परिसंपत्ति दायित्व प्रबंधन
Example
The bank's ALCO meeting reviewed the ALM report to address the growing gap between short‑term deposits and long‑term loans.