Module 18 · Advanced
RWA & regulatory capital (SA-CCR)
Banks must set aside capital against the risk their counterparties default — and how much is dictated by Basel rules. For derivatives, the standard method is SA-CCR (the Standardized Approach for Counterparty Credit Risk).
It runs a chain. First it turns the trade into an Exposure at Default (EAD) = 1.4 × (its current value + a supervisory add-on for how much it could move). Multiply EAD by the counterparty's risk weight to get Risk-Weighted Assets (RWA), and by 8% to get the capital the bank must hold for the life of the trade. That capital is expensive to hold — its cost is exactly what KVA prices. Walk the chain below.
🎛 SA-CCR capital calculator
Banks must hold capital against the risk a counterparty defaults. The standardized approach, SA-CCR, turns a derivative into an Exposure at Default: 1.4 × (what it's worth now + a supervisory add-onfor future moves). Multiply by the counterparty's risk weight to get RWA, and by 8% to get the capitaltied up for the life of the trade. That capital isn't free — its cost is KVA. Educational tool — not investment advice.
Things to try
- • Extend the maturity — the add-on and capital grow (more time to move).
- • Raise the counterparty risk weight — RWA and capital scale directly with counterparty quality.
- • Push the mark-to-market positive — replacement cost adds straight to the exposure.