Capital Adequacy Ratio

    CAR

    Credit & Debt

    A bank's capital measured against its risk-weighted assets. It shows how much cushion the bank has to absorb loan losses and how much further lending it can support.

    Formula

    CAR (%) = (Tier 1 Capital + Tier 2 Capital) / Risk-Weighted Assets x 100

    Why it matters

    A loan that goes bad destroys capital and lowers CAR, which in turn caps loan growth. Around 17 percent and above is very good; around 12 percent or below is a danger sign. Banks keep CAR healthy by controlling NPAs and attracting deposits.

    Indian example

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