How do banks primarily mitigate systemic risk?

Banks primarily mitigate systemic risk through robust capital management, stress testing, and regulatory compliance because these strategies enhance their resilience to economic shocks and financial instability.

Capital management involves maintaining sufficient capital buffers to absorb losses, ensuring that banks remain solvent during financial downturns. This is crucial to stabilize the financial system as it prevents individual bank failures from triggering wider economic issues. Stress testing involves simulating adverse economic conditions to evaluate how well banks would perform under stress. These tests help identify potential vulnerabilities and guide banks in implementing necessary measures to strengthen their financial positions.

Regulatory compliance ensures that banks adhere to laws and regulations designed to promote stability within the financial system, such as capital adequacy requirements and risk management standards. This not only protects the banks themselves but also reinforces confidence among investors and customers, further contributing to systemic stability.

In contrast, various approaches such as changing loan interest rates, reducing the number of branches, or offering higher savings account interest rates do not directly address the core factors of systemic risk nor do they provide an effective framework for managing overall financial stability.