MaRisk

Graphical summary of MaRisk including references to the most important chapters.

MaRisk is a referring to the minimum requirements for risk management^[1] (German Mindestanforderungen an das Risikomanagement), a circulaire by the German Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (Bundesanstalt für Finanzdienstleistungsaufsicht, BaFin) providing concepts for risk management of banks, insurances and other companies financially trading in Germany. The primary legal background for MaRisk is the Kreditwesengesetz (KWG), the secondary legal background is the Solvabilitätsverordnung SolvV.

The MaRisk implements the qualitative requirements of Basel II and Basel III into German law. Strictly speaking, MaRisk is not a law, but a norm-interpreting administrative regulation (German normeninterpretierende Verwaltungsvorschrift), nevertheless it is de-facto binding for all financial institutes and insurances with business in Germany.

Details

One core-principle of MaRisk is that the risk control department has to be set up organisationally independent from those departments performing business transactions. This separation is should prevail all the way through up to and including the management board.

Related

• The primary legal background for MaRisk is the Kreditwesengesetz (KWG).
• The KonTraG (German: Gesetz zur Kontrolle und Transparenz im Unternehmensbereich, i.e. law for control and transparency for businesses) is another legal requirement to be fulfilled by companies financially trading in Germany.
• The Sarbanes–Oxley Act can be seen as the US equivalent of MaRisk.

External links

• BaFin - official website
• MaRisk Cheat Sheet - Deloitte's unofficial English overview

References

1. "Minimum Requirements for Risk Management" (PDF). Bundesbank. Bundesanstalt für Finanzdiensleistungsaufsicht. Retrieved 9 December 2015.