Basel I

A set of international banking regulations published by the BCBS in 1988, referred to as the “Basel Accord,” that set out the minimum capital requirements of financial institutions with the goal of minimizing credit risk. Banks that operate internationally are required to maintain a minimum amount (8%) of capital based on a percent of risk-weighted assets. Basel I has now been superseded by Basel II and Basel III, which provide more sophisticated mechanics for calculating risk weighted assets.