Determining Insolvency Regions in Banks: A Stochastic Dynamic Approach Integrating Liquidity and Credit Risk

Abstract

We develop a continuous-time structural dynamic model to determine the exact insolvency regions of banks arising from the non-linear interaction between liquidity and credit risk. While existing literature predominantly treats these risks in isolation or via reduced-form specifications, we explicitly model the feedback loop where funding shocks and regulatory constraints force balance-sheet adjustments that can lead to endogenous insolvency. By incorporating Basel III regulatory requirements (LCR and NSFR) into a stochastic optimal control framework, we solve for the exact insolvency boundary using the Hamilton-Jacobi-Bellman (HJB) equation. To bridge the gap between theoretical complexity and supervisory practice, we derive and validate a surrogate analytical approximation function that allows for real-time monitoring. Calibrated using granular balance-sheet data from the Iranian banking sector, our model reveals significant non-linear threshold effects: the joint occurrence of liquidity stress and credit portfolio defaults disproportionately accelerates the transition toward insolvency compared to their individual effects. The proposed surrogate function offers supervisors a computationally efficient tool for stress testing and early warning systems. Our findings provide novel insights into financial frictions in emerging markets and offer a rigorous framework for integrated risk management.