SIFI
n. A financial institution so crucial to the economy that its failure could cause a financial crisis.
Also Seen As
Etymology
Examples
2011
The FSB list of 29 banks, known as "SIFIs," includes those judged to be the most globally important to the financial system by their size and complexity. The measures were agreed on by regulators to prevent any "systemically important financial institution" from failing and roiling the global economy.
—“Global regulators to subject 29 banks to stricter regulations,” The Washington Post, November 04, 2011
2011
Q: Is AIG part of the new regulation that came with the new Dodd-Frank legislation and the SIFI (systemically important financial institutions), or too-big-to-fail rules?

A: We don't know yet because that's one of the concerns the market has right now. We're not sure where we're going to come out on the federal landscape for SIFI regulations. So we don't know if we're going to be regulated as a SIFI.
—Maria Bartiromo, “AIG chief sees a 'core of strength' in U.S. economy,” USA Today, August 14, 2011
2009 (earliest)
The place to begin is to establish an effective system of regulating the solvency and improving the transparency of systemically important financial institutions. I'm going to call them "SIFIs" from now on for short.
—Robert Litan, “Where were the watchdogs? The financial crisis and the breakdown of financial governance,” Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, March 04, 2009
Notes
The FSB also said "global systemically important financial institutions" should be required to hold larger reserves than smaller banks and be subject to greater scrutiny by regulators….

Once the list of "G-SIFI's" is complete, Mr. Draghi said in his report that he would propose by the end of 2011 additional measures that national authorities should use to keep any globally systemic firms they happen to regulate in check.
—Kevin Carmichael, “G20 forges ahead with 'too big to fail' controls,” The Globe and Mail, November 12, 2010