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BANKERS TUTORIAL · DBF · EXAM-PLANNING GUIDE

Study plan: Maturity mismatches and liquidity risk

Compare cash inflows and outflows by time bucket, identify a simple funding gap and distinguish the ability to pay today from the long-term value of a bank’s assets.

01 / 03Learn with a clear direction

2 min read Original learning material · Prepared 14 Oct 2026

This is an original preparation plan, not a new examination announcement. Check dates, stages, eligibility and application instructions in the issuing authority’s current notice.

01 / UNDERSTANDING

Plan your preparation

Build simple weekly buckets before longer maturity ladders. Revisit assumptions in a second session by changing deposit behaviour or committed drawdowns while leaving contractual schedules unchanged.

02 / UNDERSTANDING

The concept in context

Liquidity risk arises when payment obligations cannot be met when due without unacceptable loss or cost. A bank can hold valuable assets yet face immediate funding pressure if those assets turn into cash later than liabilities fall due. A maturity view groups expected inflows and outflows into time buckets for comparison.

03 / UNDERSTANDING

A worked learning case

Original educational case. In the next week, an illustrative bank expects cash inflows of ₹40 crore and outflows of ₹55 crore. The bucket gap is minus ₹15 crore. Inflows of ₹30 crore expected next month do not automatically pay this week’s obligations. The bank needs credible available funding or liquid assets, assessed under its actual liquidity-management framework.

ORIGINAL EDUCATIONAL PRACTICE

Try it before you check.

Original practice: Expected weekly inflows are ₹70 crore and outflows ₹90 crore. What is the weekly gap defined as inflows minus outflows?

Show the answer and reasoning

Minus ₹20 crore.

Subtract outflows of ₹90 crore from inflows of ₹70 crore to obtain minus ₹20 crore. The negative sign identifies a shortfall under the stated forecast. Future cash beyond this bucket may matter for wider planning, but it does not remove the timing mismatch within the week being analysed.

Two traps to watch for.

  • Using annual net cash to dismiss a near-term shortfall.
  • Treating all valuable assets as immediately realisable at full value.

YOUR TOPIC-SPECIFIC LEARNING MAP

Build your next study session

  1. State the gap sign convention explicitly.

  2. Place inflows and outflows in matching buckets.

  3. Stress one important behavioural assumption.

Explain the idea, apply it to a new situation, then check what changed in your reasoning.

BANKERS TUTORIAL · SOURCE NOTES

Keep the source alongside your notes.

Official links provide subject context and authoritative reference material. This guide’s explanation, scenario and question are original Bankers Tutorial learning content.

  1. iibf.org.in https://iibf.org.in/diploma-banking-finance
  2. www.rbi.org.in https://www.rbi.org.in/scripts/NotificationUser.aspx?Id=7680

For DBF preparation, check the current official notice before relying on changing dates, rules or examination requirements.

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