Funds transfer pricing (FTP) has been, along years, a staple at many financial institutions, allowing management to understand the value of their product offerings. Many institutions with FTP systems use the results and introduce them in other systems that will then analyze the customers, the organization, and the product profitability. The typical FTP system is a process used in banking to measure a funding source's contribution to overall profitability. An intermediary is created within the organization (usually Treasury).
FTP has been defined as a method used to individually measure how much each source of funding is contributing to overall profitability. The funds transfer pricing (FTP) process is most often used in the banking industry as a means of outlining the areas of strength and weakness within the funding of the institution. FTP can also be used to indicate the profitability of the different product lines and each staff member, as well as act as a great medium for comparison between employees, branches etc. Others had defined FTP as an internal measurement and allocation process that assigns a profit contribution value to funds gathered and lent or invested by the bank. It is a critical component of the profitability measurement process, as it allocates the major contributor to profitability, net interest margin .
Another definition of FTP is: an internal measurement framework designed to assess the financial impact of a bank's sources and uses of funds. FTP allocates net interest margin variances caused by the imbalance of funds provided and used by business units within the bank. Results of the FTP measurements can be used to evaluate the profitability of products and customer relationships, and to isolate returns for various risks assumed in the financial intermediation process (Payant, 2000). In the past, banks have viewed their branches, and those gathering deposits as the cost generators and their loan officers as the profit makers. FTP helps banks to allocate margin, better understand where profits come from, isolate and manage the interest-rate risk component of the margin. An effective FTP analysis enables banks to increase profitability by:
1. Evaluating alternative investment and funding decisions
2. Improving the strategic allocation of resources
3. Helping to identify high-performing products, segments, channels
4. Enhancing understanding of poor-performing products, segments, channels
5. Making better pricing decisions
6. Evaluating the performance of the treasury group
7. Improving the planning budgeting process.