Countercylical capital buffers are designed to ensure individual banks and the banking sector as a whole have enough capital on hand by requiring them to hold some of their capital in a reserve (or buffer) account. The percentage of capital can be changed depending on the state of the economy: If too much credit exists, the percentage can be increased to reduce banks' ability to lend. If the economy needs to be stimulated, the percentage can be decreased to encourage more lending. These measures could even help prevent financial crises.