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Differentiating Between Types of Financial Institutions: The Central Bank
Differentiating Between Types of Financial Institutions: The Central Bank
Differentiating Between Types of Financial Institutions: The Central Bank
of Financial Institutions
Whether you are financially comfortable or struggle to make ends meet, it
pays to know how various financial institutions differ and what role they
play in todays world. Here are some of the main categories you should
know:
Their role of the central bank is similar from country to country, but the
objectives may differ. In the US, the central bank has three primary
goals:
Conduct monetary policy
Supervise and regulate financial firms
Provide financial services
Most consumers do not interact with the central bank. Instead, large
financial firms generally work with them.
National Banks These are the larger banks that have branches
and interests across the country. Their business models are
complex. The largest ones have become known as The Big Banks.
Among the 5 largest banks in the U.S. are Bank of America and
Wells Fargo.
NOTE: Some banks such as BB&T and SunTrust were for years
considered regional banks but now are
often referred to as national banks.
Savings & Loan Associations - Also known as thrifts, these are financial
institutions that specialize in savings type deposits, mortgages and other
loans. They can serve both consumers and businesses; however, by law,
thrifts can have no more than 20 percent of their lending in commercial
loans. They are often mutually held, meaning that the depositors and
borrowers are members with voting rights. The number of savings
and loans in the U.S. has fallen dramatically since the mid-1990s.
Credit Unions - Credit unions differ from banks and other financial
institutions in that those who have accounts in the credit union are its
members and actual owners. These member-owned financial cooperatives
are democratically controlled by its members, and operated for the
purpose of offering its members economical financial services.
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