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  4. Commercial Banks

Commercial Banks

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  • The Average Salary of a Commercial Banking Vice President in Muncie, Indiana

    Muncie is a metropolitan community located in Delaware County, Indiana. The city is home to approximately 67,000 residents. According to the Muncie–Delaware County, Indiana Economic Development Alliance, major industries with the highest number of employees include education, health care and local governments. The banking and financial services industries also employ many Muncie residents. The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that Muncie-area commercial banking vice presidents, also known as financial managers, earn more than the national average.

  • Southern Commercial Bank Scholarships

    Many commercial banks in the South, such as Bank of America and Synovus, offer scholarships to bank employees and their dependents. Southern commercial banks also sponsor merit- and need-based scholarships in collaboration with local colleges and universities.

  • How to Recover a Torn Dollar Bill

    A dollar bill, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, circulates an average of only 21 months. It's just paper, after all, and it sees rough handling as it passes from person to person, including getting ripped. If you were passed a torn bill or, perhaps, tore it yourself, you can still probably recover its value. Depending on the damage and how much of the bill remains, your local bank or the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Bureau of Engraving and Printing will help you for free.

  • Pure Vs. Mixed Financial Ratio

    In and of themselves, financial ratios are not meaningful much of the time. The concept of a "pure" ratio is a ratio that is exclusively dedicated to a single variable, such as profitability, debt or inventory turnover. A "mixed" ratio is used in conjunction with another concepts and measures to provide a more significant and detailed result.

  • Commercial Federal Bank Scholarships

    Commercial Federal Bank scholarships reflect the development of this Omaha-based savings and loans institution as it expanded beyond Nebraska, to Arizona, Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, and Oklahoma. The bank's scholarship legacy also follows the path of the Fitzgerald family, starting with James J. Fitzgerald, an Irish immigrant who was an early customer and subsequently became manager. The bank's scholarships assist students in Nebraska and other states where the bank has a presence.

  • Financial Strength Ratio

    Looking at financial statements can make your head spin if you don't know what you're looking for. Even if you do know what you're looking for, the numbers might not make any sense. Fortunately, you can use financial strength ratios to ensure the company you're looking at is doing good business.

  • Why Do Banks Keep Excess Reserves to a Minimum?

    Banks, like any business, have to keep reserves on hand to cover outstanding liabilities and day-to-day expenses. However, banks are businesses that trade in money and in order to generate the maximum amount of profit, banks keep cash reserves to a minimum. The Federal Reserve has the responsibility of ensuring that bank's reserves are sufficient to cover liabilities.

  • What Happens to Counterfeit Money When the Bank Gets It?

    Counterfeiting money is a serious problem facing the United States today, with nearly 1 in 10,000 notes in circulation being counterfeit according to studies conducted by the University of Michigan and Tulane University. While banks and the U.S. Secret Service seize some bills before they enter circulation, some remained undetected until people or businesses deposit them into banks.

  • Commercial Banking Terms

    Commercial banks are banking institutions that profit from providing public services such as checking and savings accounts, credit services, loans, and mortgages, among others. Whether you want to start a college fund for your child or buy a house, commercial banks are almost always in the game when large amounts of money are involved. It's always a good idea to prepare yourself for your next banking transaction by being familiar with some of the most important commercial banking terms.

  • What Happens if You Deposit Counterfeit Money?

    At the time of the Civil War, as much as one-third of the currency in the U.S. was counterfeit, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco. Counterfeiting is still a problem in 2011, and the Secret Service pursues cases voraciously, as the health of the economy depends on faith in the dollar. If you attempt to pass counterfeit money, you could go to jail, lose the face value of the money, face a fine or all three.

  • What are the Differences Between Credit Unions & Insurance Companies?

    The financial services industry offers a very diverse set of products and services. Whether it is insurance, investments, credit cards or loans, you have a great deal to choose from depending on your individual needs. The companies that offer these products and services can be as different as the products they sell.

  • Why Do Commercial Banks Hold Investment Securities?

    Banks make money by taking in deposits and lending money at a higher rate of interest than they pay their depositors. The banks make a profit on the spread between the two rates. It doesn't much matter to a bank who it lends money to as long as the principal gets repaid and interest is paid on time according to contract. The Federal Reserve places certain restrictions on the type of loans a bank can make, but the bank's management decides the mix of types of loans.

  • If I Get Counterfeit Money From the Bank, Will the Bank Honor It?

    It's possible you already have a counterfeit bill in your wallet. In the 2008-09 fiscal year, the Secret Service collected more than $182 million in counterfeit American bills, some printed in the United States, some from overseas. If you visit the ATM, then discover that some of the money is funny, too bad: The bank has no obligation to take it back.

  • What are the Top Banks in America?

    Several top banks in the U.S. received over $135 billion in combined funds from the Treasury Department's Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) and even more emergency funds from the Federal Reserve. Even after the huge government bailout, the top banks in America still manage to do well in investment banking and trading. In 2010 the top five U.S. banks made a combined profit of over $60.4 billion.

  • Commercial Bank Benefits vs. State Bank

    A commercial bank accepts savings and disburses loans for profit. The same could be said for the "state bank" of most western states. Western states, such as America, Britain and France, have commercial banks that serve as a "state" bank. In countries like China or Taiwan, the government controls the central bank, making is truly a "state" bank. Modern states have central banks, but these are not "state" banks.

  • The Effects of Bank Recapitalization

    Bank "recapitalization," in the abstract, refers to the rebuilding of the bank's assets after exhausting its basic loan liquidity. The market, when rates are low, increases lending. After the bank uses up the liquidity, banks must recapitalize, and, in the meantime, rates go up. However, "recapitalization" is a commonly used euphemism for taxpayer bailout of the banking sector.

  • What Types of Loans Do Banks Offer?

    When you apply for a loan, one of the first questions the banking representative will ask is about your purpose. Most banks have a wide variety of different loans available. Before you visit your local bank to ask for a loan, learn as much as possible about the various loan programs that banks in general, and your bank in particular, offer consumers.

  • List of Failing Banks in America

    In 2008, the United States saw one of the worst financial meltdowns of the banking system since the Great Depression. This disaster resulted in the failure and closing of hundreds of banks throughout the entire United States. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) keeps a list of failed banks tracing back to October 2001. As of March 2011, the list contains 375 banks that failed in the United States; only 27 failed before the meltdown.

  • Purpose of a Letter of Credit

    At the most basic level, credit is a promise to pay for something when you do not have the money to do so. A letter of credit is a form of credit commonly encountered in commercial transactions and other business dealings. This instrument serves several key purposes in any transaction.

  • The Difference Between a Chartered Bank and a Commercial Bank

    For a bank to legally operate, it needs a charter. The charter can be either state or federally issued to set up operational guidelines for the bank. Some online banks contain overseas charters, which do not conform to United States law. State-chartered banks are overseen by state agencies, while federally-chartered banks fall under federal-oversight regulations.

  • What Is the Difference Between Credit Unions & Other Financial Institutions?

    Choosing the right place for banking might seem difficult with the plethora of options available today. One option that many never consider is the credit union. A credit union, while similar to other financial institutions, is a separate type of financial entity with some attractive features in banking services.

  • Northern Rock Concerns

    Northern Rock is a British bank that was adversely affected by the U.S. subprime market's collapse at the end of 2007 and taken over by the British government in February 2008. However, according to the Building Societies Association in the United Kingdom, subprime mortgages -- loans to individuals with a poor credit history and defaults on previous loans -- were not the direct cause of Northern Rock's problems. Northern Rock needed emergency funding by the Bank of England because it funded loans using wholesale money markets, which included bundled subprime mortgages, instead of using money deposited by retail savers, says…

  • Commercial Banks vs. State Banks

    The state bank of any country serves as a central macroeconomic institution. Its functions are almost identical around the world. Its policies, however, affect the commercial banks, or banks that take deposits, loan money and operate in the private sector. The state bank is the general banker and sets the tone for private banking. Private banks take signals from the state bank as to the future of interest rates, hard currency earnings, reserves and inflation.

  • Which Financial Ratio to Use for Commercial Bank Loans?

    Financial ratios involve the comparison of two numbers for the purposes of evaluating the financial health of a firm. Investors, lenders, regulators, journalists and internal stakeholders use ratios to measure performance. Lenders want to know that they'll be repaid, and they use financial ratios to evaluate the likelihood of default. There are dozens of types of ratios, each of which is appropriate for a given situation. When lending to businesses, commercial banks typically evaluate the coverage ratios and the debt to equity ratios.

  • Community Bank Vs. Commercial Bank

    According to the Community Bankers of Wisconsin, a community bank has a board of directors made up of local citizens. This makes a community bank more in tune with the local community and typically smaller in size than national or statewide commercial banks. Commercial banks are larger institutions that cater to the needs of larger businesses although they do offer products and services for individuals as well. Both have advantages and disadvantages to consider when choosing a new bank.

  • IPO Investment Tips

    Investing in IPOs (initial public offerings) can be lucrative but is very risky because newly-listed stocks have no trading history and the current stockholders' moves are quite unpredictable. You can obtain an IPO company's fundamentals from a preliminary prospectus online and research the story by visiting the website, but after that, your investment decisions should be based on how an IPO prices, opens and trades.

  • How to Learn About Investment Banking

    Investment banks are corporations that perform a number of financial services centered around the investment of capital. Investment banks typically help clients with tasks such as issuing securities (stocks and bonds), and assist others who want to buy securities and other assets. Investment banks also commonly manage the financial assets of some clients, and make investments using their own money. There are a number of different careers in investment banking. Prospective investment bankers, as well as others seeking information about the industry, can turn to a number of sources.

  • The Banking Panic of 1933

    The banking panic of 1933 was the culmination of several crises that undermined the stability of the United States banking system in the early 1930s. The panic spurred the federal government to take action. As a result of the crisis, the government took steps to help the economy recover. Some of its actions, including the establishment of deposit insurance, are still in effect.

  • Sources of Funds in Commercial Banks

    A commercial bank is a retail financial institution that helps community members open checking and savings accounts and manage money market accounts. It also provides customers with deposit, withdrawal and transfer services. Bank customers can also carry out retail banking business through an automatic teller machine (ATM) or online. Beyond the everyday services, commercial banks also offer customers loans to buy a house, an automobile or a boat. And the banks help business owners manage their accounts, including checking, savings and loans. The sources of funds in commercial banks are varied.

  • What Services Do Savings Banks Offer?

    Savings banks are financial institutions that offer customers savings accounts. However, because most people need more than a savings account, these banks also offer other types of financial services to help customers manage their finances, such as checking accounts, loans, retirement planning and more.

  • The Effect of the Rise in Bank Lending on Commercial Banks

    Commercial banks provide integral services in a nation's economy. These banks typically provide account services and loans for individuals and businesses. A rise in lending can have both positive and negative effects in the economy.

  • What Are the Financial Characteristics of a Commercial Bank?

    Commercial banks are an important part of the American financial landscape. The types of banking activities commercial banks are permitted to engage in are limited by the Glass-Steagall Act of 1932, which separated investment banking from commercial banking. The primary function of commercial banks is to provide banking services to consumers and businesses including accepting deposits and making loans. Many commercial banks also offer a wide variety of services.

  • Types of Bank Accounts in Commercial Banks

    Bank accounts are private accounts used by banks to store funds for a particular entity, such as a business or individual. These accounts do not physically exist in the same way that safety deposit boxes do, and banks actually use the money in accounts for their own investment purposes while keeping track of the account balance and interest rates.

  • How to Choose a Commercial Bank in the EU

    A commercial bank can be defined in several ways. However, in essence it is simply a nongovernment-owed bank that offers full banking services to businesses and individuals and is generally referred to as "a bank." The word "commercial" is sometimes used to differentiate the type of bank, which can include an investment bank or a savings bank. Choosing a commercial bank in the European Union (EU) depends upon the country where you want to bank. If you are not certain, then it's best to select a country that uses the euro as its currency and a bank that has representative…

  • Difference Between Commercial Banks & National Banks

    A commercial bank is any financial institution that holds deposits for and lends money to individuals and businesses. In the United States, a national bank is a commercial bank that is a member of the Federal Reserve System. As such, a national bank is an investing member of its district Federal Reserve Bank.

  • What Is the Amount of Reserves That a Commercial Bank Is Required to Hold Equal To?

    The Federal Reserve (Fed) bases its requirements for reserves a commercial bank has to hold on a percentage of the bank's deposits. The Fed charges different percentages depending on the type and total dollar amount of deposits.

  • How to Compare the Financial Strength of Commercial Banks

    Comparing the financial strength of commercial banks is easier than you might think. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) publishes information to an online database about the fiscal health of all commercial banks within the system. Although you might think that such readouts are too complicated for ordinary people to understand, there are actually only a few numbers and ratios that are important to know. The most important one is the percentage of nonperforming and delinquent loans in the bank's portfolio. If that number is high, the bank is at risk of being shut down by the FDIC.

  • Differences Between Commercial Banks & Merchant Banks

    The main purpose of any bank is to make money. To this end, all banks, both commercial and merchant, provide loans and financial services. The main difference between a commercial bank and a retail bank is the type of clientele it primarily serves. Commercial banks, sometimes referred to as retail banks, tend to focus on the community, i.e., the needs of individuals and small businesses. Merchant banks, also called investment banks, tend to focus on the needs of large corporations.

  • What Are the Differences Between a Banking System and a Commercial Bank?

    A banking system operates across an entire nation via three different types of banking institutions--commercial banks, savings banks and specialized banks. Therefore, commercial banks comprise only one part of the banking system. A commercial bank is where most people have paychecks deposited, use the drive-through teller or ATM machine, counsel with a loan officer when they want to buy a car, or with their investment adviser when they need to open a 401k account.

  • Credit Unions Vs. Commercial Banks

    Undecided where to put your money? Commercial banks and credit unions are two institutions that offer similar financial services. Choose wisely, however, because they differ in several ways.

  • The Effects of Subprime Problem on Large Commercial Banks

    The subprime mortgage crisis began when banks made home loans to consumers whose credit criteria prevented them from qualifying for a traditional loan. These subprime loans had adjustable rates and once those rates went up, homeowners were unable to make the payments. That crisis spread to other segments of the economy and has now affected the way banks do business in its aftermath.

  • Modern Functions of Commercial Banks

    Commercial banks constitute one of the lynchpins of our domestic economy. Whether small and local with only a handful of branches, or an international banking behemoth with thousands of branches and trillions of dollars in assets, all commercial banks perform many of the same functions and services.

  • Understanding Commercial Banks

    Commercial banks are licensed to conduct banking operations within their local communities. To understand the role and mission of a commercial bank, consumers must understand the needs and structure of the communities that the commercial bank represents. For example, if the bank has its offices and branches located throughout the farming belt, the mission of the bank will be geared towards the promotion of that particular industry.

  • What Are the Benefits of Commercial Banking Over Other Forms of Banking?

    Commercial banks are common for both personal bank accounts and business bank accounts. Some people choose them when it comes to applying for a loan or managing their money. They provide a variety of services including checking and savings accounts, payment and transaction processing, business lines of credit and loan or mortgage options. They have more advantages than other types of banking such as credit unions.

  • Commercial Bank Credit Risk

    Credit risk is implicit in all commercial banking activities, from traditional loans to complex lending arrangements. A financial institution assesses and monitors risks inherent in transactions to ensure that a borrower has sufficient funds to satisfy loan agreements. Additionally, senior management establishes a risk control program to prevent significant losses.

  • What Is the Objective of a Commercial Bank?

    The main objective of a commercial bank is to generate profitability for its ownership by providing quality based products and services to the residents of the communities and regions that they represent. Aside from offering traditional banking products, commercial banks must be highly competitive and provide specialized products. For example, some commercial banks participate in the innovative CDARS (Certificate of Deposit Account Registry Service) program that allows customers to deposit up to $5 million in FDIC insured time deposits.

  • The Risk of Commercial Banks

    Commercial banks are among the major financial intermediaries in the marketplace. As a result of this role, commercial banks are exposed to the risks that affect both the securities markets and the economic conditions that affect consumers. To understand the risks associated with commercial banks, it is helpful to consider some key areas that affect banking operations.

  • Role of Commercial Banks in Economic Development

    The role of commercial banks in economic development rests chiefly on their role as financial intermediaries. In this capacity, commercial banks help drive the flow of investment capital throughout the marketplace. The chief mechanism of this capital allocation in the economy is through the lending process which helps commercial banks gauge financial risk.

  • Commercial Bank Definition

    United States banks are divided into two distinct types: Commercial banks and investment banks. The main difference between commercial banks and noncommercial banks is whether the banks take deposits from the public. After the passage of the Glass Steagall Act in 1933, commercial banks were prohibited from merging with insurance companies or investment banks. However, this was largely repealed IN 1999 by the Gramm Leach Bliley Act, and in the late 2000s many investment banks became bank holding companies.

  • Difference in Commercial & Central Banks

    Commercial banks serve the public directly by delivering banking products and services to consumers and business entities alike. These banks offer a wide array of deposit accounts, lending products and specialized services. The function of a central bank is to steer monetary policy, provide banking services to the government, control inflation, provide liquidity to the banking system and implement bank regulations.

  • How Can Commercial Banks Collapse?

    Banks play a critical role in financing business investment and stimulating economic activity. In the course of fulfilling this role, commercial banks assume financial risks that come with lending, borrowing and investing. Typically, this process works well when commercial banks appropriately manage their risks and investment portfolios. But like any other business, commercial banks can collapse if key areas of their operations are mishandled.

  • What Is the Purpose of Commercial Banks?

    Commercial banks make doing business easy. Instead of carrying large amounts of cash, people issue a check, which could be cashed any commercial bank. Alternatively, they could use a credit or debit card, or conduct a bank transfer in order to make payment. When someone needs something for immediate use such as a car, or a house, but has no money at hand, he can borrow against his future income from which payment in installments would be made.

  • Commercial Banking Vs. Personal Banking

    Personal banking, sometimes called retail banking because of the retail services offered to consumers, differs from commercial banking in a number of ways. Financial products and services available to individuals differ from those offered to institutions. In addition to the products and services available and the types of customers served, commercial banking and retail banking often differ in the total amount deposited by individual customers. Personal banking deposits are generally much smaller than those from commercial bank customers.

  • Why Do Commercial Banks Maintain Deposits with the Fed?

    U.S. commercial banks are required to maintain deposits with the Federal Reserve Bank (Fed) in order to provide banking services to its member banks that include the processing and clearing of checks, the creating of loans between banks and the control of monetary policy. The Fed was established in 1913 for purposes of servicing commercial banks, which is why it is known as the bank for banks.

  • Commercial Bank vs. Investment House

    Though commercial banks and investment houses are both generically referred to as "banks," their roles are very different. At one point in U.S. history, the two types of banks weren't allowed to co-exist in one company, though that has since changed.

  • What Is the Difference Between a Commercial Bank and a Savings & Loan Bank?

    A commercial bank and a savings and loan institution are similar in that they both accept deposits and make loans. Each type of institutions has its own regulator, however, and generally issues loans to different types of lenders.

  • What Types of Services Do Commercial Banks Offer?

    A commercial bank is a financial institution that is licensed as a receiver of deposits. The primary role of these banks is to make and receive payments and supply short-term loans to individuals. Commercial banks also offer customers a variety of services that include checking and savings accounts, certificates of deposit (CDs), and auto and home loans.

  • What Are the Functions of a Commercial Bank?

    Commercial banks are responsible for adding customer deposits in a safe and liquid form and lending the proceeds to worthy commercial, industrial, governmental and nonprofit institutions. Commercial banks also provide market making activities in municipal, government and corporate bonds. Banks provide consulting and advisory services to customers as well as safekeeping and trust services.

  • What Are the Characteristics of a Commercial Bank?

    Commercial banks are financial entities that accept deposits and provide loans for individuals and businesses. The term "commercial bank" came into common usage as a way to distinguish this type of financial institution from an investment bank, which primarily manages securities for governments and corporations by underwriting their financial activities.

  • The Differences Between Commercial Banks & Credit Unions

    Ever since the most recent financial meltdown, much has been made over banking institutions and what part they may have played in the recession. There has been a lot of talk about banks and credit unions, but there has been little discussion pertaining to how they are different. To many, banks and credit unions seem almost interchangeable, and many wonder if they would really be better off with one over the other. On first glance, the differences may not be all that much, but upon closer inspection, you find there is a world of difference between the two institutions.

  • Information on Commercial Banks

    Commercial banks are engaged in everyday banking activities that include taking deposits, opening checking and savings accounts, and making loans to individual and business consumers. Commercial banks provide full-service banking, which includes a variety of other banking services.

  • Commercial Bank Disadvantages

    Commercial banks, especially commercial banks which are large and well-established, are usually a person's first choice for managing their money and for getting loans. Potential customers should be careful of commercial banks though, because while they do offer some safety and security, there are still disadvantages for using them.

  • Services Provided by Commercial Banks

    Commercial banks provide a variety of important products and services. In contrast to investment banks, which deal primarily with the securities markets, commercial banks accept a variety of deposit types, make various kinds loans and provide other services including checking and savings accounts, credit cards, ATM networks, safe deposit boxes, and custodial and trustee services.

  • List of Public Sector Banks

    All banks whose controlling interest belongs to a government are public-sector banks. This type of financial institution is also commonly known as "nationalized" or "state-owned" banks. They wield the power to shape their countries, while their decentralized counterparts don't. Private-sector banks operate with structural flexibility in which they can grow, succeed or fail. In contrast, nationalized banks demonstrate signs of longevity in the commercial bank community. Despite credit direction pressures and regulatory constraints, access to implicit national backing helps state-owned banks raise funds. Some nationalized, public-sector banks are over 100 years old.

  • How to Purchase Silver

    If you want an investment of a lifetime then it is important that you really look into buying silver. It is a well known hedge against inflation and will soar once the price manipulation of it ends. It will also rise because silver is more rare than gold right now, about 5 times more rare which means it really should be 5 times more valuable than gold. Silver also has over 2,000 industrial uses. I can go on and on. In this article I will explain how to get it.

  • How Has Uniform Commercial Code Benefited Banks?

    The Uniform Commerical Code (UCC) benefits banks by providing a set of standards for trade and financial transactions. These standards are adopted in full or in part by each of the 50 U.S. states.

  • Advantage & Disadvantage of a Commercial Bank

    Commercial banks are responsible for most banking transactions in the United States, including checking and savings accounts, real estate and business loans, and credit cards. As such, there are advantages and disadvantages to dealing with commercial banks.

  • Where Does the Bank Get the Money for Commercial Loans?

    When a bank accepts a deposit to a savings vehicle such as a savings account or CD, the Federal Reserve Bank or the Fed, requires that the bank retain a percentage of those funds as a reserve. For the sake of this article, assume it was a deposit for $20,000, made to the Bank of Main Street, and follow what happens to that money through three small business owners who take out commercial loans.

  • Definiton of a Commercial Bank

    Commercial banks are privately-owned institutions that accept monetary deposits, process loans, and provide other financial services, such as international banking, documentary collection, and trade financing. During the 1920s, there were close to 31,000 different commercial banks. However, according to FederalReserveEducation.org, there are now approximately 8,039 commercial banks in operation nationwide. Commercial banks are the most commonly used financial institutions in the country.

  • The Role of Commercial Banks in Consumer Banking

    Commercial banks provide a number of important products and services to consumers, businesses and other organizations. Most consumers are familiar with commercial banks but may not be fully aware of the extent of their role in the consumer economy. This article explores the role that commercial banks play for consumers and may help shed some light on their importance to us.

  • Types of Deposit Accounts With Commercial Banks

    Commercial banks are businesses that make a profit by lending money to borrowers. In order to lend this money, they have to have deposits from individuals. To give an incentive for people to put their money in the bank, commercial banks offer a variety of accounts that meet specific needs, such as earning interest or transferring money easily. These companies make money by then lending the money out at a higher interest rate than they pay to the account holders.

  • What Is a Commercial Bank?

    After the Great Depression, the United States government made it a law that banks had to specialize in either investment banking or commercial banking. The latter involved a customer depositing and withdrawing money from checking accounts, savings accounts and money market accounts. Today, however, that law no longer exists and there is not always a distinction between banks. Modern commercial banks, instead, are defined as those that mainly deal with companies and corporations instead of individuals.

  • How a Commercial Bank Works

    Commercial banks primarily serve small and medium-sized businesses through loans, though many commercial banks have expanded to include loans and other financial services to consumers as well. In addition to loans, commercial banks provide savings and checking accounts, money market accounts and other financial vehicles to customers. Commercial banks rarely have walk-in facilities, instead relying on account representatives, or salespeople, to visit clients in their places of business. Commercial banks typically are more liquid than other financial institutions and pose less risk to investors because the commercial bank does not trade in risky investments. Most commercial banks are privately funded,…

  • What Is an IPO?

    An IPO (initial public offering) is a term that defines when a company first issues stock to the public. Sometimes established privately owned companies go public (UPS, for example), but more often it's newer companies that issue IPOs. While many IPOs (also known as "going public") have proven to be sound investments over the long run, the "dot com" crash of the early 2000s has served as a cautionary tale.

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