Fund Your Future By Understanding Varied Financial Institution Services

At some stage in your life, you must have immersed yourself in researching the range of financial services available to you in an effort to increase your fortune. However, most people are naïve when it comes to saving or investing using the services or understanding common features of financial institutions. You're not alone, so don't worry. This blog aims to help you better grasp some typical elements of financial institution services.

A financial institution is a business that deals in financial and monetary transactions including loans, investments, deposits, and exchange of currencies. Financial institutions can encompass a variety of commercial enterprises operating in the financial services industry, including insurance companies, banks, brokerage houses, and investment dealers. 

Every person who lives in a developed economy or nation has an ongoing particular demand for financial institution services.

Sounds interesting? Join us in learning more about different aspects of financial institutions and varied services. Also, you will find the right answers to your concerns like what are financial institutions? Is an insurance company a financial institution? Why are financial institutions important? And 4 types of financial institutions and more.

What are financial institutions?

If you are wondering what are financial institutions? In simple words, financial institutions are entities catered to helping individuals and businesses to fulfill their monetary and financial requirements through depositing, investing, or managing money. However, a few institutions fall under the category of banks, investment firms, insurance companies, brokerage ventures, trusts, and more. 

Often financial institutions are interconnected with banks, but not correct. Banks are one type of financial institution and its services and types differ from other financial institution services ( we will be discussing banks in detail later in the blog). 

While financial institutions allow individuals and enterprises to save, manage, invest, and utilize funds proactively, the authorities of the nation ensure the institutions follow the determined financial regulations. If the financial institutions fail in management, it can collapse which can destroy the economy to a large extent. In short, when a financial institution is regulated correctly it will lead to a healthy economy in the country.

Key Considerations of Financial Institutions in the USA 

• Financial institutions can vary in size, geography, and scope. 
• Financial institutions enclose a wide range of business operations in the financial sector like insurance companies, banks, brokerage firms, investment, and more. 
• Financial institutions are also considered important as they function in a capitalist economy to match individuals who are seeking funds to meet with the people who are looking for lending or investing money. 
• Central banks, credit unions, investment entities, commercial banks, thrift, insurance companies and more are a few examples of financial institution types. 
• These institutes are thoroughly regulated by the national authorities to maintain an effective financial structure in the country and keep the market active and stable. 
• A few financial institutions offer consultation services to customers who are exploring the perks and drawbacks of investing in certain entities. 

Common Features of Financial Institutions

One of the common features of financial institutions is to match savers or investor’s funds with the people who seek funds like borrowers, and businesses looking for trade shares of ownership in funds. This will lead to future payments between borrowers or businesses to savers or investors. You must be wondering what are a financial institution or how institutes match all the parties. Utilizing products like loans, and markets like stock exchange. 

Easy Acess to Money

The very basic and prime feature of financial institutions includes helping people access the money required for varied needs. For instance, even though banks do or offer varied services, their main role remains to collect funds, in the form of deposits from customers who have money and pool the money and lend the same money to people who need the funds. In short, banks are connecting bridges for depositors (people who lend money) and borrowers (people who borrow money to fulfill their needs). 

Withdraw Mony AnyTime

This feature is considered most useful because most depositors may need their money back at any time, while others don't - this gives banks an advantage to utilize these deposits in long-term loan plans. However, this financial institution service is not restricted to banks alone, but to every entity and individual in a capitalist system. Individuals, households, finance and non-finance firms, national and local government - everybody is entitled to this feature. 

Lastly, financial institutions play a very crucial part in the economy - whether it is banking, securities markets, or insurance. Additionally, individuals and companies most preferably rely on financial institution services commonly for transactions and investments. For instance, the health of a nation's banking system is the keystone of economic stability. As we said earlier, loss of confidence or failure in a meeting with the regulation of banking management can lead to a bank run or bankruptcy. 

How do you define a  bank?

A loan is part of a financial institution that focuses on holding deposits and making loans. Sounds confusing? In short, a bank is a financial institution that has a license to lend and hold money. It can offer checking and savings accounts, mortgages, credit cards, auto loans, small business loans, and more. 

Additionally, a bank can also provide financial institution services like cashier’s checks, money orders, safe deposit boxes, wire transfers, currency exchange, investing, and wealth management. Also, bank services can vary as they have the liberty to choose what service to offer, and in which states to operate these services. 

In the end, one of the highlighting perks of banks is that it is a reliable place to secure your money to prevent loss, theft, and natural disasters. 

How does the system of bank work?

In simpler words, a bank is a business that utilizes the money of its customers to allocate the funds into savings and checking accounts and to make loans from individuals and businesses. Usually, banks earn through the interest rates of the loans that they make and send back a portion of the funds as interest in the savings accounts. 

To operate a bank needs to have a license or charter, and the bank is monitored by a regulator. Tough, in the USA there are state and national charters, that depend on the bank's reach. Remember, the 3 main banking regulators are the Federal Reserve, Office of the Comptroller, and Currency and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. If you face any unusual behavior from the bank, then you can place a complaint with its designated regulator or Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. 

Additionally, you can also find financial institution services outside the banks like money orders at the post office, gift cards at retailers, wire transfers, and check cashing services at Western Union locations. However, if you are looking to place your money in a secure place, only banks have FDIC insurance. This means under the guarantee of the federal government of the USA, you can get your money back in checking and savings accounts in banks meets with failure (with a limitation of $250,000 per account holder)

Types of different banks

You must have discovered various types and technical categories of banks like commercial banks, savings banks, and more. One of the simplest ways to remember bank types is to determine the bank size and whether they have branches or not. Stay with us, we will be discussing different types of banks for your understanding. 

Regional Banks

This bank falls under the category of mid-size banks focused on specific areas of the country and can have branches in varied states. 

National Banks

A few biggest banks in the USA are national banks and usually have a wide network range with branches, ATMs, a wide array of products and services for general people, powerful mobile apps, and more. Additionally, a few banks have international bank divisions as well. National banks can refer to brick-and-mortar or online-only banks as well. 

Community Banks

These banks are small, local institutions that can be only physical banks (sometimes) in an area, especially in rural areas of the USA. 

Central Bank

Central banks are bankers that enable a country’s financial system to operate seamlessly by planning monetary policy and creating money among other factors. Though, the US central bank is the Federal Reserve. However, the actions and rates determined or changed by the Federal Reserve indirectly affect you as the interest rates with loans and savings accounts will be changed as well by other banks. 

Online/ e-banks

E-banks are internet-based banks that allow customers to interact via websites and mobile apps (not always). However, online banks don't always offer all types of loans and accounts that you find at traditional loans or brick-and-mortar banks. 

Financial Institutions in Capital Market

Capital markets are important as they function in capitalist economies through channel savings and investments between people who are in need. Suppliers are individuals or even institutions with capital to invest or lend, and they can be investors or banks. Usually, individuals and companies seeking capital are governments, businesses, and individuals. 

Financial institutions often play an important role in the capital market, giving a direction to where capital is useful. For instance, a bank collects deposits from customers and lends them to the borrowers to make sure the functions of capital markets are served efficiently. 

Regulation with Financial Institutions

The government regulates and looks after the banks and financial institutions as it plays an integral economic role. Bankruptcies with financial institutions can create a sense of anxiety among banking customers. Additionally, Federal and state governments regulate financial institutions, and at times multiple agencies can regulate the same institutions. 

Federal Depository Regulators

Federal depository regulators are responsible to look after banks, thrifts, and credit unions that accept customer deposits. 

US Federal Reserve System (FRS): Regulator of FRS member state banks, foreign banking organizations operating in the United States, and financial holding companies. 

Federal Deposit Insurance Deposit (FDIC): FDIC regulates federally insured depository institutions, and state banks that are not members of the Federal Reserve System and state-chartered shift. 

National Credit Union Administration (NCUA): Ensures and supervises federally insured or chartered credit unions. 

Office of Comptroller of the Currency (OCC): OCC looks after the national banks and federal savings associations that operate safely, offer equal access to financial services, treat customers fairly, and comply with applicable laws and regulations. Additionally, OCC is designated to oversee all the US federal branches of foreign banks and federally chartered thrift institutions, and make sure these institutions follow all the necessary regulations.  

Regulators of Federal Securities Markets

The 2 main federal institutions regulate products, market and market participants, and securities like bonds, stocks, and derivatives. 

Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC): SEC regulates security exchanges, corporate selling securities, and broker-dealers to the public, investment funds - mutual funds, investment advisers - hedge funds with assets over $150 million, and investment companies. 

Commodities Future Trading Commission (CFTC):  Regulates futures commissions merchants, future exchanges, commodity pool operators derivatives, clearing organizations, commodity trading advisors, and designated contract makers. 

Regulators of Government Specific Enterprise (GEC)

Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA): Surprises, regulates, and performs insights of the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fennie, Mae), federal home loan mortgage corporation (Freddie, Mac), and the Federal Home Loan Bank System. 

Farm Credit Administration: The agency regulates Farm credit system institutions and Farner Mac, credit sources eligible in agriculture and rural areas. 

State Regulators

States can regulate financial institutions with or replace federal regulators. For instance, there is only minimal oversight of the insurance industry. Each government has a department that regulates and licenses insurance companies and any other company that sells insurance-based products. Additionally, states can also regulate banking, customer protection, and securities, with federal regulators who work in these areas. 

Benefits of Financial Institution

A financial institution looks after different financial operations like monetary transactions, currency exchange, loans, interest on investment, insurance, and more. Let’s have a closer look to understand the varied advantages offered by financial institutions to businesses and banking individual customers. 

Offer funds

Financial institutions can be a good source for individuals and even businesses to fulfill mid t long-term financial goals. Additionally, these institutions provide owned and borrowed capital goods to banking customers. 

Get access to credit creation

Financial institutions are a part of security that makes sure that less amount is left unused in the economy. Confused? This means that financial institutions serve as intermediaries between savers and borrowers. Also, this process of financial institutions aids in creating or building money and promotes economic growth in the country. 

Effective employment generation

Financial institutions focus on offering funds to build and develop industries and advanced infrastructure within the country. This can help create new employment opportunities for available and interested manpower. 

Boost Regional Financial Balance

A few large financial institutions aim to take the social responsibility to establish their units or branches in backward areas to educate them and provide basic monetary services to uplift these areas. Also, These financial institutions aim to bring these backward areas equal to other developed regions in the country. 

4 types of financial institutions

Financial institutions often provide varied products and services for commercial and individual clients. However, the specific service will vary from the type of financial institution. We are listing below 4 types of financial institutions. 

Banks and Credit Unions

These types of financial institutions accept deposits and offer checking and saving accounts, focus on making personal, mortgage, and business loans, and also provide basic financial product offerings like Certificate of Deposits (CDs). They can also act as payment agents through credit cards, wire transfers, and currency exchange. 

Savings and Loans

These types of financial institutions can involve a few features:

• Credit unions
• Foreign banks
• Commercial or private banks 
• Savings and loans associations
• Saving banks, industrial institutions, and thrifts. 

Insurance Companies

When you explore all the famous non-financial institutions, insurance companies are the one most preferred and helpful to overcome your losses and risks. Protection of assets and protection against financial risk, secured through insurance products is a vital service facilitating individuals and companies as a source to grow wealth. 

Additionally, insurance is primarily regulated at the state level, but the US Treasury Federal Insurance Office tracks the industry and plays the role of advisory. 

Investment Companies, brokerage, and advisors

Often investment companies issue and invest in stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and ETFs. Mutual funds are one of the leading examples of a product that is provided by an investment company. This is the company, where many investors pool money to invest in money market instruments along with other sources of investments mentioned above. 

While other examples of investment-related financial institutions include investment advisors and even brokers. Broers are the ones who accept and carry out the orders to buy and sell instruments for customers. 

Why are financial institutions important?

While exploring different features individuals often have concerns like what are financial institutions important? They play a significant role in everyone’s life because it offers a secured marketplace to allocate your money and assets so that capital can be easily allocated whether it is used. 

For instance, a bank takes in the deposit of its customer and lends the same money to the borrower. Without a bank being an intermediary, an individual would find it difficult to find a qualified borrower or know how to service the loan. Through the bank, depositors can earn a significant amount of money through interest rate gains. Lastly, an investment bank finds an investor to market a company’s stocks or bonds.

Commercial vs Investment Bank

A commercial is the most common type of financial institution, accepts deposits, provides checking and savings accounts, and makes varied loans like business, mortgage, personal, and more. It also offers services like CDs and savings accounts to individual and business customers. 

On the other hand, an investment specializes in offering services catered to outlining business operations. This can include raising money through financing and equity offerings, like initial public offerings (IPOs). These banks offer brokerage services for investors, serve as market makers for trading exchanges, manage managers, acquisitions, and more. 

Read Also:- Best Ideas to Invest During A Recession

Bottom Line

Financial institutions help to keep capitalist economies stable and  by matching people who seek funds with people who are ready to lend or invest. 

They offer a large range of business operations within the financial services sector like banks, credit unions, insurance companies, and brokerage firms. Regulatory agencies such as the OCC, the SEC, the FDIC, and more look after the operations of financial institutions in the United States.

Frequently Asked Questions