ABCs of Banking - Banks and Our Economy (2024)

ABC's of Banking

Provided by the State of Connecticut, Department of Banking,based on information from the Conference of State Bank Supervisors (CSBS)

Lesson One: Banks and our Economy
Lesson Two: Banks, Thrifts & Credit Unions - What's the Difference?
Lesson Three: Banks and their Regulators
Lesson Four: Deposit Insurance
Lesson Five: Bank Geographic Structure
Lesson Six: Foreign Banks

Banks and Our Economy

"Bank" is a term people use broadly to refer to many different types of financial institutions. What you think of as your "bank" may be a bank and trust company, a savings bank, a savings and loan association or other depository institution.

What is a Bank?

Banks are privately-owned institutions that, generally, accept deposits and make loans. Deposits are money people leave in an institution with the understanding that they can get it back at any time or at an agreed-upon future time. A loan is money let out to a borrower to be generally paid back with interest. This action of taking deposits and making loans is called financial intermediation. A bank's business, however, does not end there.

Most people and businesses pay their bills with bank checking accounts, placing banks at the center of our payments system. Banks are the major source of consumer loans -- loans for cars, houses, education -- as well as main lenders to businesses, especially small businesses.

Banks are often described as our economy's engine, in part because of these functions, but also because of the major role banks play as instruments of the government's monetary policy.

How Banks Create Money

Banks can't lend out all the deposits they collect, or they wouldn't have funds to pay out to depositors. Therefore, they keep primary and secondary reserves. Primary reserves are cash, deposits due from other banks, and the reserves required by the Federal Reserve System. Secondary reserves are securities banks purchase, which may be sold to meet short-term cash needs. These securities are usually government bonds. Federal law sets requirements for the percentage of deposits a bank must keep on reserve, either at the local Federal Reserve Bank or in its own vault. Any money a bank has on hand after it meets its reserve requirement is its excess reserves.

It's the excess reserves that create money. This is how it works (using a theoretical 20% reserve requirement): You deposit $500 in YourBank. YourBank keeps $100 of it to meet its reserve requirement, but lends $400 to Ms. Smith. She uses the money to buy a car. The Sav-U-Mor Car Dealership deposits $400 in its account at TheirBank. TheirBank keeps $80 of it on reserve, but can lend out the other $320 as its own excess reserves. When that money is lent out, it becomes a deposit in a third institution, and the cycle continues. Thus, in this example, your original $500 becomes $1,220 on deposit in three different institutions. This phenomenon is called the multiplier effect. The size of the multiplier depends on the amount of money banks must keep on reserve.

The Federal Reserve can contract or expand the money supply by raising or lowering banks' reserve requirements. Banks themselves can contract the money supply by increasing their own reserves to guard against loan losses or to meet sudden cash demands. A sharp increase in bank reserves, for any reason, can create a "credit crunch" by reducing the amount of money a bank has to lend.

How Banks Make Money

While public policymakers have long recognized the importance of banking to economic development, banks are privately-owned, for-profit institutions. Banks are generally owned by stockholders; the stockholders' stake in the bank forms most of its equity capital, a bank's ultimate buffer against losses. At the end of the year, a bank pays some or all of its profits to its shareholders in the form of dividends. The bank may retain some of its profits to add to its capital. Stockholders may also choose to reinvest their dividends in the bank.

Banks earn money in three ways:

  • They make money from what they call the spread, or the difference between the interest rate they pay for deposits and the interest rate they receive on the loans they make.
  • They earn interest on the securities they hold.
  • They earn fees for customer services, such as checking accounts, financial counseling, loan servicing and the sales of other financial products (e.g., insurance and mutual funds).

Banks earn an average of just over 1% of their assets (loans and securities) every year. This figure is commonly referred to as a bank's "return on assets," or ROA.

A Short History

The first American banks appeared early in the 18th century, to provide currency to colonists who needed a means of exchange. Originally, banks only made loans and issued notes for money deposited. Checking accounts appeared in the mid-19th century, the first of many new bank products and services developed through the state banking system. Today banks offer credit cards, automatic teller machines, NOW accounts, individual retirement accounts, home equity loans, and a host of other financial services.

In today's evolving financial services environment, many other financial institutions provide some traditional banking functions. Banks compete with credit unions, financing companies, investment banks, insurance companies and many other financial services providers. While some claim that banks are becoming obsolete, banks still serve vital economic goals. They continue to evolve to meet the changing needs of their customers, as they have for the past two hundred years. If banks did not exist, we would have to invent them.

Banks and Public Policy

Our government's earliest leaders struggled over the shape of our banking system. They knew that banks have considerable financial power. Should this power be concentrated in a few institutions, they asked, or shared by many? Alexander Hamilton argued strongly for one central bank; that idea troubled Thomas Jefferson, who believed that local control was the only way to restrain banks from becoming financial monsters.

We've tried both ways, and our current system seems to be a compromise. It allows for a multitude of banks, both large and small. Both the federal and state governments issue bank charters for "public need and convenience," and regulate banks to ensure that they meet those needs. The Federal Reserve controls the money supply at a national level; the nation's individual banks facilitate the flow of money in their respective communities.

Since banks hold government-issued charters and generally belong to the federal Bank Insurance Fund, state and federal governments have considered banks as instruments of broad financial policy beyond money supply. Governments encourage or require different types of lending; for instance, they enforce nondiscrimination policies by requiring equal opportunity lending. They promote economic development by requiring lending or investment in banks' local communities, and by deciding where to issue new bank charters. Using banks to accomplish economic policy goals requires a constant balancing of banks' needs against the needs of the community. Banks must be profitable to stay in business, and a failed bank doesn't meet anyone's needs.

Lesson Two: Banks, Thrifts & Credit Unions - What's the Difference?

ABCs of Banking - Banks and Our Economy (2024)

FAQs

What is the ABCs of banking law? ›

The ABCs of Banking Law is an annual continuing legal education program presented by the Center for Banking and Finance that focuses on the basics of banking law for lawyers. This program introduces the banking law regulatory structure.

How are banks and the economy connected? ›

Banks also play a central role in the transmission of monetary policy, one of the government's most important tools for achieving economic growth without inflation. The central bank controls the money supply at the national level, while banks facilitate the flow of money in the markets within which they operate.

What are the three types of banks in our economy? ›

They are commercial banks, thrifts (which include savings and loan associations and savings banks) and credit unions.

How is banking essential for an economy? ›

Capital Allocation: Banks are instrumental in allocating capital efficiently by moving funds from savers to borrowers. They play a vital role in connecting those who have surplus funds with those in need of capital to invest in businesses, innovation, and infrastructure projects.

What does ABC stand for in legal terms? ›

Assignments for the benefit of creditors are an alternative to the formal burial process of a Chapter 7 bankruptcy. The ABC process may allow the parties to avoid the delay and uncertainty of formal federal bankruptcy court proceedings.

What is B and C in banking? ›

What Is a B/C Loan? A B/C loan is a loan to low credit quality borrowers and borrowers with minimal credit history. This type of financing, which includes personal consumer loans and mortgages, is typically issued by alternative lenders charging high-interest rates and fees.

Are banks the engines of our economy? ›

Lending and Credit: Banks are instrumental in allocating capital by providing loans and credit to individuals, businesses, and governments. These funds enable borrowers to invest in education, homes, businesses, and infrastructure projects, driving economic growth.

What is the backbone of the economy? ›

Micro, Small, and Medium-Sized Enterprises are the backbone of economies worldwide and of the world of work. They employ more than two thirds of the global workforce, and they contribute significantly to GDP growth.

Which bank controls the money supply in the economy? ›

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) controls the supply of money and bank credit.

Who are the big three in banking? ›

Summary of the Largest Banks in the U.S.
RankingBankHeadquarters
1JPMorgan ChaseNew York, NY
2Bank of AmericaCharlotte, North Carolina
3Wells FargoSan Francisco, California
4CitibankNew York, New York
6 more rows
Mar 27, 2024

What are 4 types of banking? ›

The 4 different types of banks are Central Bank, Commercial Bank, Cooperative Banks, Regional Rural Banks. You can read about the Types of Banks in India – Category and Functions of Banks in India in the given link.

What are 3 ways banks make money? ›

How Do Banks Make Money? 4 Common Strategies Explained
  • Different Types of Bank Fees. Monthly Maintenance Fee. ...
  • Credit and Lending. Beyond standard bank fees, here are some of the other ways a bank can earn money. ...
  • Financial Advisory Services. ...
  • Investments.
Apr 25, 2023

What are the five most important banking services? ›

The 5 most important banking services are checking and savings accounts, loan and mortgage services, wealth management, providing Credit and Debit Cards, Overdraft services. You can read about the Types of Banks in India – Category and Functions of Banks in India in the given link.

What do banks do with your money? ›

It doesn't remain locked away in the bank vault – instead, the money you deposit into a savings account is used by the bank to make loans to other people and businesses in your community so that they have the money to pay for big expenses like houses and cars, or even to operate a business.

Do banks invest your money? ›

Only a small portion of your deposits at a bank are actually held as cash at the bank. The rest of your money (the majority of the bank's assets) is invested by the bank into vehicles such as consumer or business loans, government bonds and credit cards. Borrowers have to pay the bank back with interest.

How did bank runs affect the economy? ›

An uncontrolled bank run can wipe out shareholders, bondholders, and depositors (beyond an insured amount). When multiple banks are involved, it may create a cascading industry-wide panic that can lead to a financial crisis and economic recession.

How do economic factors affect banks? ›

The primary economic indicators affecting the banking sector are interest rates, inflation, housing sales, and overall economic productivity and growth. The central bank's interest rate environment and expansionary monetary policy affect this sector.

What happens to the economy during a bank run? ›

When a bank run occurs, agents rush to the banks and withdraw their funds as quickly as possible. Banks are driven into bankruptcy due to liquidity problems. The breakdown of the banking industry distorts capital allocation and in most situations adds downward pressure to the real economy.

Do banks affect the money supply in the economy? ›

The bank will keep some of it on hand as required reserves, but it will loan the excess reserves out. When that loan is made, it increases the money supply. This is how banks “create” money and increase the money supply. When a bank makes loans out of excess reserves, the money supply increases.

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