The Financial System and Institutions

What this unit covers

The page brings together material on how a financial system works and who takes part in it. The mind maps Overview of the Financial System and Financial Intermediation set out direct and indirect finance, and how intermediaries link the surplus sector with the deficit sector. COMPARING FINANCIAL SYSTEM sets bank-based and market-based systems side by side, with France, the USA, the UK, Germany and Japan as examples.

Where to start

Begin with the big picture. Open the mind map Why do Financial Intermediaries Exist? and then Financial Institutions. Next, move to the flashcard deck Banking, which covers bank revenues and expenses, maturity mismatch, credit risk and interest rate risk. The deck Section 5 - The financial sector adds the functions of a central bank.

Material for professional exams

Some resources mention CeMAP and CeFS. The deck Cemap1 Unit 1&2 asks why people use financial intermediaries and what maturity transformation means. The mind map CeMAP 1: Financial Regulation looks at the role of government. The deck CeFS key terms Topic 4 lists terms such as current account, direct debit and overdraft.

Using quizzes and maps together

1. Read a mind map on a topic, such as financial markets or bonds.
2. Take a quiz on it, for example Finance Chap 3 - Intermediaries or Financial Instruments.
3. Note what you missed, then go back to the matching map or flashcards.
4. Repeat with the deck on that topic until the terms feel familiar.

Where it fits

This unit sits in the strand Money, Banking and the Financial System, within Finance and banking. Most of what is listed is at university level, with some school and professional material too. Everything was made by GoConqr users, so styles and course names vary. Choose a map or deck that matches your course, open a quiz, and see what you already know.