OVERVIEW OF FINANCIAL
MARKETS, INSTITUTIONS &
MONEY (II)
COMMERCIAL BANKS
Largest and most diversified. highly regulated intermediaries.
Liabilities: Deposit accounts of various sorts and other source of funds.
Asset: Loans in all denominations to consumers, businesses, state & local governments.
Also engaged in other activities i,e, trust deparmetns, leasing operations, underwriting securitites.
NON-BANK FINANCIAL CORPORATIONS
BUILDING SOCIETIES
Authorised deposit-taking institutions (ADIs) - accept retail deposits & provide loans to clients with
a traditional emphasis on home loan lending - structured as listed entities or mutuals.
Competitive advantage with highly regulated banks - disappeared when interest rate
reforms - diminished i.e. some merged, some converted to banks, some collapsed.
CREDIT UNIONS
Take deposits and make loans for various personal finance applications - traditionally
cooperative (membership is based on common bonds i.e. a trade union, local community,
religious group, working for the same employer).
* Common bond requirement no longer exists in legal form.
MONEY MARKET CORPORATIONS
Also known as merchant/investment
banks - Offer wide range of financial
products inc. deposits and lending
services.
Also provide specialist advice,
underwriting facilities, trade in
financial and exchange markets and
funds management.
Competitive pressure forced
commercial banks to diversify
operations to maintain growth &
revenues thus, investment banking
groups were acquired by large
banking groups.
FINANCE COMPANIES
Make loans to consumers and small
business - do not accept savings deposits
from consumers - Obtain funds by
selling debentures and other capital
market instruments i.e. commercial
paper to investors..
Balance of funds
comes from equity
capital and
long-term debt
obligations.
Consumer F.C
Business F.C.
Sales F.C
Finance products sold by retail dealers.
Loans and leases to business.
Instalment loans to households.
Was associated
with banks,
now
subsidiaries of
manufacturers,
also pastoral f.c.
as well as
general
financiers.
OTHER FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS
LIFE INSURANCE COMPANIES
Obtain funds by selling insurance policies
that protect against loss of income from
premature death or retirement - receive
benefit i.e. risk protection + savings plan -
able to invest primarily in higher-yielding,
long-term assets i.e. corporate bonds and
stocks.
GENERAL INSURANCE COMPANIES
Sell protection against loss of
property from fire, theft,
accident, negligence, etc. -
Major funds: premium
charged on insurance policies
- Casualty insurance policies
are pure risk-protection
policies = no cash surrender
value, no liquidity to
policyholders. unpredictable
cash out-flows.
Assets are short-term. highly
marketable securities - Have
substantial holdings of equity
securities to offset the lower
returns.
SUPERANNUATION FUNDS
Obtain funds from employer and
employee contributions during
their working years and provide
financial resources to be used in
retirement - invest such funds n
variety of financial instruments i.e.
corporate bonds and equities.
Help workers to plan their retirement years in an
orderly and systematic manner - long term funds and
outflow highly predictable therefore able to invest in
higher-yielding long-term securities.
MANAGED FUNDS
Trusts; Sell equity share to investors and use the money
they receive to purchase investment assets i.e. stocks
and bonds - not fixed, fluctuates as price of stocks
change.
Provide small investors with access to reduce
investment risk -Results from diversification,
economics in scale in transactions costs,
professional financial managers.
Specialised in particular sectors.
SECURITISERS
-- Process of pooling
assets and turning them
into tradable security -
enable value of asset to
be realised immediately.
Obtain funds from capital markets by pooling and selling issued loans - generate income from this securities and receive interests.
Low operating costs - able to compete with much larger banks - provide interest rates and fees = high growth rates