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“It is the ability to foretell what is going to happen tomorrow, next week, next month, and next year. And to have the ability afterwards to explain why it didn’t happen.”. Sir Winston Churchill. What are Financial Intermediaries (FIs)?.
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“It is the ability to foretell what is going to happen tomorrow, next week, next month, and next year. And to have the ability afterwards to explain why it didn’t happen.” Sir Winston Churchill Saunders & Cornett, Financial Institutions Management, 4th edition
What are Financial Intermediaries (FIs)? • Financial Securities: contingent claims on future cash flows – debt, equity, derivatives, hybrids. • All firms’ liabilities & net worth are predominately comprised of financial securities. • But most firms hold real assets such as inventory, plant & equipment, buildings. • FIs’ assets are predominately comprised of financial securities. Saunders & Cornett, Financial Institutions Management, 4th edition
Transparent, Transluscent and Opaque FIs Saunders & Cornett, Financial Institutions Management, 4th edition
What Services Do FIs Provide? • Information • Liquidity • Reduced Transaction Costs • Transmission of Monetary Policy • Credit Allocation • Payment Services • Intergenerational Wealth Transfer Saunders & Cornett, Financial Institutions Management, 4th edition
FIs are the most regulated of all firms. • Safety and Soundness Regulation • Deposit Insurance • Monetary Policy Regulation • Reserve Requirements • Credit Allocation Regulation (eg., mortgages) • Consumer Protection Regulation • Community Reinvestment Act, Home Mortgage Disclosure Act, Truth in Lending Protection • Investor Protection Regulation • Entry Regulation Saunders & Cornett, Financial Institutions Management, 4th edition
Types of FIs • Depository Institutions • Insurance Companies • Securities Firms and Investment Banks • Mutual Funds • Finance Companies • Distinctions blurred by the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act of 1999 that created Financial Holding Companies (FHCs). Saunders & Cornett, Financial Institutions Management, 4th edition
Features Common to Most FIs • High Amount of Financial Leverage • Low equity/assets ratios. Capital requirements. • Off-balance sheet items • Contingent claims that under certain circumstances may eventually become balance sheet items (ex. Derivatives, commitments) • Revenue: Interest Income & Fees • Costs: Interest Expenses and Personnel Saunders & Cornett, Financial Institutions Management, 4th edition
Depository Institutions • Commercial Banks: accept deposits and make loans to consumers and businesses. • Money Center Banks: Citigroup, Bank of NY, BankOne, Bankers Trust (Deutschebank), JP Morgan Chase and HSBC Bank USA. • Savings Associations (S&Ls) • Qualified Thrift Lender (QTL) mortgages must exceed 65% of thrift’s assets. • Savings Banks • Use deposits to fund mortgages & other assets. • Credit Unions • Nonprofit mutually owned institutions (owned by depositors). Saunders & Cornett, Financial Institutions Management, 4th edition