Types of Financial Services

There are many different types of financial services, and this article will briefly explore some of them. It will also cover such topics as Investment banks, Discount brokerages, Payment recovery services, Deposit-taking, and more. Here are some of the most common ones:

Investment banks

The two main functions of investment banks are buy and sell-side activities. While the former focuses on market-making and trading securities, the latter works with institutions to create liquidity and maximize returns. Buy-side activities include investment banking and advice for pension, hedge, and life insurance funds. These banks work with many institutions, including individuals, pension funds, and mutual funds. Their expertise includes analyzing market conditions, risk management, and capital flows.

Discount brokerages

Although they are a growing segment of the financial services industry, discount brokerages are not without their merits. Discount brokers offer lower commissions and full-service broker services, but they don’t provide any financial advice or unsolicited investment recommendations. Instead, these companies charge a small management fee for managing your assets. Compared to full-service brokers, discount brokerages offer lower prices and commission-free trades. Many discount brokers offer educational materials as well, which can prove useful for inexperienced investors.

Payment recovery services

If you are receiving harassing phone calls from Complete Payment recovery services, you should know your rights. The company is a collection agency that purchases debts from the original creditor for pennies on the dollar – one tenth of the original cost. These collection agencies may not actually own the debts – they are paid to collect them for another company. Often, these companies try to contact debtors through phone calls and letters and report their actions to the credit bureaus.

Deposit-taking

A financial service provider takes deposits from people and makes loans, usually for a profit on the difference. These services also facilitate account settlement and transfers, and help companies buy and sell securities or derivatives. Many financial services providers also help consumers raise money and handle investments. Ultimately, people and companies may prefer to deal with a financial services provider rather than handle these tasks themselves. Here’s how deposit-taking in financial services differs from other forms of financial services.

Loan-taking

Banks engage in loan-taking as part of their financial services. Banks advance money to individuals, corporations, and governments for a variety of reasons. The main goal of this practice is to increase the money supply, while allowing lenders to earn income from interest on the loans. Typically, loans can be classified into secured and unsecured, conventional, and open-end loans. A bank may also issue credit cards to customers.

Securities

In the world of finance, securities are financial instruments with monetary value that are traded on the market. These instruments are classified into two main types: equity securities and debt securities. Publicly traded companies raise capital through the sale of securities. Securities are also regulated by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), which regulates financial professionals and prevents fraud. In the UK, the SEC also oversees mutual fund trading and various other formal investment instruments.