1. Business of Banking Flashcards
What are the five roles of banks?
- Financial intermediary between savers and borrowers, which results in efficient use of pooled resources
- Facilitates the creation of money by expanding the supply of money through deposit and loan transactions
- Creates financial products and services that benefits customers
- Develops mechanisms for transferring money and making payments
- Contributes to the development of the economy
What is financial intermediation?
The process of pooling funds from savers and using these to provide loans to borrowers. The bank acts as a go between, or intermediary for those who have extra money and those who want to borrow.
What are the four main services provided by investment banking?
- Debt capital markets
- Equity capital markets
- Private placement
- Mergers and acquisitions
What are some typical examples of when debt capital markets are used?
Where a large company may want to build a factory and is looking to issue bond financing to finance its expansion.
Or if a government wants to finance the building of an airport, highway, or other large municipal project, it may issue bonds to raise capital.
How are investment banks involved in the debt capital market bond issuance process?
An investment bank would be involved in planning the bond issuance, working with the issuer to manage the documentation required to issue the bonds and help sell the bonds.
What is the underwriting spread?
In bond issuances, the investment bank would buy the securities at one price and then add on a markup in the sale price and thereby generate a profit that compensates for the risk they take on. This difference is the underwriting spread.
How does a syndicate work?
A lead bank will normally work with a group of investment banks, called a syndicate, to underwrite a bond issue so that the risk is spread among others.
When are equity capital markets used?
Where a company needs more money to grow and decides to raise the funds by undertaking an Initial Public Offering (IPO). Whereby it sells its shares to the public and a wider pool of investors for the first time.
How are investment banks involved in equity capital market IPO process?
The investment bank will put together a prospectus explaining the terms of the offering and the risks it carries, managing the issuance process and helping the price of the offering.
What are private placements?
Where customers plan an offering of bonds or shares with an institutional investor such as an insurance company or a retirement fund.
What is one of the main benefits of private placements?
Often this can be a fast-track option due to lower regulatory requirements.
What are mergers and acquisitions and how is the investment bank involved in this process?
Where a company is looking to buy another company, investment banks offer advice on how the company should proceed with the acquisition, including the pricing of the offer.
What are Chinese walls and when are they used?
Investment banks need to establish barriers known as Chinese walls or information barriers, within organisations involved in mergers and acquisitions to prevent exchanges or communication that could lead to conflict of interest.
What is the main way that banks source their funds?
Banks source their funds largely from deposits from the public.
What is the main way that banks source their funds?
Banks source their funds largely from deposits from the public.
What are three different types of deposits banks source from the public?
- Savings deposits (from salary and wage earners)
- Fixed term deposits (lump sum deposited for a specific period)
- Current deposits (business accounts)
What are the types of loans and advances that banks offer?
- Overdraft
- Credit card
- Short to medium term loans
- Long term loans
- Bills of exchange and promissory notes
- Equipment leasing hire and purchase
- Trade financing
What is a bank overdraft?
An overdraft is a defined credit limit attached to a bank account that can be drawn against. Interest is charged on the overdrawn balance.
What is a credit card?
Credit cards allow the purchase of goods and services within a certain limit, effectively borrowing money, and paying it back later, usually monthly or bi-monthly instalments.
What are short to medium term loans?
Short term loans are where principal and interest repayments are made over a shorter time period of say, 12 months to 5 years (e.g., for purchase of a car).
What are long term loans?
Long term loans are where principal and interest repayments are made over a longer period of say, 30 years (e.g., for purchase of a home).
What are bills of exchange and promissory notes?
Bills of exchange and promissory notes are specialised instruments, being an unconditional order in writing between parties, where the bank purchases the bill amount from the borrower, deducting charges. On maturity the bill is presented to the borrower and the full amount is collected.
What is equipment leasing and hire purchase? What is the key associated benefit?
Equipment leasing and hire purchase are common forms of
borrowing for the financing of plant, machinery and vehicles by individuals and businesses. Taxation benefits are often linked to these forms of debt, making them popular funding options.
What is trade finance?
Trade finance assists in facilitating import and export transactions including lending, letters of credit, factoring (accounts receivable financing), export credit and insurance.
What are the seven forms of facilitating payments?
- Electronic funds transfers
- Negotiable instruments
- Periodic payments
- Periodic collections
- Debit cards
- International money transfers
- E-commerce payment systems for merchants
What are electronic funds transfers?
Where funds are transferred electronically between banks.
What are negotiable instruments?
Such as bank drafts, cheques and letters of credit.
What are periodic payments?
Direct debits and standing orders, where the bank makes periodic payments on behalf of the customer.
What are periodic collections?
Direct credits, where the bank collects periodic payments on behalf of the customer for salary, pension, dividends, etc.
What are debit cards?
Allows purchase of goods and services and deducts money directly from the customer’s bank account (no credit provided).
What are international money transfers?
Allows customers to transfer money to overseas bank accounts.
What are e-commerce payment systems for merchants?
Businesses can accept electronic payments via credit card and EFTPOS into their account, with settlement on the same day.
What is insurance and its main function?
Depending on what is being insured against, the insurer agrees to pay money to help cover costs should certain events occur. This is called a “transfer of risk” because the insurer is taking the risk of meeting the cost of the loss.
What are five types of wealth management products?
- Allocated pensions
- Annuities
- Investment growth bonds
- Managed funds
- Superannuation
What are allocated pensions?
Provides a regular income in retirement where income payments are funded from a superannuation lump sum.
What are annuities?
A secure investment that pays an income throughout a determined period; often associated with retirement.
What are investment growth bonds? What are they also known as?
Also known as insurance bonds. Product that provides a tax-effective (typically long-term) income stream in retirement outside of superannuation.
What are the two revenue sources for banks (how they make money)?
- Lending money at rates higher than they pay for deposits.
- Charging fees for products and services such as loans, deposit and payment services, as well as other services such as traveller’s cheques or foreign exchange fees.
What is the spread for banks?
The difference between the rates at which banks lend and pay for deposits.
What does the difference between the net interest income and the net interest margin represent?
The difference between the rates at which banks lend and pay for deposits.
What is another term for the bank’s spread?
Net interest income
What is the net interest margin?
When the bank’s net interest income is divided by its earning assets.
What does the difference between the net interest income and the net interest margin represent?
The difference between the rates at which banks lend and pay for deposits.
What is the largest source of fee income for banks from households?
Credit cards represented the largest component of fee income, followed by housing loan fees.
What is the largest source of fee income for banks from businesses?
For businesses, loans represented the largest component of fee income, followed by merchant service fees.
What is maturity transformation?
When a bank offers short term liabilities (such as deposits) and transforms them into longer term assets (such as loans).
What are the three types of risk that a bank absorbs in undertaking maturity transformation?
- Credit risk
- Liquidity risk
- Interest rate risk
What is credit risk?
The probability of loss due to a borrower’s failure to make payment on any type of debt.
What is liquidity risk?
The potential inability of a bank to meet its payment obligations in a timely and cost-effective manner.