Learning Outcome B Flashcards
What is a financial institution?
An organisation which deals with the transactions of money.
What is meant by the term interest rates?
The cost of borrowing, usually a fixed rate and shown as a percentage.
Amount earn’t for saving.
Amount pay back for using credit.
What is the Bank of England?
The UK’s central bank with responsibility for maintaining a healthy level of financial stability for the UK as a whole.
What are advantages of the Bank of England?
+ Lend to banks.
What are disadvantages of the Bank of England?
- They can raise the base rate = making it more expensive to take out loans for everyone.
What are Banks?
Organisations that handle financial transactions and stores money behalf of its customers.
What are advantages of Banks?
+ Offers a wide range of services and types of accounts.
+ Secure place to deposit money.
+ Pay interest on positive balances.
What are disadvantages of Banks?
- Savings are only protected up to a certain amount (£75,000)
- Owned by shareholders.
What are Building Societies?
Organisations that handle financial transactions and store money on behalf of their members.
What are advantages of Building Societies?
+ Owned by members which means they can set rates that benefit their customers, not shareholders.
+ Offers a wide range of services and types of accounts.
+ Secure place to deposit money.
What are disadvantages of Building Societies?
- Might not be as driven and as efficient as commercial banks.
What are Credit Unions?
Not-for-profit organisations that handle financial transactions and store money on behalf of their members.
What are advantages of Credit Unions?
+ Offer additional benefits to the community or a positive cause.
What are disadvantages of Credit Unions?
- Like banks, savings only protected up to £75,000 but don’t have the drive of commercial banks.
What are National Savings and Investments?
A government-backed organisation that offers a secure saving option. It offers a range of options including ISAs, premium bonds and gilts and bonds.
What are advantages of National Savings and Investments?
+ 100% of savings are protected as it is backed by the government.
What are disadvantages of National Savings and Investments?
- Not easy to access as not on many high streets and usually have to give notice before withdrawing.
What are Insurance Companies?
Businesses that protect against the risk of loss in return for a premium.
Profit-making organisations.
What are advantages of Insurance Companies?
+ Protect against risk.
+ Different levels of protection can be purchased.
What are disadvantages of Insurance Companies?
- Premium depends on how much of a risk the individual seems to be.
What are Pension Companies?
Businesses that sell policies to individuals, either privately or through employers, to allow them to save now to fund retirement in the future. They normally invest the money paid to them in contributions in order to increase its value.
What are advantages of Pension Companies?
+ Provides security after retirement.
+ Deducted from pay.
What are disadvantages of Pension Companies?
- Money invested here cannot be released until retirement age.
What are Pawnbrokers?
Businesses or individuals who loan money against the security of a personal asset. If the item is not bought back from the pawnbroker within a specified period of time then it will be sold on.
What are advantages of Pawnbrokers?
+ Quick way of getting cash in return for an asset for a period of time.
What are disadvantages of Pawnbrokers?
- If cash not paid back, the asset that was secured is lost.
What are Payday Loans?
Organisations that offer a short-term source of finance used to bridge the gap between now and next receiving a wage; they are normally only available for relatively small amounts at very high rates.
What are advantages of Payday Loans?
+ Quick source of finance for urgent short-term situations.