BANKING: The industry consisting of financial intermediaries that maintain deposits (that is, the industry of banks). Banking is one of several financial industries, with insurance and stock trading two other notable examples. Firms that comprise the banking industry are traditional banks, savings and loan associations, credit unions, and mutual savings banks. Banking in modern economies is generally fractional-reserve banking, with banks acting as financial intermediaries and safekeepers of deposits. See also | deposits | loans | money supply | Federal Reserve System | financial intermediary | industry | investment | fractional-reserve banking | bank panic | Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation | savings and loan association | credit union | mutual savings bank |
