September 2021 - CFI.co Blog

Do you want to open a bank account but aren’t sure which bank to choose? Selecting a bank is one of the most important financial decisions you will ever make. All the banks aren’t the same. They differ in the financial products and services they offer to individuals, small businesses, and startups. With so many choices and you may not know where to even start. This is why you need to be more strategic and conduct thorough research to find the best bank that fits your needs.

If you’re wondering which bank suits your needs, here are things you should consider when shopping for a bank. It’ll save you a lot of hassle and money.

1. Identify the Type of Account You Want to Open

Comparing all the types of products and services different bank offers can be overwhelming. To make it much easier, you should identify the type of bank account you want to open depending on your financial goals. Knowing whether you want a checking account, savings account, money market account, certificates of deposit (CDs), can help narrow down your search.

While both saving accounts and CDs help you stash money you don’t want to use for a while, one major difference is that CDs store your money for a pre-determined amount of time and lock in your interest rate for the full term. If you’re looking to keep the money you’ll spend regularly, you should opt for a checking account.

Money market accounts are also similar to a savings account, except the bank can send you a debit card or paper checks, making it easy for you to access your savings.

2. Consider Interest Rates

Most checking accounts don’t usually pay interest, and if they do, the rates are very low. If you want more interest, you can try opening a savings account, CD, or money market account. The rates depend on the bank you choose. In case interest rates matter to you, ensure you find a bank with competitive rates.

3. Find a Bank That Charges Low or No Fees

Opening an account with an institution that charges costly fees isn’t beneficial. You end up losing money instead of saving. When it comes to monthly maintenance fees, you need to choose a bank that charges no fees, low fees, or fees you can waive.

You should also watch out for ATM fees, foreign transaction fees, excess transaction fees, and overdraft fees. If you overdraw a checking account, you may have to pay an overdraft fee. While you may opt for an overdraft protection program, you may end up paying more. So when you’re looking for a new bank, you should find one with more lenient overdraft policies.

Paying fewer ATM fees will depend on the bank and the type of account you want to open. If you often travel in foreign countries, check the bank charges for using your debit card abroad. Also, look at how much different banks charge when you go over your withdrawal limit.

And when you find your perfect account, do this:

Link your checking account to another account at your financial institution so that if you run out of money in your checking account, the bank will pull money from the other account to cover the transaction. You may be charged a fee for this, but it’s typically less than an overdraft fee.

Sign up for low-balance alerts through your bank or credit union’s website. These alerts, which you may be able to receive on your phone, will alert you when you are at risk of overdrawing your account.

4. Consider the Convenience of Your Bank

When it comes to banking, accessibility is a vital factor since you want to be able to access your money as soon as you need it. You need to see if the bank offers convenience in terms of branch location, ATM location, and the availability of digital banking.

Also, look into the bank’s customer support. You want to choose a bank with dependable customer services so you can reach them when you have an issue.

5. Find a Bank That Fits Your Lifestyle

When scouring for banking options, you should stick with a bank that meets your needs. For entrepreneurs, you should opt for a bank that can provide support as you grow your business.

If you’re trying to save money, look for a bank that can help you reach your goals. You may find a bank that lets you open and name separate savings accounts. This can help you create savings account for different uses including a travel fund, emergency fund, and more.

What’s more, your spending habits can give you an idea of a bank you want to work with. If you love tracking your expenses, you can choose a bank that has budgeting tools built into its apps or websites.

6. Examine the Bank’s Digital Features

If you value high-tech digital experiences, you should look into a bank’s digital capabilities. While most banks offer basic services like the ability to pay bills, transfer funds, make mobile deposits and check balances, you also need to see if you can access advanced digital services.

Advanced digital capabilities such as the ability to lock your debit card and manage mobile banking alerts can help enhance your banking experience.

Research the banks you’re interested in and read online reviews to see if they have the digital features you’re looking for.

7. Understand the Terms and Conditions

Before you choose a bank, you should read the fine print. It helps you know if a bank is insured. A safe bank to consider should have insurance, ensuring your money is safe in case something goes wrong and the bank shuts down.
You should also read through your banking account disclosures to ensure you’re aware of the regulations and fees required.

Find the Best Bank for Your Financial Needs

To manage your finances, you’re going to need a bank. Always look at what you need and what each bank can offer you before you choose the best bank.

Also, remember, your choice isn’t permanent. You can change if you outgrow the bank you started with. Read more banking blog posts to learn more about banking and finances.

Banking

KPMG Report: NBFIs Lending in Saudi Arabia Sustained Growth in 2021

ByCFI.co Blogger

Khalil Ibrahim Al Sedais, Office Managing Partner – Riyadh at KPMG in Saudi Arabia

Highlights

Report provides a directional view on the $14.5 billion NBFI industry.
It is covering the real estate, automotive, commercial equipment and other consumer financing.
NBFI sector is expected to grow further backed by the measures taking inspiration from the AML compliance, fintech advancement, cybersecurity, business continuity planning and digitalization.
Currently, more than 35 NBFIs are operating in Saudi Arabia.
SAMA has further applied a new framework for the supervision of finance companies.

(RIYADH, DUBAI) – September 27, 2021: The first edition of KPMG’s Future of Non-Bank Financial Institutions (NBFIs) Financing looks into the performance of these institutions in the Kingdom. The publication provides a directional view on the $14.5 billion (SAR 54 billion) NBFI industry covering the real estate, automotive, commercial equipment and other consumer financing. This sector is already playing a pivotal role in lending to specific segments of borrowers in Saudi Arabia.

“Despite market turbulence, we have observed growth momentum during the first half of 2021 that started during the second half of 2020 after consumer confidence was regained. It is especially noticeable in the mortgage industry, where volumes were all time high due to domestic demand of housing, low interest rate environment and government guarantee for the first house of citizens. The NBFI sector is expected to grow further backed by the measures taking inspiration from the AML compliance, fintech advancement, cybersecurity, business continuity planning and digitalization in Saudi financial services sector,” said Khalil Ibrahim Al Sedais, Office Managing Partner – Riyadh at KPMG in Saudi Arabia.

Currently, more than 35 NBFIs are operating in Saudi Arabia. As at the end of FY 2020, the total paid up capital of these entities was SAR 14.2 billion ($3.8 billion) where real estate companies stand at SAR 3.9 billion ($1 billion), non-real estate companies SAR 8.8 billion ($2.3 billion) and Saudi Real Estate Refinance Company (SRC), as the refinancing entity of the industry, SAR 1.5 billion ($403 million).

Industry-wide total assets as at the end of FY 2020 were SAR 53 billion ($14.2 billion) which included real estate companies’ assets amounting to SAR 14 billion ($3.7 billion), non-real estate companies’ assets amounting to SAR 31.5 billion ($8.4 billion) and SRC assets amounting to SAR 7.5 billion ($2 billion). Moreover, there was an outstanding loan book, on and off-balance sheet, of approximately SAR 54 billion ($14.5 billion) which included real estate companies’ loan book of SAR 23.5 billion and non-real estate companies’ loan book of SAR 30.6 billion.

Despite SAMA’s new regulations allowing deposit-taking by finance companies, currently, NBFIs are highly dependent on borrowing and securitization as the main source for financing their lending activities. At the end of 2020, equity and liabilities totaled SAR 53 billion of which, liabilities accounted for 63%, while capital and reserves represented 27% and 10%, respectively.

Ovais Shahab, Head of Financial Services at KPMG in Saudi Arabia, said: “Over the past two years, major developments took place in the sector, including enhanced governance through issuance of new regulations mainly to govern deposit-taking, debt-based crowdfunding, provisions for the expected credit losses etc. Moreover, we have seen competition in the market and some players have gained market share on the basis of their customer reach and efficient onboarding process. SAMA has further applied a new framework for the supervision of finance companies, a risk-based supervision approach to oversee the sector and increase the maturity level of NBFI, a framework that is similar to those implemented to oversee the banking and insurance sectors and similar to what is used by other international regulatory bodies.”

Finance

Different Types of Stocks: A Guide for Beginner Investors

ByCFI.co Blogger

If you are considering investing in stocks, the first thing you need to do is understand the different types of stocks and how they work. You can then make a more informed decision as to what the best investment option is for you. Start by checking out the following guide for beginner investors.

*Image source: https://pixabay.com/photos/stock-trading-investing-stock-market-6525084/*

Common Stock

You can buy stocks in companies from a wide variety of sectors, from technology firms to casinos. You may like to invest in the latter if you enjoy playing games like roulette and blackjack at online sites like Kazoom Casino or in the former if you have a penchant for things like computers and machinery. But your investment choice needs to be based on the best financial option first and foremost. Before you begin looking at different sectors to invest in, you need to understand the different types of stocks that are available. The commonest form of stock that people invest in is aptly called common stock. It represents partial ownership in a company. As a shareholder, you can potentially have unlimited upside potential. However, there is a risk. If the company should fail without having any assets left over, you would lose everything. But if assets are left over, you would receive a proportional share of the remaining assets.

Preferred Stock

Investing in preferred stock works much like investing in common stock. The main difference is if the company should dissolve, as a preferred shareholder you have the right to receive dividend payments before common shareholders do.

Cap Stocks

Market capitalization involves stocks being categorized by the total worth of the shares. The companies that have the largest market capitalizations are called large-cap stocks. As companies get successively smaller, they are called mid-cap and small-cap stocks. Large-cap stocks are generally considered to be the safest investment. On the other hand, mid-cap and small-cap stocks are riskier but they have a greater capacity for future growth.

IPO Stock

IPO stocks are available in companies that have recently gone public via an initial public offering. IPOs always generate a lot of interest when the companies are creating a buzz and using a promising business model. But IPO stocks can also be volatile, especially if the investors disagree about the prospects for growth and profit. The very nature of IPOs means investors have to act early. A stock typically retains its IPO status for between one and two years, but it can be an IPO stock for as long as four years after it first goes public.

Growth Stock

Although growth stocks carry a higher risk level than many other stocks, their potential returns can be very attractive. Successful growth stocks have businesses that are on top of the rising demand among customers to identify long-term trends. There can be a lot of competition for growth stocks, though, and there is always the risk of a growth slowdown, which would make stock prices quickly fall.

Value Stock

Value stocks carry less risk than growth stocks, so they are seen as a more conservative investment option. You will typically find value stocks for experienced and well-known big companies that have little room for expansion because they are already market leaders and their business models have stood the test of time. If you are looking for more price stability, value stocks can be a good option.

Dividend Stock

You could choose a dividend stock, which means dividend payments are paid to shareholders on a regular basis. Choose the right stock, and your dividends could provide you with a valuable income. But due to that reason, they are highly sought-after. Furthermore, stocks are not required to pay dividends and non-dividend stocks can still be an excellent investment option.

Banking

A Guide to Online Banking Safety

ByCFI.co

71% of bank customers regularly use online and mobile banking options. However, many people do not completely trust online sources and may worry about their information being stolen when choosing an online bank.

Are you looking for ways to protect information and improve your data security? Keep reading these tips for online banking safety to learn more!

Don’t Use Public Wifi or Computers

One of the most important online banking safety tips to keep your information secure is to only sign in on your personal network or device. When you use public wifi that many people have access to, you never know who will be able to see your browser history or password.

This is also true for public computers. If you were to accidentally save your password for your online banking institution, it would be easy for a complete stranger to access your bank from the same computer.

To avoid these potential disasters, it is always best to use your own devices and your own wifi network whenever you have to log into a password-protected website.

Scan Statements for Fraud

While you want to do everything you can to prevent fraud, it is also important that you are able to identify any fraud as soon as possible.

One way that you can do this is by regularly scanning your statements for fraudulent activity. Check your bank statement for any purchases that you do not remember making.

While banks do their part to identify fraud, some purchases may not stand out to them. By looking for fraud in your own account, you may be able to catch suspicious activity.

Use Anti-Virus Protection

Next, it is important that you protect your devices with anti-virus protection. This can keep you from getting attacked by any viruses or malware.

Most computers come equipped with some type of anti-virus software, but you want to be sure that you frequently update it for the best protection for your computer.

Understand Common Scam Techniques

Something else you can do to protect your online banking information is to recognize and understand common bank scam techniques. Scammers will frequently use the same tactics to gain access to your information, so understanding these will prevent them from targeting you.

One common scam technique is sending you links in an email. While the email may look legitimate, you may find that clicking on this link may lead you to a fake website that looks just like your financial app. Digital currency investors are a big target for this type of scam due to the increase in cryptocurrency prices. A famous example of this was when MyEtherWallet users were sent an email asking them to update their login credentials. In doing so, they gave cyber criminals access to their account where they stole all the assets.

To avoid this scam, it is always best to re-type the URL to your banking institution rather than clicking on a link.

Your bank will also never request your private information over the phone or over email. If anyone is asking you for information to gain access to your account, you should hang up and call your bank directly.

Regularly Update Passwords

Many people will re-use the same password for many different websites. However, if someone guesses your password for one website, they may try using the same password on another website.

This is why you should always make your banking password unique from other websites.

The easiest way to combat keep people from guessing your password is to update and change your passwords regularly. Typically, it is best to change your password once every few months.

Then, anyone who had access to your account will be kicked out with the new password.

You should also be thoughtful about the types of passwords you use. If you make them one word or if your password is something easy to guess, like your name, people will easily be able to gain access to your account.

To make your passwords more secure, you should make them a long password with multiple words, numbers, or special characters.

Sign Up For Text Alerts

If you want to make it easier to identify any fraudulent purchases, you can always ask for text alerts from your online bank.

Banks can send you emails or texts whenever there are large transactions made from your account or if your balance drops too much.

If you notice that you didn’t make a purchase or transfer money from your account, you can immediately call your bank to stay protected from fraudulent activities.

Carefully Choose Your Bank

Finally, it is important that you do plenty of research to find the best online bank. If you know that you can trust your bank, you know that they will do anything to protect your assets and information.

Make sure you check online reviews for banks and you understand your banking needs before you make a decision. You should also prioritize finding an institution with high security to prevent data leaks or hackers.

For example, things like multifactor authentication make it much more difficult for people to gain access to your account without your knowledge.

If you want to learn more about choosing a bank, check out this article on factors to consider when choosing a bank.

Improve Your Online Banking Safety Today

You can easily improve your online banking information when you focus on data security. By following each of these banking safety tips, you will not have to worry about fraud, scams, or any other data leaks.

However, the most important thing you can do to improve your online banking safety is to choose a reliable and trustworthy organization to work with.

Make sure you choose the best online bank so you can be confident in your banking!

Do you want to learn more about online banking and other safety tips? CFI.co can help! Check out our articles on finance and banking to learn more helpful tips.

Lifestyle

3 Questions You Need to Ask Yourself When Buying Your First Car

ByCFI.co Blogger

Buying your first car is an exciting milestone that promises a great deal of added freedom, but before you can enjoy yourself, you need to know how to handle the car-buying process as a first timer. Below are three of the most important questions you must ask yourself to ease your first car purchase.

1. What’s My Budget?

When it comes to buying your first car, budgeting is one of the most important factors. In all likelihood, this is one of your first major purchases, so you need to be smart and strategic about it.

Be realistic when setting your budget for the car itself. Think about your income as well as your current expenses (e.g. rent, phone bill, tuition costs). Then, consider how much money you’ll have left over each month and how soon you need a car. Figure out how much you can save up within that designated period of time and go from there.

When crafting your budget, you’ll also need to consider other expenses on top of the vehicle itself. For instance, think about car insurance and how much it will cost you on a monthly basis. To get a better idea of these expenses, try to get some online car insurance quotes from a few different providers. With this knowledge, you’ll be better able to take control of your money and make it work for you.

2. Is There a Brand or Make That Suits My Lifestyle the Best?

Consider what purpose you want this vehicle to serve in your life. Do you want something that is compact and easy to drive, especially around the city, or do you want a car that’s more spacious for long-distance road trips?

Based on the answers to these questions, you should be able to find the right car for your lifestyle. If you prefer a smaller car that’s easier to handle, you might like a Nissan Versa, a Toyota Yaris, or a similar model of car. On the other hand, if you want something roomier with lots of room for your friends, an SUV such as a Ford Explorer or a Hyundai Santa Fe might align with your needs a little better.

3. Will I Drive Manual or Automatic?

This is another important consideration you need to keep in mind when buying your first car: manual vs. automatic. If you only know how to drive automatic, then the answer to this question will likely be a bit easier for you. However, if you drive manual, you have more choices.

Many people find manual cars trickier to drive in stop-and-go traffic. If you plan to do a lot of city driving, you may be better off with an automatic. However, some drivers prefer the amount of control you have when driving a manual. If this sounds like you, a manual car could be a great fit.

If you’re in the process of buying your first car, self-reflection is an important ingredient in making the right selection. By asking yourself these questions, you’ll ensure that you pick the best car for you.

Finance

Money in the USA

ByCFI.co Blogger

Taxes

Nearly all working U.S. citizens are required to file their income tax returns with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) each year. Everyone in the U.S. has a Social Security card, which helps record wages and income for tax purposes.

The main types of taxes are FICA and income tax (not to be confused with Payroll Tax). If you are in business, you need to be well versed in this, information to learn about the types of taxes available on this blog post.

FICA includes a Social Security tax and a Medicare tax on the health insurance program for the elderly and disabled. The Social Security tax is 6.2% and is paid only on income up to $132,900 a year; Medicare is 1.45% and is charged on all annual income.

As for the income tax, the tax rate rises with income and ranges from 10 to 37%. The federal income tax system in the states is progressive. The amount of tax differs depending on whether you are single, married, or head of household.

Medicine

There are both public and private medical clinics. The public clinic will ask about your income level when you fill out the form. If your income is less than $1,000 per month, each visit to the doctor will cost $35, to be paid immediately at the time of the visit. Tests can be paid in installments.

At a private clinic, the standard cost of a doctor’s visit in the absence of health insurance is $150. Things are more complicated with dentistry: it is much more expensive. It costs $200 to $500 to $500 to $500 to $1,000 to fix a tooth and $500 to $1,000 to put a crown on.

Loans

In our country it is very important to have a good credit history, otherwise, they will not rent a house and may not even be hired for a prestigious job.

It is interesting that most average American families live “in debt” and take out loans even for small purchases.

Credit histories are being scrutinized now, especially after the 2008 crisis, but if there are no problems with that, getting long-term loans with minimal interest and a fixed rate is relatively easy.

Housing

Approximately one-third of one’s income is spent on rent or mortgages, utilities, and home improvements.

The approximate cost of renting a 2-bedroom apartment in Florida is $1,200 to $3,000 a month, depending on the city and the area. Lodging most often rents without furniture.

The cost of buying a property is from 200,000 and up, depending on location and size.

Nutrition

Food is the third most expensive item in most Americans’ budgets. This spending varies by social and marital status and state of residence. For example, in California, Florida, and New York State, people spend about the same on meals “outside the home” and “at home,” while people in the central states prefer to eat at home.

Transportation

A bus ride costs $1.30 to $2.25 depending on the route; a subway ride costs $2.25. There are special prices for low-income people. It is also possible to save a little money and buy a bus pass.

Florida, like most states, has an underdeveloped public transportation system, so the main way to get around is by car.

Conclusion

· Being law-abiding is very important. Paying taxes on time is sacred.

· Every second invests in the U.S., preferring safer and more traditional investment instruments.

· Medicine is expensive here, but you can always buy insurance or pay for medical services in installments.

· Housing and transportation costs consume a large part of the budget.

· Many Americans traditionally take out loans for housing, cars, starting businesses, and other needs.

Business

Is Credit Repair Good or Bad?

ByCFI.co Blogger

You’re ready to make some major moves in life that require the best credit report you can muster. Well, you now have decisions to make. To wit, you can try to shine up your credit yourself or you can hire a credit repair agency. But is credit repair good or bad? Let’s take a gander.

The Issue

It’s difficult to move forward with too many negative marks on your credit reports, so it’s understandable that you’d want them removed. However, what you need to know is that, if you have the time, patience, and persistence, there’s nothing a credit repair agency can do that you can’t.

However, if the unfavorable items on your reports are accurate, they technically cannot be removed, and if you wait, they’ll fall off naturally in due time. Now, some companies can sometimes gum up the works to such an extent that the negative entry is extracted. However, this is a poor strategy and hardly ever works.

Let’s take a holistic look at credit repair.

Just What is Credit Repair?

At its essence, it’s hiring a credit repair organization to get info expunged from your credit reports. Most such firms tout themselves as being able to help you make unverifiable or incorrect info on your credit reports disappear.

The real deal, though, is that most companies try to also get negative, albeit correct, data off your reports before they, at length, drop off by themselves. Check out lexington law reviews to see what’s said about that leading credit repair company.

How Do I Know I’m Getting a Legit Company?

That’s a good and proper question, since scams abound in this industry. There are bad actors out there who seek to take advantage of existing financial and emotional vulnerabilities of people like you. The good news is that you’re protected by the federal Credit Repair Organizations Act, which sets forth what credit repair agencies can and cannot do.

For example, such companies may not:

Counsel you to make erroneous statements to the top credit reporting agencies: Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion.
Suggest that you alter your identity to block the credit reporting agencies from linking you with what’s on your credit reports.
Charge you up front, before they’ve performed services on your behalf.
Guarantee that it can get info from your reports removed.

Likewise, credit repair outfits are required to disclose to you the following:

You do have the right to, for free, dispute information in your credit report.
You can file a lawsuit against it if it breaches the Credit Repair Organizations Act.
While it will do its best to act reasonably to make sure the info on your reports is correct, mistakes are sometimes made.

How Much Does Credit Repair Cost?

It depends on the company, but credit repair companies generally either bill you at month’s end for services rendered during the past month or charge you per delete.

With the former, a kind of subscription service, you can expect to pay $50 or $100 monthly. Here, such companies are incentivized to keep you around for as long as possible. With the latter, “pay for delete,” the company doesn’t bill you until it gets an item removed.

So, is credit repair good or bad? The answer mostly depends on what you truly want. If you’re looking to have inaccurate or unverifiable information removed from your credit reports, but aren’t inclined to tackle the task yourself, then, sure, hire a firm. However, paying a company in hopes that, somehow, it can get adverse but accurate info removed is frankly a fool’s errand. If you can’t wait for the item to drop off by itself, perhaps you need a different financial strategy.

Finance

3 Benefits of Using a Stock Screener

ByCFI.co Blogger

*Photo Credit: Chris Liverani (Unsplash)*

Investing in the stock market is a great way to make an additional income and save for the future. Regardless of what you may have heard, playing the stock market is by no means a get-rich-quick scheme. It requires a lot of hard work and dedication. Some people opt to pay a broker to invest money on their behalf but if you really want to make a long-term pursuit of this venture, you’ll need to do the groundwork yourself. You’ll need to invest a lot of time reading about stocks and strategies, while keeping a constant eye on the market to spot the trends.

While it might feel overwhelming, especially for novice investors at the start of their trading journey, there are now plenty of tools that have been developed to make trading that little bit easier. One such tool is a stock screener, which allows you to trade through available stocks and can be tailored according to your investment criteria.

In this post, we’ll examine the main benefits of using a stock screener and how it can help you get your investment journey off on the right foot:

It Saves Time

There are thousands of stocks listed on the market, which can make screening them a tedious task. You’ll need to study the financial history of each stock in detail to evaluate its performance over time as well as its prospects for the future. This is no straightforward task. Thankfully, stock screeners help narrow down your stock options by filtering stocks according to your investment objectives. Whether you are looking for stocks with a low-level P/E ratio or those that are undervalued, a good screener will help you find your options faster.

It Can Prevent Emotional Decisions

A mistake that many investors make when playing the stock market is that they make decisions based on emotion rather than being driven by objective research. Emotionally based decisions are often illogical and can have a negative impact on your returns. Tools such as WallStreetZen’s stock screener eliminate investor biases that fuel bad decisions and filter stocks based on sound parameters.

Helps You Discover New Investment Opportunities

Even the most passionate investors can’t possibly know everything about stocks. This is because the market is extensive, and there are always new developments occurring, which can be challenging to keep track of. By trawling an extensive database of stocks to find those that meet an investor’s specific criteria, a good stock screener will draw your attention to new stocks that you may not have known about before. It may present the opportunity to invest in unpopular stocks with investment potential that may have been overlooked.

Getting acquainted with the stock market isn’t easy. Not even the most experienced trader can always stay ahead of market trends. However, using tools such as stock screeners to your advantage will undoubtedly serve to make the whole process much more efficient. Spend some time finding yourself a reputable stock screener and learn to use it effectively to reap financial rewards on the stock market.

Banking

Commercial Banking vs Retail Banking: What’s the Difference?

ByCFI.co

The global market size for financial services is expected to reach an astounding $22.5 trillion in 2021. That figure will climb to $28.5 trillion by 2025.

Among the biggest players in the financial services industry are retail and commercial banks. Both types of institutions are of critical importance to both the domestic and global economies.

But exactly what is retail banking, and how does it differ from commercial banking? If you’re asking this question, you’ve come to the right place. This post sheds more light on the commercial banking vs retail banking discussion.

What Is Private Banking?

The terms retail banking, private banking, and consumer banking are often used interchangeably. They refer to a division of banking that handles retail customers.

Retail banking focuses on dealing directly with clients located in a close city or town. The retail bank handles much of its activity face to face, in a manner clear and visible to the client.

Given that retail banks serve many clients with a multitude of transactions, it’s referred to as mass-market banking.

Note that retail banking doesn’t solely depend on physical locations. The term simply refers to the business model followed. Simply put, retail banking operates on relatively small or medium-sized transactions.

Thus, many retail banks allow their clients to enjoy the benefits of digital banking by providing online banking services.

The most important source of funds in retail banking is customer deposits. The bank makes a profit through service charges and fees. The institution also earns income from the interest they charge when they lend out money to clients.

What Is Commercial Banking?

Now that we’ve seen the retail banking definition, it’s time to look at another popular type of banking: commercial banking. Also known as corporate banking, commercial banking provides services to businesses and governments.

Generally, these are stocking corporations that make money by acting as financial intermediaries.

Corporate banks tend to have physical locations from which they offer their services. In the recent past, however, these institutions have been increasingly operating online.

Commercial Banking Vs. Retail Banks: The Main Differences

Retail and commercial banking differ in several important ways. Let’s take a closer look at some of these differences.

Services Offered

Both types of banks provide a large variety of services to their respective clients. Retail banking clients can expect these services:

Checking and Savings Accounts

A retail bank allows its customers to open checking and savings accounts. Once you open a checking account, you’ll be required to pay a monthly fee.

With a savings account, you earn a slightly higher interest rate. However, you cannot have checks written on the account.

Mortgages

Retail banks also offer different mortgage loan types to their clients. These loans are meant for buying either residential or investment property. Generally, mortgages earn a substantial chunk of retail banking profits due to their size.

Auto Financing

Clients looking for vehicle financing can also talk to retail banks. The banks also provide refinancing for existing car loans.

Credit Cards

Credit cards are one of the most lucrative sources of interest income for banks. That’s because this service attracts some of the highest interest rates in the industry.

There are, of course, many other services retail banking offers, but these are among the most popular.

Clients looking for commercial banking services can benefit from the following offerings:

Loans and Other Credit Products

Just like retail banks, corporate banks offer different loan facilities. Perhaps the biggest difference here is that the loans involved.

Corporate banking offers more substantial compared to those offered in retail banking.

Treasury and Cash Management Services

Corporate banking clients can also benefit from treasury and cash management services. Such services help clients manage their working capital besides meeting their currency conversion needs.

Convertor

For USD, try safetradebinaryoptions convertor.

Equipment Lending

Clients can benefit from customized loans and leases to acquire a range of equipment. Such equipment may be used in a variety of industries, including manufacturing, IT, and transportation.

Other services offered by corporate banks include:

Trade finance
factoring
letters of credit

These are only some of the services offered by corporate banks. Corporate banking clients can expect to find a range of products they can use to meet their business financial needs.

Target Clients

There’s a huge difference between the clients of these banks.

Generally, retail banking focuses on individuals. Commercial banking is more concerned with corporate clients, from SMEs to large conglomerates.

Volume and Value of Transactions

In retail banking, the volume of transactions is typically high. However, the value of transactions is low, given that the client base consists of individuals and small businesses.

In contrast, the volume of transactions is much lower in commercial banking. The value of these transactions, however, is considerably much higher as the client base is typically made of sizable business enterprises.

Product Customization

Generally, retail banking involves little product and service customisation. Most products are standardised, also referred to as off-the-shelf products.

Things are different with corporate banking, customised where the products and services are highly personalised to meet the client’s specific requirements and preferences.

Commercial Banking Vs Retail Banking: Now You Know The Differences

Hopefully, the commercial banking vs retail banking conversation is clearer to you now. While the two banking approaches provide services essential to the economy, their target clients, volume and value of transactions, and service customisation levels are significantly different.

We hope you enjoyed this article about the differences between commercial and retail banking. Are you looking for more information about finance? Check out our blog section for more content.

Business

How Can Cloud ERP Solutions Help Manufacturing Businesses?

ByCFI.co Blogger

The manufacturing industry is super dynamic and highly competitive. There is continuous stress on manufacturers to adopt newer ways of conducting their business.

To run a successful manufacturing business, owners must focus on achieving multiple parameters such as,

Proper forecasting of customer needs
Right control over inventory
Efficient management of sales leads
Zero wastage
Optimised ROI

A cloud ERP solution like https://www.netsuite.com.au/portal/au/products/erp.shtml can handle manufacturing concerns efficiently. It can also aid in achieving the success parameters more effortlessly. Read on to find out how implementing a cloud ERP system can help your manufacturing business.

Enhanced Inventory Control

The ERP solution streamlines your supply chain and ensures customer demand is always met promptly. By using the supply chain management module, manufacturers can build optimised logistics strategies. With access to real-time data, there is greater accuracy in forecasting and lower inventory costs.

Improved Decision Making

The ERP solution represents a centralised view of all business operations. The central hub offers essential information about sales, customers, finances, labour management, etc. Stakeholders can make use of the data on a real-time basis to make an accurate decision. An ERP solution is the key to making perfect forecasting and budget plans.

Better Quality Management

Quality control is a critical aspect of any manufacturing process. The cloud ERP solution includes in-built features adhering to optimal quality standards. It improves process and product quality by maintaining related documents in the centralised hub. The documents include standards about manufacturing processes, audits, safety management, and employee training and management.

Better Data Storage

ERP systems eliminate the need for error-prone, redundant manual processes. With a sound ERP solution, your data is cleaned and processed efficiently. The data is then stored using the highest levels of security and privacy parameters.

Manufacturers can access the data from any location, using any device. The access controls are well-defined to ensure the optimal safety of data.

Optimised Customer Relationship Management

Manufacturing companies must stay connected to customers consistently and understand their impulses. The CRM module (customer relationship management) of the ERP solution ensures optimised customer satisfaction.

CRM improves customer response time. It helps the sales team to track and follow up with leads easily. It captures customer interactions from multiple sources and ensures that the customer is presented with the right product at the right time.

Better Supplier Collaboration

The ERP system takes care of your supplier relationships too. With an enhanced internal communication system, your team is well-prepared to handle suppliers from any part of the world. ERP reduces response time, helps track down issues promptly, and aids in resolving the problems with proper damage control.

Enhanced Revenue and Better Cost Control

An ERP solution can improve business revenue and help with cost reduction in multiple ways. Some of them are,

Automation of tasks leads to lowered labour costs.
Unlocking newer revenue streams by helping the business go digital.
Optimised inventory management that cuts down operating and administrative costs.
Better control over the quality of products makes business growth inevitable.

Cloud ERP System versus In-House Deployment

Some manufacturers believe that an in-house ERP system offers better control over their data and operations. This is, however, not true, and the cloud ERP solution is always the winner. Here are some of the critical benefits of a cloud system.

Automatic upgrades
Access to real-time data from any place and any device
Lowered costs
Saves more time
A cloud-based solution is easily scalable
Shorter deployment times

However, you cannot achieve the multiple benefits of an ERP system for manufacturing companies by simply deploying any software solution.

A trusted solution ensures 100% profitability and business growth. Explore the critical modules of ERP solutions and find out the different ways it can help your business grow.