All Institution Types Defined

Agreement Corporation
Corporation chartered by a state to engage in international banking: so named because the corporation enters into an “agreement” with the Fed's Board of Governors that it will limit its activities to those permitted.

Bank Holding Company
A company that owns and/or controls one or more U.S. banks or one that owns, or has controlling interest in, one or more banks. A bank holding company may also own another bank holding company, which in turn owns or controls a bank; the company at the top of the ownership chain is called the top holder. The Board of Governors is responsible for regulating and supervising bank holding companies, even if the bank owned by the holding company is under the primary supervision of a different federal agency (OCC or FDIC)

Commercial Bank
A financial institution that is owned by stockholders, operates for a profit, and engages in various lending activities.

Cooperative Bank
State-chartered savings associations located in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont.

Credit Union
Financial cooperative organization of individuals with a common affiliation. Credit unions can have federal, state, or corporate affiliations.

Data Processing Servicer
Entities primarily engaged in providing infrastructure for hosting or data processing services. These establishments may provide specialized hosting activities, such as web hosting, streaming services or application hosting, provide application service provisioning, or may provide general time-share mainframe facilities to clients. Data processing establishments provide complete processing and specialized reports from data supplied by clients or provide automated data processing and data entry services.

Domestic Branch of a Domestic Bank
A branch that resides in the United States, and whose parent is also located in the United States.

Domestic Entity Other
Domestic institutions that engage in banking activities usually in connection with the business of banking in the United States.

Edge/Agreement Corporation
An organization chartered by the Federal Reserve to engage in international banking and financial operations. Edge corporations can be broken into Domestic Branches, Banking institutions, or Investment institutions.

Finance Company
Financial intermediary that makes loans to individuals or business.

Financial Holding Company
A financial entity engaged in a broad range of banking-related activities, created by the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act of 1999. These activities include: insurance underwriting, securities dealing and underwriting, financial and investment advisory services, merchant banking, issuing or selling securitized interests in bank-eligible assets, and generally engaging in any non-banking activity authorized by the Bank Holding Company Act. The Federal Reserve Board is responsible for supervising the financial condition and activities of financial holding companies. Similarly, any non-bank commercial company that is predominantly engaged in financial activities, earning 85% or more of its gross revenues from financial services, may choose to become a financial holding company. These companies are required to sell any non-financial (commercial) businesses within ten years.

Foreign Bank
The term "foreign bank" generally refers to any U.S. operation of a banking organization headquartered outside the United States.

Foreign Banking Organization (FBO)
Foreign banking organizations can acquire or establish freestanding banks or bank holding companies in the United States. These entities are regulated and supervised as domestic institutions.

Foreign Banking Organization of a BHC
A Foreign Banking Organization that is owned or controlled by a Bank Holding Company

Foreign Banking Organization as a BHC
A Foreign Banking Organization that also acts as a Bank Holding Company and is thus, supervised by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve.

Foreign Branch of a U.S. Bank
A branch that resides outside of the United States, but has a parent that is located in the United States.

Foreign Entity Other
Foreign institutions that engage in banking activities usually in connection with the business of banking in the countries where such foreign institutions are organized or operating.

Industrial Bank
A limited service financial institution that raises funds by selling certificates called "investment shares" and by accepting deposits. Often called Morris Plan banks or industrial loan companies. Industrial banks are distinguished from commercial loan companies because industrial banks accept deposits in addition to making consumer loans. Industrial banks differ from commercial banks because they do not offer demand deposit (checking) accounts. Industrial banks are not regulated by the Federal Reserve.

Insurance Company
Provides compensation based on the happening of one or more contingencies.

Insured Branch of an FBO (Federal and State)
An Insured Branch accepts retail deposits and must apply for federal deposit insurance.

Investment Bank/Company
Acts as underwriter or agent that serves as intermediary between issuer of securities and the investing public.

Member Bank
A bank that is a member of the Federal Reserve System, including all nationally chartered banks and any state-chartered or Mutual Savings Banks that apply for membership and are accepted.

Mutual Savings Bank
A financial institution that accepts deposits primarily from individuals and places a large portion of its funds into mortgage loans.

National Bank
A Commercial Bank whose charter is approved by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) rather than by a State Banking Department. National Banks are required to be members of the Federal Reserve System and belong to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.

Non-Member Banks
This subset includes all Commercial Banks that are state-chartered and are NOT members of the Federal Reserve System. Commercial banks include all BIF-, SAIF-, and BIF/SAIF-Insured commercial banks and industrial banks. (Please note: Effective March 31, 2006, the FDIC merged the Bank Insurance Fund (BIF) and the Savings Association Insurance Fund (SAIF) into a new fund, the Deposit Insurance Fund (DIF). All institutions carrying BIF, SAIF, and BIF/SAIF insurance were transitioned to DIF accordingly.)

Non-Depository Trust Company
Accepts and executes trusts, but does not issue currency. Non-Depository Trust Companies can either be Federal Reserve Members or Federal Reserve Non-members.

Other Depository Institution
Those financial institutions, not specifically listed, with authority to accept deposits of funds.

Other Non-Depository Institution
Companies not specifically listed, but in which there is regulatory interest, that are not authorized to accept deposits.

Savings and Loan Association
A financial institution that accepts deposits primarily from individuals and channels its funds primarily into residential mortgage loans.

Savings Bank
Banking institution organized to encourage thrift by paying interest dividends on savings. Savings banks can have state and federal affiliations, for example, State Savings Banks and Federal Savings Banks.

Securities Broker/Dealer
Entities primarily engaged in acting as agents (i.e., brokers) between buyers and sellers in buying or selling securities on a commission or transaction fee basis.

State Member Banks
This subset includes all commercial banks that are state-chartered and members of the Federal Reserve System. Commercial banks include all BIF-, SAIF-, and BIF/SAIF-Insured commercial banks and industrial banks. (Please note: Effective March 31, 2006, the FDIC merged the Bank Insurance Fund (BIF) and the Savings Association Insurance Fund (SAIF) into a new fund, the Deposit Insurance Fund (DIF). All institutions carrying BIF, SAIF, and BIF/SAIF insurance were transitioned to DIF accordingly.)

Thrifts
An organization that primarily accepts savings account deposits and invests most of the proceeds in mortgages. Savings Banks and Savings and Loan Associations and Credit Unions are examples of Thrift Institutions.

Uninsured Agency of an FBO (Federal and State)
An Uninsured Agency does not accept retail deposits and need not apply for federal deposit insurance.

Uninsured Branch of an FBO (Federal and State)
An Uninsured Branch does not accept retail deposits and need not apply for federal deposit insurance.

U.S. Branches and Agencies of FBOs
U.S. Branches and Agencies of Foreign Banks are entities contained within and controlled by a foreign banking organization.

 

Back to Top