About the OCC:
The Changing World of Banking
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Banking has changed in many ways through the years. Banks today offer a wider
range of products and services than ever before, and deliver them faster and more
efficiently. But banking's central function remains as it has always been. Banks put a
community's surplus funds (deposits and investments) to work by lending to people to buy
homes and cars, to start and expand businesses, to put their children through college, and
for countless other purposes. Banks are vital to the health of our nation's economy. For
tens of millions of Americans, banks are the first choice for saving, borrowing, and
investing. The history of the interaction between American banking and American
government is the subject of this web-based exhibit. It focuses on the rise of the
national banking system and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, which was
established to supervise it.
More of the Changing World of Banking:
Introduction
1790 to 18321832
to 1864
1865 to 1914
1929 to 19701970
to Today
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