Financial services are the businesses that provide a wide range of products and services that help people manage their money. This includes things like banks, mortgage lenders, investment firms and insurance companies. The financial services industry is a vital component of the economy, and it helps individuals and businesses manage risk. Without it, many people would be stuck with debt, and companies wouldn’t be able to expand and hire new employees.
The financial services industry provides depository services by accepting and safeguarding depositors’ money. It also offers loans and credit lines, evaluates the creditworthiness of borrowers, and redistributes cash to a variety of investors and enterprises. This intermediation is important to the economy because it allows savers to earn interest on their money, while lenders can shed risk by spreading it among a pool of borrowers. It also helps producers raise capital to produce more goods and services, as well as protects them from financial difficulties caused by natural calamities.
A healthy financial services sector is essential to the economy, as it helps millions of people acquire the funds they need for things like mortgages and car loans, and it encourages saving and investments in real estate, commodities, stocks and bonds. It also supports entrepreneurs, allowing small businesses to start and grow, and it safeguards people’s health and property by providing insurance policies. It even makes clean water and sanitation more accessible to the world’s two billion people who lack them.