The term 'financial intermediary' may refer to an
institution,
firm or
individual who performs intermediation between two or more parties in a
financial context. Typically the first party is a provider of a product or service and the second party is a
consumer or
customer.
In the
U.S., a 'financial intermediary' is typically an
institution that facilitates the channelling of funds between lenders and borrowers indirectly. That is, savers (lenders) give funds to an intermediary institution (such as banks), and then that institution in turn gives those funds to spenders (borrowers). This may be in the form of
loans or
mortgages. Alternatively, they may lend the money directly via the
financial markets which is known as financial disintermediation or ect....
Types of financial intermediary
Financial intermediaries can be:
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Banks;
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Building Societies;
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Credit Unions;
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Financial adviser or broker;
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Insurance Companies;
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Life Insurance Companies;
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Mutual Funds; or
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Pension Funds.
See also
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Borrowing
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Investment
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Saving