Banking in Coltar

Definitions under the Coltar Banking Registration Act and its revisions; the (Pemblish) Royal Financing Act and the Hearts Rain Banking Regulation Act.
=== Merchant Bank: ===
Originally defined as a bank that facilitated the transfer of products via Valuation Notes. Produce would be issued a Merchant Valuation and goods could be exchanged for Valuation Notes based on their deemed value.
As promissory notes became more commonplace, their role gradually shifted to the distribution and lending of promissory notes to merchants as a form of short-term financing. It also holds money for businesses, either directly or via a repository or central bank. 
Officially re-defined under the Royal Financing Act to match its new role. Those Merchant Banks that still conformed to the original definition were re-categorised as "Value Exchanges".
=== Public Bank: ===
First defined as a bank that accepts monetary deposits from individuals and businesses. Usually the bank will pay the depositor a rate of interest in return for allowing those holdings to be invested by the bank.
Public banks will also sometimes offer short term loans and/or credit, often in the form of promissory notes.
=== Investment Bank: ===
A bank focused on loans to businesses, organisations, authorities and, in some cases, governments. It will not generally except long-term deposits directly, though may hold deposits through a central bank or repository.
Although investment banks may loan to individual clientele, they will generally focus on larger loans than a merchant bank. Their portfolios are generally less diverse, but considered safer under normal economic circumstances.
=== Value Exchange Bank: ===
Originally referred to as Exchange Banks or Value Exchange Banks, the word "bank" was later dropped from common usage. They are derived from old-style Merchant Banks and are extremely rare in the Centrelands. VEBs will generally deal in a limited number of products which they will assign an exchange value for. They will then exchange goods for a relative number of Valuation Promissory Notes, only valid with themselves. With this, goods may be purchased either immediately or in the future. 
Whilst this type of bank is popular for a handful of future-speculative-investors and is a useful tool for some merchants to gain favourable exchanges for raw products, they are highly susceptable to market floods and manipulation, as they are usually operated on a micro, local scale.
== List of current banks: ==
==== The Consolidated Merchant and Public Central Bank of Coltar (Merchant and Public) ====
A hybrid bank offering merchant and public banking services whilst also offering large-scale loans to authorties and governments, as well as select businesses.
==== Merchant of Millners (Millners) ====
A high-end merchant bank and investment bank, Millners focuses primarily on medium and large businesses, select wealthy clientele and offers financial services brokering.
== List of former banks: ==
Coltar Central Bank - Merged with Coltar Merchant Bank and Coltar Public Collective Bank to form Merchant and Public
Coltar Merchant Bank - Merged with Coltar Central Bank to form Merchant and Public
Coltar Public Collective Bank - Merged with Coltar Central Bank to form Merchant and Public
Coltar Independence Bank - Incorporated into Merchant and Public
Eastern Rock Investment Bank of Coltar - Collapsed 352BGE
Category:Finance
Category:Banks