Finance

There has been an increased level of competition among financial intermediaries since the late 1990’s and it will continue into the new millennium. The large players in this increased competition are the nonbank financial intermediaries. Our text explains that nonbanks are “other intermediaries and non-financial companies that have taken an increasing share of intermediation” (Burton & Lombra, 311). The text continues that these banks face much less regulation than traditional banks, which translates to significantly lower costs. This factor is allowing nonbank intermediaries to create a stronghold on the market, which is at its highest profit rates in history (312). What, exactly, are these intermediaries doing to banking?
Nonbanks play an important dual role in the financial system. They complement the role of commercial banks by filling gaps in their range of services. But they also compete with commercial banks and force them to be more efficient and responsive ...