| Finding Bank and Banking-related Information On the Internet previous page November 26, 2005 I. Introduction. The Internet has been searched, using the Dogpile search engine, for websites with useful bank and banking-related information to accountants and other company personnel. Websites were selected for inclusion in this article because, first, they were found, and second, they are evaluated as having potentially useful information to accountants, financial managers, company treasury personnel, and other company personnel that need to use and make decisions related to banks and banking. Over 50 banking-related key words (terms) were used to search the Internet. Out of this search, more than 40 websites were chosen to identify and to describe in this article. The 40 plus websites have been categorized into one of eight topic areas to allow for more efficient access to the websites that have the information you might need. These eight topic areas are: 1. Banking System Overview 2. Identification Of, Information On, and Links To Banks 3. Bank Evaluations and Ratings 4. Banking Regulations and Laws 5. Electronic Banking 6. Checks and Other Bank Procedures 7. Illegal Activities 8. Resource Centers For Banking Information The remaining sections provide more explanation on what these areas mean and the websites within the areas. A conclusion identifies other links at the Management Accounting Information Center, where banking-related information can be found. II. Banking System Overview. Websites that were found, which provide overview information on the United States and other country banking systems are included in this Section. Including these sites in this article and in a separate section was done because it is possible that in making banking-related decisions and seeking out information in support of these decisions a better understanding of how banking operates, in a broader sense, and some of the terms related to the banking system, might be useful. 1. United States Banking System Overview. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Banking. This link takes you to a Wikipedia site that provides an overview of the banking system in the Untied States. Historic information is provided on some key events and factors in the US banking system development. Links are provided to additional information on some of these events and factors. A link is provided to details on banks. 2. Central Banks. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_Bank. This link takes you to a Wikipedia site at which you can find overview information on the role of central banks in a country’s banking system. III. Identification Of, Information On, and Links to Banks. Probably one of the most important vendor relationships a company (and within the company, the accounting department) has is with banks. Just as for other vendors, a large variety of choices can exist, and different banks with different characteristics and skills may be necessary in various company situations. Links in this section are included because they, hopefully, help in identifying and providing information on individual banks. Links to many individual banks, in the Untied States and in other countries, can be found at the links provided below. 1. Identification and Other Information on Banks and Institutions Covered by the FRS. www.ffiec.gov/nicpubweb/nicweb/nichome.aspx. This Federal Reserve System (FRS) site allows you to find the names and other information for banks and other institutions that the FRS has supervisory, regulatory, and research interest. 2. Bank Locations and Other Information. http://www2.fdic.gov/idasp/index.asp. This link takes you to a site, maintained by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), at which you can enter the name of a bank, insured by the FDIC, and get the locations of its branches. Financial information is also available on the bank. You can also search on a location and find those FDIC-insured banks in the location. You can get comparison data on FDIC banks. 3. Link to Banks In States. www.banksite.com/bank_directory. This link takes you a site with links to banks located in states. 4. Links to US Government Sites Containing Bank Identification and Information. www.occ.treas.gov/Pubinf.htm. This link takes you to a Comptroller of the Currency site, where links to various federal government sites with individual bank identification and information can be found. What can be found at the identified sites is explained. 5. Links to Major Banks Around the World. www.answers.com/topic/list-of-banks. This link takes you to an answers.com site that has links to major banks in more than 50 countries. 6. Banks in the Middle East. www.uabonline.org/index.php. This link takes you to a site, maintained by the Union of Arab Banks, from which you can link to bank websites in the Middle East. Other possibly useful information accessed from this site is currency rates, bank statistical information, and publications from the Union of Arab Banks. 7. Links to Banks in Many Countries. www.qualisteam.com/Banks. This link takes you to a site; maintained by Qualisteam in France, that has hundreds of links to banks in dozens of countries. 8. Links to Countries’ Central Banks. www.bis.org/cbanks.htm. This link takes you a site maintained by the Bank for International Settlements, that provides links to over 130 national central banks. Sometimes English language versions of the sites are provided for the non-English speaking countries. IV. Banking Evaluations and Ratings. Related to the purpose of the links in the previous section of identifying and finding information on banks, are links in this section that lead to information that rate, or might be helpful, in rating and evaluating banks. These sites are set apart from the previous section in order to help the user more quickly find needed information, and to emphasize how ratings and evaluations might play a role in selecting a bank as a vendor. 1. State Banks – Identification, Oversight, and Complaints. www.csbs.org. This link takes you to a site, maintained by the Conference of State Bank Supervisors, from which you can access the websites of state offices responsible for regulating state banks. You can identify state banks in a state, and access complaints filed against state banks. 2. Links to Companies That Rate Banks. www.fdic.gov/bank/individual/bank/index.html. This site, which is maintained by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation as a service to the public, has links to companies that rate banks. A fee is usually required. One company (Bauer Financial) provides a limited rating, for free, from their website. 3. US Government Bank Condition and Income Reports. http://www2.fdic.gov/Call_TFR_Rpts/search.asp. This link takes you to a site, maintained by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), at which you can get data on FDIC-insured banks and also Office of Thrift Supervision-supervised thrift institutions. The data generally relates to the financial health of the bank. V. Banking Regulations and Laws. Websites identified in this section lead you quickly to various regulations and laws that govern the banking industry. Information on compliance is also provided. Information found at these sites probably can be useful to accountants who are often faced with the legal and regulatory aspects of specific situations dealing with checks, payments, electronic banking, bank accounts, and many others, related to their cash management, accounts payable, payroll, and other areas of responsibility. 1. Banking Laws and Practices. www.law.cornell.edu/topics/banking.html. This Cornell Law School site gives an overview of banking laws, practices, rights, and provisions between banks and customers. Complete Uniform Commercial Code articles on negotiable instruments and bank deposits are accessible. US Codes pertaining to banks and banking are accessible. 2. Banking Laws in Various Countries. www.law.nyu.edu/library/foreign_intl/bankruptcy.html. This link takes you to a site, maintained by the law school at New York University, that provides banking laws, regulations, and other legal information for many countries. 3. Financial Institutions Compliance Requirements. www.complianceheadquarters.com. This link takes you to a site, maintained by complianceheadquarters.com., which provides compliance information in areas such as the Patriot Act, lending, real estate, deposits, and tax issues. This site focuses on providing financial institutions compliance information. The site has a lot of questions and answers in the above areas as well as links to other sites with information. 4. House of Representatives Financial Services Committee Website. http://financialservices.house.gov. This link takes you to the US House of Representatives’ Financial Services Committee website, at which you can get information about business that the committee is conducting. This committee plays a key role in legislation on rules and regulations for financial institutions. Please click here to go to the next and final page. |