What are the functions of universal banking?

Answer 1

The advantages of universal banking are: risk diversification and expanded business opportunities. A universal bank can spread its costs over a broader base of activities and generate more revenues by offering a bundle of products. diversificatio, in turn, reduces risk.

* insurance companies, invetsment banks and other suppliers of financial services are moving toward building financial conglomerates;

*technology firms (such as Microsoft) are hammering away at banks' network--building the electronic gateways into financial services.

The solution of Universal Banking was having many factors to deal with, which can be further analyzed by the pros and cons.

Advantages of Universal Banking

• Economies of Scale. The main advantage of Universal Banking is that it results in greater economic efficiency in the form of lower cost, higher output and better products. Many Committees and reports by Reserve Bank of India are in favour of Universal banking as it enables banks to explit economies of scale and scope.
• Profitable Diversions. By diversifying the activities, the bank can use its existing expertise in one type of financial service in providing other types. So, it entails less cost in performing all the functions by one entity instead of separate bodies.
• Resource Utilization. A bank possesses the information on the risk characteristics of the clients, which can be used to pursue other activities with the same clients. A data collection about the market trends, risk and returns associated with portfolios of Mutual Funds, diversifiable and non diversifiable risk analysis, etc, is useful for other clients and information seekers. Automatically, a bank will get the benefit of being involved in the researching
• Easy Marketing on the Foundation of a Brand Name.A bank's existing branches can act as shops of selling for selling financial products like Insurance, Mutual Funds without spending much efforts on marketing, as the branch will act here as a parent company or source. In this way, a bank can reach the client even in the remotest area without having to take resource to an agent.
• One-stop shopping. The idea of 'one-stop shopping' saves a lot of transaction costs and increases the speed of economic activities. It is beneficial for the bank as well as its customers.
• Investor Friendly Activities. Another manifestation of Universal Banking is bank holding stakes in a form : a bank's equity holding in a borrower firm, acts as a signal for other investor on to the health of the firm since the lending bank is in a better position to monitor the firm's activities.

Answer 2

Universal banking offers savings, loans, and investments.