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Digital assets and currencies

Understand assets, networks and trading mechanics with sources you can check.

Fiat currencies

1999–2002 sale of British gold reserves

The sale of the British gold reserve was a policy pursued by HM Treasury between 1999 and 2002, when gold prices were at their lowest in 20 years, following an extended declining market. 395 tonnes of gold, or about half of the reserve, was sold off in a series of auctions, netting the Treasury $3.5 billion. In the ensuing 25 years, from 1999 to 2024, the price of gold increased at an av

Banking

2009 United Kingdom bank rescue package

A second bank rescue package totalling at least £50 billion was announced by the British government on 12 January 2009, as a response to the 2008 financial crisis. The package was designed to increase the amount of money that banks could lend to businesses and private individuals. This aid came in two parts: an initial £50 billion made available to big corporate borrowers, and a second u

Banking

Accel (interbank network)

Accel (formerly known as the ACCEL/Exchange Network) is a North American interbank network owned by Fiserv. It connects over 412,000 automatic teller machines (ATMs) in all 50 states in the United States. The network also has a small number of ATMs in certain U.S. Air Force Bases around the world, and over 3.3 million electronic funds transfer at point-of-sale locations.

Payments & settlement

Airtel Payments Bank

Airtel Payments Bank is an Indian payments bank with its headquarters in New Delhi. The company is a subsidiary of Bharti Airtel.

Finance

Alternative Investment Market

AIM (formerly the Alternative Investment Market) is a sub-market of the London Stock Exchange that was launched on 19 June 1995 as a replacement to the previous Unlisted Securities Market (USM) that had been in operation since 1980. It allows companies that are smaller, less-developed, or want/need a more flexible approach to governance to float shares with a more flexible regulatory sys

Finance

Antigonish Movement

The Antigonish Movement blended adult education, co-operatives, microfinance and rural community development to help small, resource-based communities around Canada's Maritimes to improve their economic and social circumstances. A group of priests and educators, including Father Jimmy Tompkins, Father Moses Coady, Rev. Hugh MacPherson and A.B. MacDonald led this movement from a base at t

Finance

Association for the Taxation of Financial Transactions and for Citizens' Action

The Association for the Taxation of Financial Transactions and for Citizens' Action (French: Association pour la Taxation des Transactions financières et pour l'Action Citoyenne, ATTAC) is an activist organisation originally created to promote the establishment of a tax on foreign exchange transactions.

Banking

ATM Bersama

ATM Bersama (lit. 'Common ATMs') is an interbank network in Indonesia, connecting the ATM networks of twenty-one banks. It was established 1993 and is based on the model adopted by MegaLink, an interbank network in the Philippines.

Banking

ATM Link

ATM Link (a shortened form of Lintas Network) is an interbank network serving Indonesian State-owned Banks Association (Himbara), comprising Bank Mandiri, Bank Rakyat Indonesia, Bank Negara Indonesia, and Bank Tabungan Negara. The network provides cash withdrawal and inquiry services for customers of member banks of Himbara.

Banking

Bank Australia

Bank Australia is an Australian customer-owned bank based in Collingwood, Victoria. The organisation can trace its origins back to 1957, when the CSIRO Co-operative Credit Society was formed. Over succeeding years, mergers among 72 other credit unions and co-operative banks eventually led to the creation of the Members & Education Credit Union (mecu) in 2003, which became Bankmecu in 201

Banking

Bankcard-Servicenetz

The Bankcard-Servicenetz (lit. 'bank card service network') is a German ATM card interbank network group provided by the Volksbanken und Raiffeisenbanken services group. Technically it is not an interbank network but uses the pre-existing girocard network. Member banks of this cash credit group charge ATM usage fees at a low level and most customers of the co-operative banks enjoy free w

Banking

Banking in India

Modern banking in India began in the mid-18th century. Among the first banks were the Bank of Hindustan, which was established in 1770 and liquidated in 1829–32; and the General Bank of India, established in 1786 but failed in 1791.

Finance

Banks Board Bureau

Banks Board Bureau (BBB) (now replaced by Financial Services Institution Bureau since 2022) was an autonomous body of the Government of India tasked to search and select appropriate personages for the Board of Public Sector Banks, Public Sector Financial Institutions, and Public Sector Insurance Companies and recommend measures to improve Corporate Governance in these Institutions. In 20

Trading basics

Big Bang (financial markets)

The phrase Big Bang, used in reference to the sudden deregulation of financial markets, was coined to describe measures, including abolition of fixed commission charges and of the distinction between stockjobbers and stockbrokers on the London Stock Exchange and change from open outcry to screen-based electronic trading, effected by UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in 1986.

Banking

Cash Group

Cash Group is a cooperation of the four largest German private banks (Deutsche Bank, Commerzbank, HypoVereinsbank, and Postbank) and their subsidiaries, in which they mutually waive ATM usage fees for their customers. It is not an interbank network but uses the pre-existing girocard network. With more than 4500 ATMs, the cooperating banks' ATM networks form the third largest ATM network

Banking

CashPool

CashPool is a cooperation of a multitude of smaller or virtual German private banks, in which they mutually waive ATM usage fees for their customers. It is not an interbank network but uses the pre-existing German ATM or Maestro/Cirrus networks. With more than 2800 ATMs, the cooperating banks' ATM networks form the smallest ATM group in Germany.

Payments & settlement

Central Electronic System of Payments

The Central Electronic System of Payments (CESOP) regime is an automatic exchange of information regime being introduced in the European Union from 1 January 2024. The rules were introduced by Council Directive 2020/284, amending the EU's Value-added tax Directive.

Payments & settlement

CHAPS

The Clearing House Automated Payment System (CHAPS) is a real-time gross settlement payment system used for sterling transactions in the United Kingdom. It is mainly used by financial institutions to make wholesale financial payments and by large companies to make corporate treasury payments. In 2024, 52.7 million CHAPS payments were made, worth a total of £87.5 trillion. This made up ju

Payments & settlement

Cheque and Credit Clearing Company

The Cheque and Credit Clearing Company Limited (C&CCC) is a UK membership-based industry body whose 11 members are the UK clearing banks. The company has managed the cheque clearing system in England and Wales since 1985, in all of Great Britain since 1996 when it took over responsibility for managing the Scottish cheque clearing as well, and in the whole of the United Kingdom since the

Payments & settlement

Chip Authentication Program

The Chip Authentication Program (CAP) is a MasterCard initiative and technical specification for using EMV banking smartcards for authenticating users and transactions in online and telephone banking. It was also adopted by Visa as Dynamic Passcode Authentication (DPA). The CAP specification defines a handheld device (CAP reader) with a smartcard slot, a numeric keypad, and a display cap

Payments & settlement

Clearing House Automated Transfer System

The Clearing House Automated Transfer System (CHATS) is a real-time gross settlement (RTGS) system for the transfer of funds in Hong Kong. It is operated by Hong Kong Interbank Clearing Limited (HKICL), a limited-liability private company jointly owned by the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) and the Hong Kong Association of Banks. Transactions in four currency denominations may be se

Trading basics

Co-marketing

Co-marketing (Commensal marketing, symbiotic marketing) is a form of marketing co-operation, in which two or more businesses work together.

Banking

Co-op Solutions

CU Cooperative Systems, Inc. was a company providing services to credit unions in the United States. It is now a part of Velera, although the combined organization continues to use the Co-op Solutions brand. Other names it has used includes CO-OP Financial Services and Co-op Network. It operated an interbank network connecting the ATMs of credit unions in the United States, with locatio

Finance

Companies of the United States with untaxed profits

Companies of the United States with untaxed profits deals with those U.S. companies whose offshore subsidiaries earn profits which are retained in foreign countries to defer paying U.S. corporate tax. The profits of United States corporations are subject to a federal corporate tax rate of 21%. In principle, the tax is payable on all profits of corporations, whether earned domestically or

Banking

Cooperative banking

Cooperative banking is retail and commercial banking organized on a cooperative basis. Cooperative banking institutions take deposits and lend money in most parts of the world.

Finance

Credit union

A credit union is a member-owned nonprofit cooperative financial institution. It may offer financial services equivalent to those of commercial banks, such as share accounts (savings accounts), share draft accounts (checking accounts), credit cards, credit, share term certificates (certificates of deposit), and online banking. Normally, only a member of a credit union may deposit or borr

Finance

Credit union league

A credit union league or credit union central is cooperative federation for credit unions.

Trading basics

Debt Management Office (United Kingdom)

The Debt Management Office (DMO) of the United Kingdom is the executive agency responsible for debt and cash management for the UK Government, lending to local authorities and managing certain public sector funds.

Trading basics

Deposit insurance

Deposit insurance, deposit protection or deposit guarantee is a measure implemented in many countries to protect bank depositors, in full or in part, from losses caused by a bank's inability to pay its debts when due. Deposit insurance or deposit guarantee systems are one component of a financial system safety net that promotes financial stability, and are typically integrated with bank

Finance

Enterprise Finance Guarantee

The Enterprise Finance Guarantee (EFG) is a UK government-guaranteed lending scheme intended to help smaller viable businesses who may be struggling to secure finance, by facilitating bank loans of between £1,000 and £1 million.

Banking

Eufiserv

EUFISERV (European Savings Banks Financial Services) is a European interbank network connecting the ATMs of savings banks in Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland. It is the largest and the only international credit union-owned interbank network in Europe.

Banking

Expressnet

Expressnet is an interbank network connecting the ATM networks of seven major banks in the Philippines. It has the second-largest number of ATMs (largely due to the vast nationwide presence of Bank of the Philippine Islands Express Teller ATMs) and the smallest number of customers and member banks. However, its strength among the interbank networks and the ubiquity of BPI ATMs have giv

Payments & settlement

Faster Payment System (Hong Kong)

Faster Payment System (FPS; Chinese: 快速支付系統, more commonly known as 轉數快) is a real-time gross settlement payment system in Hong Kong that connects traditional banks and electronic payment and digital wallet operators. Users are able to perform instant money transfer or make payment to merchants by using the recipient's phone number, e-mail or QR code that contains the user's numeric iden

Payments & settlement

Faster Payment System (United Kingdom)

The Faster Payment System (FPS) is a United Kingdom real-time gross settlement system which facilitates transfers between different banks' customer accounts within a few seconds. The system offers faster settlement times than the long-established BACS and CHAPS systems. FPS processes a large volume of small payments, subject to limits set by the individual banks, with some allowing Faste

Trading basics

Financial Conduct Authority

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is a financial regulatory body in the United Kingdom. It operates independently of the UK Government and is financed by charging fees to members of the financial services industry. The FCA regulates financial firms providing services to consumers, and maintains the integrity of the financial markets in the United Kingdom.

Trading basics

Financial Services Authority

The Financial Services Authority (FSA) was a quasi-judicial body accountable for the regulation of the financial services industry in the United Kingdom between 2001 and 2013. It was founded as the Securities and Investments Board (SIB) in 1985. Its board was appointed by the Treasury, although it operated independently of government. It was structured as a company limited by guarantee a

Payments & settlement

First Data

First Data Corporation was an American financial services company headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. The company's STAR Network provided nationwide domestic debit acceptance at more than 2 million retail POS, ATM, and at online outlets for nearly a third of all U.S. debit cards.

Finance

Fiserv

Fiserv, Inc. ( fy-SURV) is an American multinational financial technology company headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The company processes debit and credit card transactions, loyalty programs, loans, electronic bill pay, wires and ACH transfers, check deposits, and ATM transactions on behalf of banking institutions. The company also produces debit and credit cards and point of sale t

Trading basics

Foreign direct investment and the environment

Foreign direct investment and the environment involves international businesses and their interactions and impact on the natural world. These interactions can be observed through the stringency applied to foreign direct investment policy and the responsiveness of capital or labor incentive for investment inflows. The laws and regulations created by a country that focuses on environmental

Finance

Global saving glut

A global saving glut (also GSG, cash hoarding, dead cash, dead money, glut of excess intended saving, or shortfall of investment intentions) is a situation in which desired saving exceeds desired investment. By 2005 Ben Bernanke, chairman of the Federal Reserve, the central bank of the United States, expressed concern about the "significant increase in the global supply of saving" and

Banking

GLS Bank

GLS Bank (officially GLS Gemeinschaftsbank eG) is a German ethical bank that was founded in 1974 as an anthroposophical initiative by Wilhelm Ernst Barkhoff and Gisela Reuther. It was the first bank in Germany that operated with an ethical philosophy. According to GLS Bank, its focus is on cultural, social and ecological initiatives, initiated by people, and not anonymous interests seeki

Trading basics

Ground rent

As a legal term, ground rent specifically refers to regular payments made by a holder of a leasehold property to the freeholder or a superior leaseholder, as required under a lease. In this sense, a ground rent is created when a freehold piece of land is sold on a long lease or leases. The ground rent provides an income for the landowner. In economics, ground rent is a form of economic r

Banking

History of credit unions

Credit unions are not-for-profit financial cooperatives. In the early stages of development of a nation's financial system, unserved and underserved populations had to rely on risky and expensive informal financial services from sources like money lenders, ROSCAs and saving at home. Credit unions proved they could meet demand for financial services that banks could not: from professio

Trading basics

HM Revenue and Customs

His Majesty's Revenue and Customs (commonly known as HMRC) is a department of the UK government responsible for the collection of taxes, the payment of some forms of state support, the administration of other regulatory regimes including the national minimum wage, and the issuance of national insurance numbers.

Payments & settlement

Immediate Payment Service

Immediate Payment Service (IMPS) is an instant payment inter-bank electronic funds transfer system in India. National Electronic Funds Transfer (NEFT) was also made available 24/7 from December 2019. Real-time gross settlement (RTGS) was also made available 24/7 from 14 December 2020.

Trading basics

Industrial and provident society

An industrial and provident society (IPS) is a body corporate registered for carrying on any industries, businesses, or trades specified in or authorised by its rules.

Finance

Informal value transfer system

An informal value transfer system (IVTS) is any system, mechanism, or network of people that receives money for the purpose of making the funds or an equivalent value payable to a third party in another geographic location, whether or not in the same form. Informal value transfers generally take place outside of the conventional banking system through non-bank financial institutions or o

Trading basics

International investment agreement

An international investment agreement (IIA) is a type of treaty between countries that addresses issues relevant to cross-border investments, usually for the purpose of protection, promotion and liberalization of such investments. Most IIAs cover foreign direct investment (FDI) and portfolio investment, but some exclude the latter. Countries concluding IIAs commit themselves to adhere to

Trading basics

Leasehold estate

A leasehold estate or a leasehold interest is an ownership of a temporary right to hold land or property in which a lessee or a tenant has rights of real property by some form of title from a lessor or landlord. Although a tenant does hold rights to real property, a leasehold estate is typically considered personal property.

Banking

Libor

The London Inter-Bank Offered Rate (Libor LY-bor) was an interest rate average calculated from estimates submitted by the leading banks in London. Each bank estimated what it would be charged were it to borrow from other banks. It was the primary benchmark, along with the Euribor, for short-term interest rates around the world. Libor was phased out at the end of 2021, with market partic

Banking

Link (British interbank network)

Link (stylised as LINK) is the UK’s main ATM network, which allows consumers to withdraw cash from ATMs which do not belong to their bank. It is the largest interbank network in United Kingdom.

Trading basics

London Metal Exchange

The London Metal Exchange (LME) is a futures and forwards exchange in London, United Kingdom with the world's largest market in standardised forward contracts, futures contracts and options on base metals. The exchange also offers contracts on ferrous metals and precious metals. The company also allows for cash trading. It offers hedging, worldwide reference pricing, and the option of ph

Trading basics

London Platinum and Palladium Market

The London Platinum and Palladium Market (LPPM) is an over-the-counter trading centre for platinum and palladium and a commodity trading association. London has always been a centre for the research in and development of most of the platinum group metals. Trade was established in the early 20th century, typically by existing dealers of gold and silver. The LPPM has been involved in fixin

Banking

Malaysian Electronic Payment System

The Malaysian Electronic Payment System (MEPS) is an interbank network service provider in Malaysia. In August 2017, MEPS merged with Malaysian Electronic Clearing Corporation Sdn Bhd (MyClear) to form Payments Network Malaysia Sdn Bhd (PayNet).

Finance

Microfinance

Microfinance is the provision of financial services to individuals and small businesses, particularly those with low incomes and limited access to conventional banking and related financial services. It encompasses services such as microcredit, savings, checking accounts, microinsurance, and payment systems.

Finance

Ministry of Finance (Jordan)

The Ministry of Finance (Arabic: وزارة المالية) is a Jordan government ministry responsible for public finances of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan in co-operation with the Central Bank of Jordan.

Finance

Ministry of Finance (Nepal)

The Ministry of Finance (Nepali: अर्थ मन्त्रालय) is the central authority of Government of Nepal charged with the responsibilities for maintaining both micro and macro economic stability in the country.

Finance

Ministry of Finance (Thailand)

The Ministry of Finance (Abrv: MOF; Thai: กระทรวงการคลัง, RTGS: Krasuang Kan Khlang) is a cabinet ministry in the Government of Thailand.

Finance

Ministry of the Treasury

The Ministry of the Treasury (大蔵省, Ōkura-shō; lit. 'the department of the great treasury') was a division of the eighth-century Japanese government of the Imperial Court in Kyoto, instituted in the Asuka period and formalized during the Heian period. The Ministry was replaced in the Meiji period.

Trading basics

Monetary Policy Committee (United Kingdom)

The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is a committee of the Bank of England, which meets for three and a half days, eight times a year, to decide the official interest rate in the United Kingdom (the Bank of England Base Rate).

Banking

Money Access Center

Money Access Center (MAC, also Money Access Card) was an ATM network in the Mid-Atlantic and Midwestern United States, between 1979 and 2005, when it was absorbed into the STAR network. The network was one of the first in the nation, and helped universalize ATM banking. At its height MAC operated 59,000 ATMs in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, West Virginia, Kentucky, Ohio,

Banking

MoneyPass

MoneyPass is an American interbank network owned by Brookfield, Wisconsin-based Fiserv, the third largest North American financial services company by revenue.

Banking

Multibanco

Multibanco is a Portuguese interbank network. It is the largest interbank network in Portugal owned and operated by SIBS (Sociedade Interbancária de Serviços S.A.), that links the ATMs of 27 banks in Portugal, totaling 12,700 machines as of December 2014. The bank members of Multibanco control the SIBS. Multibanco is a fully integrated interbank network. One of the most notable character

Banking

Multicaixa

Multicaixa (MCX) is currently the only brand name for debit cards issued in Angola, and also the only interbank network of automated teller machines and point of sales terminals for electronic payments. While the ATMs and the POS (point of sale) terminals are owned by the supporting bank, the network is operated by EMIS (Empresa Interbancária de Serviços S.A.), and the Multicaixa cards

Trading basics

Multilateral Agreement on Investment

The Multilateral Agreement on Investment (MAI) was a draft agreement negotiated in secret between members of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) between 1995 and 1998. It sought to establish a new body of universal investment laws that would grant corporations unconditional rights to engage in financial operations around the world, without any regard to nati

Banking

Mutual savings bank

A mutual savings bank is a financial institution chartered by a central or regional government, without capital stock, owned by its members who subscribe to a common fund. From this fund, claims, loans, etc., are paid. Profits after deductions are shared among the members. The institution is intended to provide a safe place for individual members to save and to invest those savings in mo

Banking

Narasimham Committee

Narsimham Committee refers to two committees established by the Government of India in its first decade of economic liberalisation under the chairmanship of M. Narasimham. The first Committee, officially known as the Committee on Financial System (CFS), was established in August 1991. The report of the CSF was submitted to the Finance Minister in November 1991, and tabled in the Parliame

Payments & settlement

National Automated Clearing House

National Automated Clearing House, introduced by National Payments Corporation of India, is a centralised clearing service that aims at providing interbank high volume, low value transactions that are repetitive and periodic in nature. Offering credit and debit service to corporates, banks, and financial institutions, the service, aimed at integrating all regional ECS into one National

Payments & settlement

National Financial Switch

National Financial Switch (NFS) is the largest network of shared automated teller machines (ATMs) in India. It was designed, developed and deployed by the Institute for Development and Research in Banking Technology (IDRBT) in 2004, with the goal of inter-connecting the ATMs in the country and facilitating convenience banking. It is run by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI

Trading basics

National Insurance Act 1911

The National Insurance Act 1911 (1 & 2 Geo. 5. c. 55) was an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that created National Insurance, originally a system of health insurance for industrial workers in Great Britain based on contributions from employers, the government, and the workers themselves.

Payments & settlement

National Payments Corporation of India

National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) is an Indian public sector company that operates retail payments and settlement systems in India. The organization is an initiative of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the Indian Banks' Association (IBA) under the provisions of the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007, for creating a robust payment and settlement infrastructure in Indi

Banking

Nationlink (interbank network)

Nationlink is an interbank network and EFTPOS network in the Philippines. Unlike the main Philippine interbank networks, BancNet, ENS, Expressnet and MegaLink, Nationlink does not attempt to compete. Instead, it seeks to complement those networks by extending the reach of ATMs in the countryside, as the main networks are concentrated in urban areas. Its closest competitor is the Encash N

Banking

New Zealand bank account number

New Zealand bank account numbers in NZD follow a standardised format of 16 digits:

Banking

NYCE

The New York Cash Exchange (NYCE) is an interbank network connecting the ATMs of various financial institutions in the United States and Canada. NYCE also serves as an EFTPOS network for NYCE-linked ATM cards.

Banking

Otto.

Otto. (spelled with the period) is Finland's interbank network, connecting the ATMs of nearly every bank in the country. It is owned and operated by Automatia. They offer service in Finnish and Swedish, but also in English to holders of international ATM cards. The word "otto" means "withdrawal" in Finnish, and is also a relatively common German-derived given name. The withdrawal points

Trading basics

Paymaster General

His Majesty's Paymaster General or HM Paymaster General is a ministerial position in HM Treasury of the United Kingdom. The position is currently held by James Murray of the Labour Co-op Party.

Payments & settlement

Payment and settlement systems in India

Payment and settlement systems are used for financial transactions in India. Covered by the Payment and Settlement Systems Act of 2007 (PSS Act), legislated in December 2007, they are regulated by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the Board for Regulation and Supervision of Payment and Settlement Systems.

Payments & settlement

Payments Network Malaysia

Payments Network Malaysia Sdn Bhd (PayNet) is the national payments network and shared central infrastructure for Malaysia’s financial markets. It was formed from the merger between the Malaysian Electronic Payment System (MEPS) and Malaysian Electronic Clearing Corporation Sdn Bhd (MyClear) on 1 August 2017. PayNet is Malaysia's premier payments network and central infrastructure for fi

Payments & settlement

Paytm

PayTM (short for Pay Through Mobile) is an Indian multinational financial technology company, that specializes in digital payments and financial services, based in Noida. PayTM was founded in 2010 by Vijay Shekhar Sharma under One97 Communications. The company offers mobile payment services to consumers and enables merchants to receive payments through QR code payment, Soundbox, Android-

Payments & settlement

Paytm Payments Bank

Paytm Payments Bank (PPBL) was an Indian payments bank, founded in 2017 and headquartered in Noida. In the same year, it received the license to run a payments bank from the Reserve Bank of India and was launched in November 2017. In 2021, the bank received a scheduled bank status from the RBI.

Payments & settlement

PhonePe

PhonePe is an Indian digital payments and financial services company, headquartered in Bengaluru. It was founded in December 2015, by Sameer Nigam, Rahul Chari and Burzin Engineer. The PhonePe app, based on the Unified Payments Interface, went live in August 2016.

Banking

Post Office Savings Bank (New Zealand)

Post Office Savings Bank, or very briefly PostBank (trading name of Post Office Bank Limited), was a bank owned by the New Zealand Government as the government's postal savings system. The bank was established in 1867. It became PostBank in 1987 and was disestablished and the branches were rebranded when it was acquired by Australia and New Zealand Banking Group (ANZ) in 1989.

Banking

Prudential Regulation Authority

The Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) is a United Kingdom financial services regulatory body, formed as one of the successors to the Financial Services Authority (FSA). The authority is responsible for the prudential regulation and supervision of banks, building societies, credit unions, insurers and major investment firms. It sets standards and supervises financial institutions at t

Finance

Robin Hood tax

The Robin Hood tax is a package of financial transaction taxes (FTT) proposed by a campaigning group of civil society non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Campaigners have suggested the tax could be implemented globally, regionally, or unilaterally by individual nations. Conceptually similar to the Tobin tax (which was proposed for foreign currency exchange only), it would affect a wid

Finance

Rotating savings and credit association

A rotating savings and credit association (ROSCA) is a group of individuals who agree to meet for a defined period in order to save and borrow together, a form of combined peer-to-peer banking and peer-to-peer lending. Members all chip in regularly and take turns withdrawing accumulated sums.

Payments & settlement

RuPay

RuPay (portmanteau of Rupee and Payment) is an Indian multinational financial services and payment service system, conceived and owned by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI). It was launched in 2012, to fulfil the Reserve Bank of India's (RBI) vision of establishing a domestic, open and multilateral system of payments. RuPay facilitates electronic payments at almost all Ind

Finance

Sarvatra Technologies

Sarvatra Technologies Private Limited is an Indian fintech company, headquartered in Pune, Maharashtra, that provides banking software and cloud-based services to cooperative banks and smaller financial institutions. As of 2024, the company had a 55% market share in providing banking software to banks in India, with its PaaS model operating in 600 banks across India.

Payments & settlement

Scrip

A scrip is any substitute for legal tender.

Trading basics

Sex differences in social capital

Sex differences in social capital are debated differences between men and women's ability to achieve their aims through social constructs such as trust, norms and networks. Social capital is often seen as the missing link in development. Social networks facilitate access to resources and protect the commons, whilst co-operation makes markets work more efficiently. Social capital has been

Banking

Shared Interest

Shared Interest Society Limited is a fair trade financial co-operative based in the United Kingdom formed in 1990. Today it provides credit and financial services to fair trade producers, retailers, importers and exporters throughout the world. Shared Interest works with both Fairtrade International (formerly known as Fairtrade Labelling Organizations or FLO) and the World Fair Trade Org

Banking

Shetab Banking System

Shetab (Persian: شتاب, lit. 'Acceleration'), officially the Interbank Information Transfer Network (Persian: شبکه تبادل اطلاعات بین بانکی), is an electronic banking clearance and automated payments system used in Iran. The system was introduced in 2002 with the intention of creating a uniform backbone for the Iranian banking system to handle ATM, EFTPOS and other card-based transactions.

Payments & settlement

Single Euro Payments Area

The Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA) is a payment-integration system of the European Union that makes cross-border bank transfers in euros as fast, cheap, and simple as domestic payments. It allows individuals and businesses to make cashless euro transfers to any account within the zone using a single bank account and an International Bank Account Number, under the same basic conditions

Finance

Structured Financial Messaging System

Structured Financial Messaging System (SFMS) is a secure messaging standard developed to serve as a platform for intra-bank and inter-bank applications. It is an Indian standard similar to SWIFT which is the international messaging system used for financial messaging globally.

Banking

Takaful

Takaful (Arabic: التكافل, sometimes translated as "solidarity" or mutual guarantee) is a co-operative system of reimbursement or repayment in case of loss, organized as an Islamic or sharia-compliant alternative to conventional insurance, which contains riba (usury) and gharar (excessive uncertainty).

Payments & settlement

Tez (software)

Tez was a mobile payments service by Google, targeted at users in India, later folded into the new Google Pay app on 28 August 2018. It operated atop the Unified Payments Interface, developed by the National Payments Corporation of India. The product was created as part of Google's Next Billion Users initiative led by Caesar Sengupta, former vice president and general manager, Payments &

Banking

The Co-operative Bank

The Co-operative Bank p.l.c. is a British retail and commercial bank based in Manchester, England. Established as a bank for co-operators and co-operatives following the principles of the Rochdale Pioneers, the business evolved in the 20th century into a mid-sized British high street bank, operating throughout the UK mainland. Transactions took place at cash desks in Co-op stores until t

Banking

Unified Payments Interface

Unified Payments Interface (UPI) is an Indian instant payment system and protocol developed by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) in April 11th 2016. The interface facilitates inter-bank peer-to-peer (P2P) and person-to-merchant (P2M) transactions. It is used on mobile devices to instantly transfer funds between two bank accounts using only a unique UPI ID. It runs as an o

Banking

Vancity

Vancouver City Savings Credit Union, commonly referred to as Vancity, is a member-owned financial co-operative headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. By asset size, Vancity is the largest community credit union in Canada as of 2019, with CA$28.2 billion in assets plus assets under administration, 60 branches and more than 543,000 members.

Banking

Zolotaya Korona

Zolotaya Korona (brand KoronaPay) is a Russian payment system offering various services to individuals through its own online platforms and those of its partners, including banks and retail chains. These services include cash-to-cash transfers, online card-to-cash transfers, online card-to-card transfers, and online and offline loan repayment in the partner network service points.