FINANCIAL SERVICES

Financial Services

Meaning:
All types of activities which are of a financial nature could be brought under the term ‘financial services’.

The term “Financial Services” in a broad sense means “mobilizing and allocating savings”. Thus, it includes all activities involved in the transformation of saving into investment.

The ‘financial service’ can also be called ‘financial intermediation’.

Financial intermediation is a process by which funds are mobilized from a large number of savers and make them available to all those who are in need of it and particularly to corporate customers.

A well developed financial services industry is absolutely necessary to mobilize the savings and to allocate them to various investable channels and thereby to promote industrial development in a country.

Classification of financial services industry
The financial intermediaries in India can be traditionally classified into two:
i. Capital market intermediaries
ii. Money market intermediaries


The capital market intermediaries consist of term lending institutions and investing institutions which mainly provide long term funds.

On the other hand, money market consists of commercial banks, co-operative banks and other agencies which supply only short term funds.

Scope of financial services
Financial services cover a wide range of activities. They can be broadly classified into two namely:
i. Traditional activities
ii. Modern activities

Traditional activities
Traditionally, the financial intermediaries have been rendering a wide range of services encompassing both capital and money market activities. They can be grouped under two heads viz;

i. Fund based activities and
ii. Non-fund based activities

Fund based activities
The traditional services which come under fund based activities are the following:
i. Underwriting of or investment in shares, debentures, bonds etc. of new issues (primary market activities)
ii. Dealing in secondary market activities
iii. Participating in money market instruments like commercial papers, certificate of deposits, treasury bills, discounting of bills etc.
iv. Involving in equipment leasing, hire purchase, venture capital, seed capital etc.
v. Dealing in foreign exchange market activities.


Non-fund based activities
Financial intermediaries provide services on the basis of non-fund activities also. This can also be called “fee based” activity. A wide variety of services, are being provided under this head. They include the following:
i. Managing the capital issues, i.e., management of pre-issue and post-issue activities relating to the capital issue in accordance with the SEBI guidelines and thus enabling the promoters to market their issues.
ii. Making arrangements for the placement of capital and debt instruments with investment institutions.
iii. Arrangement of funds from financial institutions for the clients project cost or his working capital requirements.
iv. Assisting in the process of getting all government and other clearances.

Modern activities
Besides the above traditional services, the financial intermediaries render innumerable services in recent times. Most of them are in the nature of non-fund based activity.

i. Rendering project advisory services right from the preparation of the project report till the raising of funds for starting the project with necessary government approval.
ii. Planning for mergers and acquisitions and assisting for their smooth carry out.
iii. Guiding corporate customers in capital restructuring.
iv. Acting as Trustees to the debenture holders
v. Structuring the financial collaboration/joint ventures by identifying suitable joint venture partner and preparing joint venture agreement.
vi. Rehabilitating and reconstructing sick companies through appropriate scheme of reconstruction and facilitating the implementation of the scheme.
vii. Hedging risks due to exchange rate risk, interest rate risk, economic risk and political risk by using swaps and other derivative products.
viii. Managing the portfolio of large public sector corporations.
ix. Undertaking risk management services like insurance services, buy back options, capital market etc.
x. Promoting credit rating agencies for the purpose of rating companies which want to go public by the issue of debt instruments.
Financial products and services

• Today, the importance of financial services is gaining momentum all over the world.

• In these days of complex finance, people expect a financial service company to play a very dynamic role not only as provider of finance but also as a departmental store of finance.

• As a result, the clients both corporates and individuals are exposed to the phenomena of volatility and uncertainty and hence they expect the financial service company to innovate new products and services so as to meet their varied requirements.


1. Merchant Banking:
A merchant banker is a financial intermediary who helps to transfer capital from those who possess it to those who need it. Merchant banking includes a wide range of activities such as management of customer’s securities, portfolio management, project counseling and appraisal, underwriting of shares and debentures, loan syndication, acting as banker for the refund orders, handling interest and dividend warrants etc. Thus merchant banker renders a host of services to corporates and thus promotes industrial development in the country.

2. Loan Syndication
This is more or less similar to ‘consortium financing’. But, this work is taken up by the merchant banker as a lead manager. It refers to a loan arranged by a bank called lead manager for a borrower who is usually a large corporate customer or a government department. The other banks who are willing to lend can participate in the loan by contributing a amount suitable to their own lending policies. Since a single bank cannot provide such a huge sum as loan, a number of banks join together and form a syndicate. It also enables the members of the syndicate to share the credit risk associated with a particular loan among themselves.

3. Leasing
A lease is an agreement under which a company or a firm, acquires a right to make use of a capital asset like machinery, on acquire any ownership to the asset, but he can use it and have full control over it. He is expected to pay for all maintenance charges and repairing and operating costs.

4. Mutual Funds
A mutual fund refers to a fund raised by a financial services company by pooling the savings of the public. It is invested in a diversified portfolio with a view to spreading and minimizing risk. The fund provides Investment Avenue for small investors who cannot participate in the equities of big companies. It ensures low risks, steady returns, high liquidity and better capital appreciation the long run.
5. Factoring
Factoring refers to the process of managing the sales ledger of a client by a financial service company. In other words, it is an arrangement under which a financial intermediary assumes the credit risk in the collection of book debts for its clients. The entire responsibility of collecting the book debts passes on to the factor. His services can be compared to a del credre agent who undertakes to collect debts. But, a factor provides credit information, collects debts, monitors the sales ledger and provides finance against debts. Thus, he provides a number of services apart from financing.


6. Forfaiting
Forfaiting is a technique by which a forfaitor (financing agency) discounts an export bill and pay ready cash to the exporter who can concentrate on the export front without bothering about collection of export bills. The forfeiter does so without any recourse to the exporter and the exporter is protected against the risk of non-payment of debts by the importers.

7. Venture capital
A venture capital is another method of financing in the form of equity participation. A venture capitalist finances a project based on the potentialities of a new innovative project. It is in contrast to the conventional ‘security based financing’. Much thrust is given to new ideas or technological innovations. Finance is being provided not only for ‘start-up capital’ but also for ‘development capital’ by the financial intermediary.

8. Custodial services
It is yet another line of activity which has gained importance, of late. Under this, a financial intermediary mainly provides services to clients, particularly to foreign investors, for a prescribed fee. Custodial services provide agency services like safe keeping of shares and debentures, collection of interest and dividend and reporting of matters on corporate developments and corporate securities to foreign investors.

9. Corporate advisory services
Financial intermediaries particularly banks have set up corporate advisory services branches to render services exclusively to their corporate customers. For instance, some banks have extended computer terminals to their corporate customers so that they can transact some of their important banking transactions by sitting in their own office. As new avenues of finance like Euro loans, GDRs etc. are available to corporate customers; this service is immense help to the customers.

10. Securitization
Securitization is a technique whereby a financial company converts its ill-liquid, non-negotiable and high value financial assets into securities of small value which are made tradable and transferable. A financial institution might have a lot of its assets blocked up in assets like real estate, machinery etc., which are long term in nature and which are non-negotiable? In such cases, securitization would help the financial institution to raise cash against such assets by means of issuing securities of small values to the public. Like any other security, they can be traded in the market.

11. Derivative security
A derivative security is a security whose value depends upon the values of other basic variables backing the security. In most cases, these variables are nothing but the prices of traded securities. A derivative security is basically used as a risk management tool and it is restored to cover the risks due to price fluctuations by the investments manager. Derivative helps to break the risk into various components such as credit risk, interest rate risk, exchange rates risk and so on. It enables the various risk components to be identified precisely and priced them and even traded them if necessary.

12. New products in forex market
New products have also emerged in the forex markets of developed countries. Some of these products are yet to make full entry in Indian markets. Among them the following are the important ones:
a) Forward contracts
b) Options
c) Swaps

13. Letter of credit (LOC)
LOC is an arrangement of a financing institution/bank of one country with another institutions / bank / agent to support the export of goods and services so as to enable the importers to import no deferred payment terms. This may be backed by a guarantee furnished by the institution / bank in the importing country. The LOC helps the exporters to get payment immediately as soon as the goods are shipped. The greatest advantage is that it saves a lot of time and money on mutual verification of bonafides, source of finance etc. It serves as a source of forex.

Financial Services

Meaning:
All types of activities which are of a financial nature could be brought under the term ‘financial services’.

The term “Financial Services” in a broad sense means “mobilizing and allocating savings”. Thus, it includes all activities involved in the transformation of saving into investment.

The ‘financial service’ can also be called ‘financial intermediation’.

Financial intermediation is a process by which funds are mobilized from a large number of savers and make them available to all those who are in need of it and particularly to corporate customers.

A well developed financial services industry is absolutely necessary to mobilize the savings and to allocate them to various investable channels and thereby to promote industrial development in a country.

Classification of financial services industry
The financial intermediaries in India can be traditionally classified into two:
iii. Capital market intermediaries
iv. Money market intermediaries


The capital market intermediaries consist of term lending institutions and investing institutions which mainly provide long term funds.

On the other hand, money market consists of commercial banks, co-operative banks and other agencies which supply only short term funds.

Scope of financial services
Financial services cover a wide range of activities. They can be broadly classified into two namely:
iii. Traditional activities
iv. Modern activities

Traditional activities
Traditionally, the financial intermediaries have been rendering a wide range of services encompassing both capital and money market activities. They can be grouped under two heads viz;

iii. Fund based activities and
iv. Non-fund based activities

Fund based activities
The traditional services which come under fund based activities are the following:
vi. Underwriting of or investment in shares, debentures, bonds etc. of new issues (primary market activities)
vii. Dealing in secondary market activities
viii. Participating in money market instruments like commercial papers, certificate of deposits, treasury bills, discounting of bills etc.
ix. Involving in equipment leasing, hire purchase, venture capital, seed capital etc.
x. Dealing in foreign exchange market activities.


Non-fund based activities
Financial intermediaries provide services on the basis of non-fund activities also. This can also be called “fee based” activity. A wide variety of services, are being provided under this head. They include the following:
v. Managing the capital issues, i.e., management of pre-issue and post-issue activities relating to the capital issue in accordance with the SEBI guidelines and thus enabling the promoters to market their issues.
vi. Making arrangements for the placement of capital and debt instruments with investment institutions.
vii. Arrangement of funds from financial institutions for the clients project cost or his working capital requirements.
viii. Assisting in the process of getting all government and other clearances.

Modern activities
Besides the above traditional services, the financial intermediaries render innumerable services in recent times. Most of them are in the nature of non-fund based activity.

xi. Rendering project advisory services right from the preparation of the project report till the raising of funds for starting the project with necessary government approval.
xii. Planning for mergers and acquisitions and assisting for their smooth carry out.
xiii. Guiding corporate customers in capital restructuring.
xiv. Acting as Trustees to the debenture holders
xv. Structuring the financial collaboration/joint ventures by identifying suitable joint venture partner and preparing joint venture agreement.
xvi. Rehabilitating and reconstructing sick companies through appropriate scheme of reconstruction and facilitating the implementation of the scheme.
xvii. Hedging risks due to exchange rate risk, interest rate risk, economic risk and political risk by using swaps and other derivative products.
xviii. Managing the portfolio of large public sector corporations.
xix. Undertaking risk management services like insurance services, buy back options, capital market etc.
xx. Promoting credit rating agencies for the purpose of rating companies which want to go public by the issue of debt instruments.
Financial products and services

• Today, the importance of financial services is gaining momentum all over the world.

• In these days of complex finance, people expect a financial service company to play a very dynamic role not only as provider of finance but also as a departmental store of finance.

• As a result, the clients both corporates and individuals are exposed to the phenomena of volatility and uncertainty and hence they expect the financial service company to innovate new products and services so as to meet their varied requirements.


14. Merchant Banking:
A merchant banker is a financial intermediary who helps to transfer capital from those who possess it to those who need it. Merchant banking includes a wide range of activities such as management of customer’s securities, portfolio management, project counseling and appraisal, underwriting of shares and debentures, loan syndication, acting as banker for the refund orders, handling interest and dividend warrants etc. Thus merchant banker renders a host of services to corporates and thus promotes industrial development in the country.

15. Loan Syndication
This is more or less similar to ‘consortium financing’. But, this work is taken up by the merchant banker as a lead manager. It refers to a loan arranged by a bank called lead manager for a borrower who is usually a large corporate customer or a government department. The other banks who are willing to lend can participate in the loan by contributing a amount suitable to their own lending policies. Since a single bank cannot provide such a huge sum as loan, a number of banks join together and form a syndicate. It also enables the members of the syndicate to share the credit risk associated with a particular loan among themselves.

16. Leasing
A lease is an agreement under which a company or a firm, acquires a right to make use of a capital asset like machinery, on acquire any ownership to the asset, but he can use it and have full control over it. He is expected to pay for all maintenance charges and repairing and operating costs.

17. Mutual Funds
A mutual fund refers to a fund raised by a financial services company by pooling the savings of the public. It is invested in a diversified portfolio with a view to spreading and minimizing risk. The fund provides Investment Avenue for small investors who cannot participate in the equities of big companies. It ensures low risks, steady returns, high liquidity and better capital appreciation the long run.
18. Factoring
Factoring refers to the process of managing the sales ledger of a client by a financial service company. In other words, it is an arrangement under which a financial intermediary assumes the credit risk in the collection of book debts for its clients. The entire responsibility of collecting the book debts passes on to the factor. His services can be compared to a del credre agent who undertakes to collect debts. But, a factor provides credit information, collects debts, monitors the sales ledger and provides finance against debts. Thus, he provides a number of services apart from financing.


19. Forfaiting
Forfaiting is a technique by which a forfaitor (financing agency) discounts an export bill and pay ready cash to the exporter who can concentrate on the export front without bothering about collection of export bills. The forfeiter does so without any recourse to the exporter and the exporter is protected against the risk of non-payment of debts by the importers.

20. Venture capital
A venture capital is another method of financing in the form of equity participation. A venture capitalist finances a project based on the potentialities of a new innovative project. It is in contrast to the conventional ‘security based financing’. Much thrust is given to new ideas or technological innovations. Finance is being provided not only for ‘start-up capital’ but also for ‘development capital’ by the financial intermediary.

21. Custodial services
It is yet another line of activity which has gained importance, of late. Under this, a financial intermediary mainly provides services to clients, particularly to foreign investors, for a prescribed fee. Custodial services provide agency services like safe keeping of shares and debentures, collection of interest and dividend and reporting of matters on corporate developments and corporate securities to foreign investors.

22. Corporate advisory services
Financial intermediaries particularly banks have set up corporate advisory services branches to render services exclusively to their corporate customers. For instance, some banks have extended computer terminals to their corporate customers so that they can transact some of their important banking transactions by sitting in their own office. As new avenues of finance like Euro loans, GDRs etc. are available to corporate customers; this service is immense help to the customers.

23. Securitization
Securitization is a technique whereby a financial company converts its ill-liquid, non-negotiable and high value financial assets into securities of small value which are made tradable and transferable. A financial institution might have a lot of its assets blocked up in assets like real estate, machinery etc., which are long term in nature and which are non-negotiable? In such cases, securitization would help the financial institution to raise cash against such assets by means of issuing securities of small values to the public. Like any other security, they can be traded in the market.

24. Derivative security
A derivative security is a security whose value depends upon the values of other basic variables backing the security. In most cases, these variables are nothing but the prices of traded securities. A derivative security is basically used as a risk management tool and it is restored to cover the risks due to price fluctuations by the investments manager. Derivative helps to break the risk into various components such as credit risk, interest rate risk, exchange rates risk and so on. It enables the various risk components to be identified precisely and priced them and even traded them if necessary.

25. New products in forex market
New products have also emerged in the forex markets of developed countries. Some of these products are yet to make full entry in Indian markets. Among them the following are the important ones:
d) Forward contracts
e) Options
f) Swaps

26. Letter of credit (LOC)
LOC is an arrangement of a financing institution/bank of one country with another institutions / bank / agent to support the export of goods and services so as to enable the importers to import no deferred payment terms. This may be backed by a guarantee furnished by the institution / bank in the importing country. The LOC helps the exporters to get payment immediately as soon as the goods are shipped. The greatest advantage is that it saves a lot of time and money on mutual verification of bonafides, source of finance etc. It serves as a source of forex.