What is Financial Services?

Financial services are the economic services provided by the finance industry, which encompasses a broad range of businesses that manage money, including credit unions, banks, credit-card companies, insurance companies, accountancy companies, consumer-finance companies, stock brokerages, investment funds, individual managers and some government-sponsored enterprises. Financial services companies are present in all economically developed geographic locations and tend to cluster in local, national, regional and international financial centers such as London, New York City, and Tokyo.

Importance of Financial services

It is the presence of financial services that enables a country to improve its economic condition whereby there is more production in all the sectors leading to economic growth.

The benefit of economic growth is reflected on the people in the form of economic prosperity wherein the individual enjoys higher standard of living. It is here the financial services enable an individual to acquire or obtain various consumer products through hire purchase. In the process, there are a number of financial institutions which also earn profits. The presence of these financial institutions promote investment, production, saving etc.

Hence, we can bring out the importance of financial services in the following points:

Importance of Financial Services

• Vibrant Capital Market.
• Expands activities of financial markets.
• Benefits of Government.
• Economic Development.
• Economic Growth.
• Ensures Greater Yield.
• Maximizes Returns.
• Minimizes Risks.
• Promotes Savings.
• Promotes Investments.
• Balanced Regional Development.
• Promotion of Domestic & Foreign Trade.

Promoting investment

The presence of financial services creates more demand for products and the producer, in order to meet the demand from the consumer goes for more investment. At this stage, the financial services comes to the rescue of the investor such as merchant banker through the new issue market, enabling the producer to raise capital.

The stock market helps in mobilizing more funds by the investor. Investments from abroad is attracted. Factoring and leasing companies, both domestic and foreign enable the producer not only to sell the products but also to acquire modern machinery/technology for further production.

Promoting savings

Financial services such as mutual funds provide ample opportunity for different types of saving. In fact, different types of investment options are made available for the convenience of pensioners as well as aged people so that they can be assured of a reasonable return on investment without much risks.

For people interested in the growth of their savings, various reinvestment opportunities are provided. The laws enacted by the government regulate the working of various financial services in such a way that the interests of the public who save through these financial institutions are highly protected.

Financial Services offered by various financial institutions

• Factoring.
• Leasing.
• Forfaiting.
• Hire Purchase Finance.
• Credit card.
• Merchant Banking.
• Book Building.
• Asset Liability Management.
• Housing Finance.
• Portfolio Finance.
• Underwriting.
• Credit Rating.
• Interest & Credit Swap.
• Mutual Fund.

Minimizing the risks

The risks of both financial services as well as producers are minimized by the presence of insurance companies. Various types of risks are covered which not only offer protection from the fluctuating business conditions but also from risks caused by natural calamities.

Insurance is not only a source of finance but also a source of savings, besides minimizing the risks. Taking this aspect into account, the government has not only privatized the life insurance but also set up a regulatory authority for the insurance companies known as IRDA, 1999 (Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority) .

Maximizing the Returns

The presence of financial services enables businessmen to maximize their returns. This is possible due to the availability of credit at a reasonable rate. Producers can avail various types of credit facilities for acquiring assets. In certain cases, they can even go for leasing of certain assets of very high value.

Factoring companies enable the seller as well as producer to increase their turnover which also increases the profit. Even under stiff competition, the producers will be in a position to sell their products at a low margin. With a higher turnover of stocks, they are able to maximize their return.

Ensures greater Yield

As seen already, there is a subtle difference between return and yield. It is the yield which attracts more producers to enter the market and increase their production to meet the demands of the consumer. The financial services enable the producer to not only earn more profits but also maximize their wealth.

Financial services enhance their goodwill and induce them to go in for diversification. The stock market and the different types of derivative market provide ample opportunities to get a higher yield for the investor.

Economic growth

The development of all the sectors is essential for the development of the economy. The financial services ensure equal distribution of funds to all the three sectors namely, primary, secondary and tertiary so that activities are spread over in a balanced manner in all the three sectors. This brings in a balanced growth of the economy as a result of which employment opportunities are improved.

The tertiary or service sector not only grows and this growth is an important sign of development of any economy. In a well developed country, service sector plays a major role and it contributes more to the economy than the other two sectors.

Economic development

Financial services enable the consumers to obtain different types of products and services by which they can improve their standard of living. Purchase of car, house and other essential as well as luxurious items is made possible through hire purchase, leasing and housing finance companies. Thus, the consumer is compelled to save while he enjoys the benefits of the assets which he has acquired with the help of financial services.

Benefit to Government

The presence of financial services enables the government to raise both short-term and long-term funds to meet both revenue and capital expenditure. Through the money market, government raises short term funds by the issue of Treasury Bills. These are purchased by commercial banks from out of their depositors’ money.

In addition to this, the government is able to raise long-term funds by the sale of government securities in the securities market which forms apart of financial market. Even foreign exchange requirements of the government can be met in the foreign exchange market.

The most important benefit for any government is the raising of finance without offering any security. In this way, the financial services are a big boon to the government.

Expands activities of Financial Institutions

The presence of financial services enables financial institutions to not only raise finance but also get an opportunity to disburse their funds in the most profitable manner. Mutual funds, factoring, credit cards, hire purchase finance are some of the services which get financed by financial institutions.

The financial institutions are in a position to expand their activities and thus diversify the use of their funds for various activities. This ensures economic dynamism.

Capital Market

One of the barometers of any economy is the presence of a vibrant capital market. If there is hectic activity in thecapital market, then it is an indication of the presence of a positive economic condition. The financial services ensure that all the companies are able to acquire adequate funds to boost production and to reap more profits eventually.

In the absence of financial services, there will be paucity of funds which will adversely affect the working of companies and will only result in a negative growth of the capital market. When the capital market is more active, funds from foreign countries also flow in. Hence, the changes in capital market is mainly due to the availability of financial services.

Promotion of Domestic and Foreign Trade

Financial services ensure promotion of domestic as well as foreign trade. The presence of factoring and forfaiting companies ensures increasing sale of goods in the domestic market and export of goods in the foreign market. Banking and insurance services further contribute to step up such promotional activities.

Balanced Regional development

The government monitors the growth of economy and regions that remain backward economically are given fiscal and monetary benefits through tax and cheaper credit by which more investment is promoted. This generates more production, employment, income, demand and ultimately increase in prices.

The producers will earn more profits and can expand their activities further. So, the presence of financial services helps backward regions to develop and catch up with the rest of the country that has developed already.