【单选题】

WHAT IS

A、BANK(0) For example, there are so-called investment banks, which specialize in underwriting corporate and government securities. These banks purchase securities from the issuer and attempt to resell them in the open market at a reasonable profit. There are industrial banks, which accept smaller consumer savings deposits and make certain types of loans, principally cash loans to wage earners.And there are savings banks, which draw upon individual and family savings as their principal source of funds and invest those funds mainly in mortgages, corporate bonds, and occasionally common stock. Complicating the issue of what a bank is is rapid changes now occurring in the financial services industry. Many financial firms, particularly insurance companies, brokerage firms, and mutual funds, are today offering traditional banking services including liquid savings accounts and transactions accounts (checkable deposits) which can be drafted to make payments. Shares in a money market mutual fund are a well-known example of a recent service innovation by brokerage firms and mutual funds which compete directly with bank savings and transactions accounts. (8).When students in the field of financial institutions use the term bank they usually have a specific meaning in mind, however. (9) —— 1) transactions accounts, which may be used to make payments for purchases of goods and services and are widely accepted by the public for that purpose; and 2) direct loans to business, individuals, and other institutions. (10).Commercial bank checking accounts are the principal means of payment in the economy and are widely accepted as money. While commercial banks do purchase investment securities (such as corporate and government bonds) traded in the open market, their principal asset is loans made directly to business firms, individuals and families, securities dealers, and a host of other borrowers.(11).Commercial banks offer such diverse financial services as time and savings deposits, lease financing, financial advice and counseling, portfolio management, the safe-keeping of valuables, transfer of securities, bookkeeping, and the guaranteeing of credit received from other lenders. (12). However, the essence of banking—what separates this particular financial institution from all the others—is the making of loans and the selling of transactions (or payments) accounts.[A]Basically, a bank is what a bank does, regardless of the name given to the institution by the owners or others.[B] Indeed, so numerous are the services offered today by commercial banks that these institutions are often called financial department stores.[C]
A、bank in the usual and traditional sense is a financial institution offering two major services to the publi
C、[D] The name of a bank is used very loosely today to describe a wide variety of institutions.[E]
A、transaction account is essentially equivalent to a checking account.[F] To be sure, banks offer many other services than just transactions accounts and loans.[G] The financial institution comes closest to this definition in the commercial bank.EXAMPL
E、The correct answer for blank (0) is [D].