Money & Banking:A Reference Guide

Reference materials in the area of money and banking have ordinarily been lumped under the category of general reference books in economics and business. This is understandable because most of the required data can be obtained from books dealing with the latter. There are, however, numerous government and private sources which deal exclusively with banking and monetary statistics. This, coupled with their highly specialized character, justifies a separate treatment. We may being by examining a few directories, among which, Moody's Bank and Finance Manual is one of the better known and most widely used. Its coverage extends to banks, insurance and real estate companies, real estate investment trusts and miscellaneous financial enterprises. The section on banks gives the latest available accounts of nearly 3000 banks, with the history of the institution from the date of the charter, absorptions, capital history, dividend payments and price ranges. More than 3000 smaller banks are listed with essential details. The manual includes information on the chartered banks of Canada, the principal banks of England, Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia and South America. The insurance section covers all phases of insurance business, like underwriting and investment, assets and liabilities, gains and losses, and types of business written. Federal credit regulatory agencies such as the Federal Reserve System, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Federal National Mortgage Association, Federal Home Loan Bank Board and others are treated in considerable detail. As with the other Moody's manuals, the center section contains composite banking and monetary data such as a ten‐year range of banking stocks and bonds and lists of 300 largest banks, 100 largest mutual savings banks, 100 largest life insurance companies and 100 largest savings and loan associations. Also included are stock averages and distribution of assets and investments of insurance companies.