The banking sector in the United Kingdom is made up of a variety of institutions supervised by the country’s central bank, The Bank of England (US: The National Reserve). This bank looks after the government’s finance and monetary policy and acts as banker to other banks.
However, for the general public and many businesses, banking services are provided by commercial banks, or clearing banks, which have branches throughout the country. These banks offer a wide range of services, which include accepting deposits, making loans and managing customers’ accounts. Merchant banks, on the other hand, do not deal with the public but specialize in services for companies or corporate customers. They are particularly active in arranging mergers and acquisitions and in advising on aspects of corporate finance.