The French deposit banks and the banques d’affaires

Abstract

The article presents the main lines of the structure and operating methods both of the deposit banks (to which the first part is devoted) and of the banques d’affaires (which are treated in the second part) in France. The author’s main purpose is the explain the criteria and techniques adopted, with respect both to deposit accounts and to lending operations, by the various groups of banks. The treatment of the technical aspects is, however, set against the background of a series of more general considerations concerning the validity and limitation of the distinction between deposit banks and banques d’affaires, the regional and local banks in face of the slow movement towards banking concentration, the regulation of interest rates, and an appraisal of the results achieved by the banking legislation of 1945. It thus provides the reader with a comprehensive picture of the French banking system at present and its more important problems.

JEL: E31, G21