Financial services

Companies in the financial services industry are in the business of managing money. Globally, the financial services industry leads the world in terms of earnings and equity market capitalization. Large conglomerates dominate this sector, but it also includes a diverse range of smaller companies.

According to the Finance and Development department of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), financial service is best described as the process by which a consumer or business acquires a financial good. For example, a payment system provider is providing a financial service when it is able to accept and transfer funds from a payer to a recipient. This includes accounts that are settled through credit and debit cards, checks and electronic funds transfers.

Consider a financial advisor. The advisor manages assets and offers advice on behalf of a client. The advisor does not directly provide investments or any other product. Instead, the advisor facilitates the movement of funds between savers and the issuers of securities and other instruments. This service is a temporary task rather than a tangible asset.

Financial goods, on the other hand, are not tasks; they are things. A mortgage loan may seem like a service, but it's actually a product that lasts beyond the initial provision. Stocks, bonds, loans, commodity assets, real estate, and insurance policies are examples of financial goods.