| A banker or bank is a financial institution that acts as a payment agent for customers, and borrows and lends money. In some countries such as Germany, banks are the primary owners of industrial corporations while in other countries such as the United States banks are prohibited from owning non-financial companies. In Japan, banks are usually the nexus of cross share holding entity known as zaibatu.<br>
The first modern bank was founded in Italy in Genoa in 1406, its name was Banco di San Giorgio.<br>
Banks, act as payment agents by conducting checking or current accounts for customers, paying cheques drawn by customers on the bank, and collecting cheques deposited to customers' current accounts. Banks also enable customer payments via other payment methods such as telegraphic transfer, EFTPOS, and ATM |
