Foster Business Library

Financial Services Industry

Foster Business Library research guides are aimed at University of Washington students, faculty, and staff, highlighting resources available to them; users not currently affiliated with the university may be unable to access some of these resources.
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Foster Business Library Databases:

The Foster Business Library offers an extensive collection of over fifty databases on its homepage; see under Databases. For a complete list of Foster databases, see the List of All Business Databases. Access to these databases from off campus requires that you first go to the Off-Campus Access button, in the upper right of all library webpages. These resources may not be accessed from off campus except by those with a valid UW Net ID and password. For more information on Foster business databases, click Databases, A-Z. For information on which Foster business databases to use, see the Database Index. For information on accessing Foster databases from off campus, see Database Access. For guidelines on responsible database usage, see Database Usage.

  • Euromonitor:   This database provides global consumer market information, with demographics, trends and developments, market background, market sizes and forecasts, market shares, key players, and company profiles. This database provides over 1,800 reports with market data and detailed company profiles, including market shares, brand information, company strategy and SWOT analyses of the companies, for many countries. For eight major countries (Australia, China, France, Germany, Japan, South Korea, the United Kingdom and the United States), in-depth industry information is also available.

    A search in this database, in Market/Sector, for Banking/Finance produced 35 reports.

  • Forrester Research:   Under Business Databases on the Foster Business Library homepage. Forrester Research provides access to reports and briefings on the effects of technology change on businesses, consumers, and society, and analyzes such technology areas as new media, computing, software, networking, telecommunications, and the Internet. To use this database, UW users must establish a personal account from a UW IP address. (Available from off-campus.)

    An advanced search in this database for Financial Services produced over 600 reports.

  • Gale Virtual Reference Library:   On the Foster Business Library homepage, listed under List of All Business Databases.   The Gale Virtual Reference Library is a database of encyclopedias, almanacs, and specialized reference sources for multidisciplinary research; go to Business for three major business sources:   the Encyclopedia of American Industries (4th ed., 2005), the Encyclopedia of Business and Finance (2001), and the Encyclopedia of Small Business (2nd ed., 2002).

    See SIC 6021 National Commercial Banks, in the Encyclopedia of American Industries (with additional industry profiles for other aspects of banking, as well).

  • Gartner Research:   Under Business Databases on the Foster Business Library homepage. The Gartner Research database provides in-depth analysis and market intelligence for the information technology industry. It covers the full range of products and technologies associated with computer hardware, software, communications products, financial services, electronic business, and healthcare application software worldwide. Ten industries are covered in depth:   banking, education, energy, government, healthcare providers, insurance, investment services, manufacturing, media, and retail. Access to this database, on campus or off, requires a valid UW Net ID.

    See under Industries for Investment Services.

  • Hoovers Online:   Under Business Databases on the Foster Business Library homepage. Hoovers Online offers information about 14,000 public and private companies worldwide, with links to company homepages and annual reports, charts, company capsule, competitors, divisions, earnings, financials, Fortune and Forbes rankings, history, industry information, insider trading, mission statements, news links, press releases, officers, patents, products, SEC filings, splits, subsidiaries, etc.

    See the industry fact sheet for Financial Services plus the industry Overview and Web Resources. See also the five-page list of Companies in this industry.

  • Investext:   Investext contains indexing and the full text of company and industry research reports prepared by leading Wall Street firms, as well as regional and international brokerage and financial firms. All reports are in PDF format. (This database is available widely on campus and may be accessed from home via the U.W. connectivity kit or via the Libraries' proxy server.)

    In addition to reports about specific companies in the industry, see industry reports for Financial (Non-Banking), with over 27,000 reports. There are also 41,000 reports for the Banking industry and 22,000 reports for the Insurance industry.

  • Lexis-Nexis Academic Universe:  To find company information, go to Business and then to Company Financial where you can obtain financial and other data by for companies. Information is available from twenty different sources (each of which must be searched separately). SEC filings, particularly company 10K annual reports, are a particularly rich source of company as well as industry information. Use your browser's Find command (or Control-F) to locate references to particular terms of interest in 10K filings such as trends, strategy, competitors, industry, etc. (This database is available widely on campus and may be accessed from home via the U.W. connectivity kit or via the Libraries' proxy server.)

    Under Industry News, see Banking; Financial Services is not one of the 25 industries for which news is collected in this database, though insurance and real estate are included.

  • Lexis-Nexis Statistical:   Under Business Databases on the Foster Business Library homepage. Statistical Universe is an index to statistical data in commercial, international and U.S. government publications. Try the Power Tables for quick access to tables of data in GIF format.

    A search for Financial Institutions retrieved over 1,000 tables, including 225 of them with Excel spreadsheets.

  • MarketResearch.com Academic:   This database contains comprehensive full-text market research reports covering a broad range of markets, industries, and companies from reputable market intelligence sources such as Packaged Facts, Icon Group, and many others, for U.S. and global markets, covering over 2,000 industries and products.

    As an example, a search for the term Financial Services produced over 7,000 reports.

  • Mergent Online:   On the Foster Business Library homepage, listed under Business Databases; click on Company and Industry.   Online access to the print edition of the Mergent Manuals, with extensive information on 11,000 U.S. and 17,000 international companies, including financials, stock, properties, joint ventures, annual reports, subsidiaries, S.E.C. filings, etc. For search tips, see About Mergent Online.

    This database includes many companies, in the U.S. and internationally, in the financial services industry.

  • ReferenceUSA:   On the Foster Business Library homepage, listed under Business Databases; also listed under Company and Industry. Directory information for 12 million companies in the U.S.  Companies can be searched for by name, business activity, size and location. With this database, it is possible to identify businesses by geographic area and type of business, as well as by number of employees and gross annual sales. (This database is available widely on campus and may be accessed from home via the U.W. connectivity kit or via the Libraries' proxy server.)

    This database includes many companies, in the U.S. and Canada, in the financial services industry.

    Web Resources:

    Unlike library databases, Web resources are available wherever you have web access; they do not require that you access them via the Off-Campus Access button, in the upper right of all library webpages. When using web resources, be sure to evaluate the credibility of these resources. For a subject index to web resources, see Business Resources on the Web on the Foster Business Library homepage.

    General:

  • Competia Express:   This site, provided free by a Montreal-based strategic planning and competitive intelligence firm, is an excellent source for industry links for over forty industries. For each industry, Competia provides annotated links to relevant industry associations, online magazines, company information, regulatory agencies, consultants, technical intelligence, and daily industry news. See their links for the Financial Services industry.

  • Baker Library Industry Guides:   Excellent industry guides from the Harvard University Business School Baker Library on Biotechnology & Pharmaceuticals, Computer Hardware & Components, Computer Software & Services, Consulting, Food & Grocery & Beverage & Tobacco, Healthcare, Investment Management & Investment Banking, Nonprofits, Governments & Education, Personal & Household Products, Publishing & Printing, Retail-Wholesale, Telecommunications & Communications, and Venture Capital & Private Equity. See their guide for Financial Services and Investment Banking.

  • Business Full Coverage (Yahoo! Daily News):   Yahoo! Daily News for business includes Business Full Coverage webpages for four dozen important business topics of high interest. These full coverage reports collect articles, webpages, and links to relevant organizations, audio, video, and recent news stories. See Banking and Financial Services.

  • Career Guide to Industries:   This Bureau of Labor Statistics site, part of the online Occupational Outlook Handbook, offers a career-oriented description of many industries, with information on the nature of the industry, working conditions, employment, occupations in the industry, training, earnings and outlook, as well as sources of additional information. See the industry profiles for Banking, Insurance, and Securities, Commodities and Other Investments in the Financial industries in the United States.

  • Gary Price's List of Lists:   This site, developed by a librarian, is devoted to lists of the largest or top or leading companies or individuals in a wide variety of industries, culled from an enormous number of magazines. See his lists on the Finance and Insurance industry.

  • Industries Statistics:   This U.S. Census Bureau site offers an A to Z index, by subject, to its wealth of statistical data on industries and other topics. Browse the index for the name of your industry or use the search feature at the bottom of the page to access information from such sources as the Economic Census, the Census of Manufactures, the Census of Retail Trade, etc. See the Finance and Insurance sector.

  • Industry Profiles (Wetfeet.Com):   This job hunting site from Wetfeet.Com, offers profiles of 31 industries, with an industry overview, trends, industry organization, job prospects, what's great and what's to hate in the industry, from the viewpoint of a jobseeker, major companies in the industry, and example job descriptions and tips on how to get hired in the industry. There are also links to industry associations and a profile of an individual working in the industry. The amount of industry information makes up for annoying popups. See their lowdown on the Commercial Banking, Insurance, Investment Banking, Mutual Funds and Brokerage, and Real Estate industries.

  • Wikipedia:   This free online user-created and maintained encyclopedia can be a good starting point for an orientation to a topic. See their entry for Financial Services.

  • Yahoo! Finance Industry Center:   This site is a good source for industry information as well as on the companies in industries. See the nine industries (in banks, financial services, insurance, and investment services) in the Financial sector.

    Trade and industry associations:

  • America's Community Bankers:   "America's Community Bankers is an independent national trade association that represents the nation's community banks of all charter types and sizes. ACB members pursue progressive, entrepreneurial and service-oriented strategies in providing financial services to benefit their customers and communities." See their Tools and Resources information and Web Sites of Interest.

  • American Bankers Association:   Trade associations are often excellent sources for information about an industry as well as about trends, legislation, regulation, and major issues impacting companies in that industry. The American Bankers Association is the primary U.S. banking trade association. Its site offers a timeline of both the association's and the banking industry's history. See the banking Quick Facts, Industry Issues, and Center for Banking Information sections.

  • Investment Company Institute:   "The Investment Company Institute … is the national association of the U.S. investment company industry. Founded in 1940, its membership includes approximately 8,668 mutual funds, 611 closed-end funds, 111 exchange-traded funds, and six sponsors of unit investment trusts. Its mutual fund members represent 86.6 million individual shareholders and manage approximately $7.4 trillion in investor assets. See their Financial Services Resources.

  • Securities Industry Association:   "The Securities Industry Association (SIA) was established in 1972 through the merger of the Association of Stock Exchange Firms (1913) and the Investment Banker's Association (1912). The Securities Industry Association brings together the shared interests of more than 600 securities firms to accomplish common goals." See their Publications, Research/Statistics/Surveys, and Key Issues. Some of the resources at this site are limited to members of the association.

    Government agencies:

  • U.S. Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation:   "The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation's mission is to maintain the stability of and public confidence in the nation's financial system. To achieve this goal, the FDIC was created in 1933 to insure deposits and promote safe and sound banking practices." See Consumers & Communities, Banking Industry: Analytical, and Bank Data.

  • U.S. Office of Thrift Supervision:   "The Office of Thrift Supervision (OTS) is the primary regulator of all federally chartered and many state-chartered thrift institutions, which include savings banks and savings and loan associations. OTS was established as a bureau of the U.S. Department of the Treasury on August 9, 1989." See Data and Research.

    Foster Business Library Reference Collection:

    The Foster Business Library Reference Collection consists of business handbooks, encyclopedias, dictionaries, and other quick reference tools. It is located behind the Reference Desk in Foster, arranged by call number. Reference materials cannot be checked out; they may only be used in the library.

  • Standard & Poor's industry surveys.
    This three-volume set provides 30-page profiles on 52 industries with a focus on the current economic environment, trends, regulation and outlook for each industry. Major companies in each industry are profiled, with references to sources of additional industry information.
    Foster Business Library Reference, CALL NUMBER: HC106.6 .S74 (Quarterly)
    (Also available online in the database Standard & Poor's NetAdvantage)

    See Banking in volume one, and Financial Services--Diversified, Insurance--Life & Health, Insurance--Property-Casualty, and Investment Services in volume two.

  • Puget Sound Business Journal Book of Lists.
    This annual publication is an invaluable source of information about public and private companies in the Puget Sound area, culled from lists that appeared weekly in the Puget Sound Business Journal. Besides lists of the largest and fastest growing public and private companies in the area, this reference work includes commercial real estate deals, banks and securities firms, contractors, education and employment, health care, title companies, marketing firms, nonprofits, professional services, executive compensation, real estate, retailers, software developers, biotech and travel and recreation. There is an index to companies and topics in the back of this volume.
    Foster Business Library Reference, CALL NUMBER: HC108 .S77 .P83 (Annual)

    See the pages on Banking and Finance (for Lenders, Securities Firms, Financial Institutions, and Venture Capital) and Insurance Brokerages.

  • Encyclopedia of global industries.
    Twelve-page descriptions of 125 global industries, with background and development information, current conditions, industry leaders and further reading.
    Foster Business Library Reference, CALL NUMBER: HD2324 .E53 2003.
    (Also available online, in the database Gale Virtual Reference Library, under Business)

    See Finance, Insurance, and Real Estate on pages 339 to 377, for the Banking and Insurance, Commodity and Futures Trading, Credit and Debit Card Issuers, and Real Estate industries.

  • Encyclopedia of business ethics and society.
    This five-volume reference work includes 900 essays by scholars, arranged alphabetically by topic, on all aspects of business ethics.
    Foster Business Library Reference, CALL NUMBER: HF5387 .E53 2008.

    See the Financial Services Industry in volume two, on pages 914 to 916.

  • Market share reporter.
    Annual two-volume compilation of market share data for companies, products and services, internationally, arranged by SIC code and with indexes by product, company and topic.
    Foster Business Library Reference, CALL NUMBER: HF5410 .M35 (Annual)

    See the chapters for Depository Institutions, Nondepository Institutions, Security and Commodity Brokers, Insurance Carriers, Insurance Agents, Brokers, and Service, Real Estate, and Holding and Other Investment Offices.

  • Industry norms & key business ratios.
    This annual provides statistics on over 800 lines of business, arranged by SIC code, with over a dozen indicators of typical business performance (such as solvency, efficiency, profitability, for companies of various size within an industry; income statement and balance sheet data are also included.
    Foster Business Library Reference, CALL NUMBER: HF5681 .R25 .I525 (Annual)

    See the section for SIC codes 61 through 67 for Finance and Real Estate.

  • Almanac of business and financial ratios.
    This annual almanac, sometimes called Troy's Almanac, is arranged by NAICS code, covering companies in over 190 industries, with 50 measure of financial performance and 14 benchmarks, drawn from I.R.S. data. Among the measures are operating performance, liquidity, debt, and profitability.
    Foster Business Library Reference, CALL NUMBER: HF5681 .R25 .T68 (Annual)

    See NAICS code 52 for Finance and Insurance and NAICS code 53 for Real Estate.

  • The Vault guide to finance interviews.
    Preparation and career information for job seekers in the financial services industry.
    Foster Business Library Reference, CALL NUMBER: HG173 .B479 2005.
    (Also available online in the Foster database Vault Career Library)

  • Careers in focus: financial services.
    This career guide covers nineteen occupations in financial services, with quick facts about each occupation, plus an overview, history of the occupation, job activities, educational requirements, employers, advancement, earnings, and career outlook.
    Foster Business Library Reference, CALL NUMBER: HG173 .C285 2006.

  • The financial services fact book.
    This paperback provides an up-to-date overview of the financial services industry, with information on savings, investment and debt ownership, asset management and retirement funds, insurance, banking, securities, finance companies, mortgage finance and housing, and technology, as well as world rankings.
    Foster Business Library Reference, CALL NUMBER: HG181 .F56 2007.

  • Plunkett's almanacs.
    These almanacs offer information about major industry trends, industry statistics, industry information, major companies in the industry, with indexes by state, country, region, etc. The major part of the almanac provides one-page profiles of companies in the industry, with directory information, growth plans and special features, contacts, brief financials, brief salary and benefits data, and women officer-director and advancement information. The most recent editions are in Foster Business Library reference.
    Plunkett's banking, mortgages & credit industry almanac:   HG2441 .P58 2006.
    Plunkett's investment & securities industry almanac:   HG4907 .P58 2005.
    Plunkett's real estate & construction industry almanac:   HD251 .P85 2005.

  • Thomson bank directory.
    This five-volume directory covers world and U.S. banks, with lists of the top 500 U.S. banks, U.S. banking statistics, top 200 bank holding companies, credit ratings, regulators, a fund processing guide, worldwide correspondents, and a resource guide. As a directory, information about individual banks is brief.
    Foster Business Library Reference, CALL NUMBER: HG2441 .R346 2004-2005.

  • The Federal Reserve System: an encyclopedia
    This single volume encyclopedia covers both the U.S. Federal Reserve System and banks and banking in the U.S., with topical indexes and essays on a wide variety of topics, from A to Z., including crises, bank failures, depression, and banking terms and concepts.
    Foster Business Library Reference, CALL NUMBER: HG2563 .H235 2005.

  • Business rankings annual.
    This annual volume provides 5,000 rankings of companies, products, services and business activities, with data culled from thousands of sources.
    Foster Business Library Reference, CALL NUMBER: HG4050 .B88 2004.

    See numerous rankings for Banks and Banking in many states and countries, on pages 67 to 103.

  • Nelson Information's directory of investment managers.
    This three-volume publication is an index to over 1,800 investment firms in the U.S. and abroad, that provide investment services to the institutional market, with extensive manager profiles, followed by indexes to the profiles (by metropolitan area, ranked by assets, investment specialties, products offered, investment funds and partnerships, and minority and women-owned firms.
    Foster Business Library Reference, CALL NUMBER: HG4097 .N44 2004.

  • The Vault guide to the top 50 banking employers.
    Included is an overview of the industry, with profiles and ranking of firms in the industry.
    Foster Business Library Reference, CALL NUMBER: HG4534 .V38 2006.
    (Also available online in the Foster database Vault Career Library)

  • The securities industry yearbook.
    This annual publication provides rankings of securities firms and broker-dealers, tables about securities firms, a directory of members of the Securities Industry Association, industry and market statistics, major exchanges, etc.
    Foster Business Library Reference, CALL NUMBER: HG4621 .S44 2001/2002.

  • Mergent industry review.
    Statistical data on 3,000 companies in 137 industries, with ranking, key financial information, operating data and ratios.
    Foster Business Library Reference, CALL NUMBER: HG4961 .M68.

    See various categories of Banks, Finance—Miscellaneous, Finance, and Financial Services, Insurance (four categories), Investment Companies, and Real Estate.

    Foster Business Library Books:

    The Foster Business Library maintains a collection of over 70,000 books on all business topics. To search for materials on all three campuses of the University of Washington, go to the UW Libraries Catalog, in the upper left corner of the Foster Business Library homepage. Search by keyword, title, author, series, etc.

    To limit the results of your search just to materials in the Foster Business Library collection, use the Modify or Limit options at the top of the search results and change the library location to Foster Business Library. Availablity is indicated on the right of each online catalog record. First, note in which collection, within Foster, your materials are in, since the library has ten different Collections, each in a different location and often with differing arrangements. "Available" indicates that the book should be on the shelves under that call number and available for you to check out. "Due" and a date indicates that the book is already checked out to someone and is due back on the date indicated; you can have the "Request/Place Hold" feature to recall the book for your use.

    If the material you want is not in the collections of the University of Washington, you can use the "Search Summit" feature to repeat your search in the combined holdings of over thirty cooperating libraries in Washington and Oregon. Use the "Request This Item" feature in Summit to have books in those library sent here to Foster for you to check out.

    The Foster general stacks collection is located south of the main part of the Foster Business Library, through the two pass-throughs into the basement of Balmer. The arrangement is by call number, from A (at the east end, near the Copy Center) to Z (at the far west end).

    A keyword search for the Financial Services Industry produced over 490 records in the UW Libraries. Limiting this list to just the Foster Business Library produced over 100 records, including:

    See also books in the Foster Business Library on such subjects, as:

     Foster Business Library Corporate Annual Reports:

    The Foster Business Library maintains a collection of several thousand annual reports for hundreds of U.S. and foreign companies. These reports are filed in lateral filing cabinets near the Foster Reference desk under the sign Corporate Annual Reports. Annual reports for companies in an industry can be a valuable source of information about the industry itself. For a list of all the companies in the collection, see the library's Corporate Annual Reports Collection. For an index to corporate annual reports in the collection by industry sector, see the Annual Reports Industry Sector Index. For an index to companies in the collection with headquarters outside the U.S., see Corporate Annual Reports Headquarters Index.

    The collection includes annual reports for many companies in the Banking, Financial Services, Insurance, and Real Estate industries.

    Foster Business Library Articles:

    Articles in academic journals, magazines, trade periodicals, and newspapers are one of the best sources for any kind of research. While the Foster Business Library offers a large periodicals print collection, comprising over 800 titles, articles are most easily accessed online, 24/7, in such fulltext article databases as EBSCO Business Source Premier, Factiva, LexisNexis Academic, Newsbank Infoweb, and ProQuest Databases. These article databases are available in the library or from off-campus, and provide access to over 10,000 periodicals and millions of articles.

    Library access to most ProQuest databases will terminate at the end of spring quarter 2008, except for ProQuest NewsStand, ProQuest Dissertations and Theses, Historical New York Times, and the Historical Wall Street Journal. For more about this change, see UW Libraries Providing New Databases. After this change, comprehensive article searches should be performed in EBSCO Business Source Premier, Newsbank Infoweb, and ProQuest NewsStand. Also, after this change, links to the articles below will be broken.

    ProQuest Databases:

    This database--actually, a family of over two dozen databases--offers full text articles for over 10,000 publications, including scholarly journals, magazines, trade and industry periodicals, newspapers, and reports on a very wide range of topics. To find articles on specific topics, search by word or phrase by keying your search phrase into the search box--or search for your topic in the Topic Guide.

    Your search terms will be highlighted in red in each article.

    A subject search for the broad category of the SUB(Financial Services Industry) produced over 34,000 articles, including over 1,600 articles in scholarly journals, over 5,400 magazine articles, over 9,000 articles in trade and industry periodicals, and about 4,000 newspaper articles.

    A subject search for SUB(Banking Industry) produced over 144,000 articles; for SUB(Insurance Industry), over 58,000 articles; for SUB(Investment Banking), over 30,000 articles; for SUB(Real Estate Industry), over 17,000 articles; for SUB(Securities Industry), over 18,000 articles. These subject searches can be combined with other subject terms such as Trends, Statistics and Data, Market Shares, etc., for more specific articles.

    Help:

    18 August 2004; updated 8 May 2008.   Peter Stevens, Business Librarian, stevens@u.washington.edu