A financial institution is a company that collects funds and keeps them in financial assets, such as bonds, deposits or loans— but not property. A financial institution makes money or profit by charging interest, fees or service charges to the recipient of the funds or equivalent.

The types of financial services offered by financial institutions are varied. Consumers may want to save money for the future, so they buy bonds for a fee with guaranteed returns. A financial institution may offer home or auto loans to individuals or companies or they could offer a means for people or businesses to store or deposit their money for a small fee. Some financial institutions even have specialties like catering specifically to small businesses, providing operating capital or cash flow for day-to-day needs.

There is a movement among financial institutions to offers services or products that are outside of the norm. A recent example is internet or online banking. This was a service that started out as an alternative funding or service offering, but is now part of the main-stream financial industry. Conquest, Inc. has created a new and innovative service that normal financial institutions are not yet offering. Conquest, Inc. provides working capital by means of purchasing an asset or by allowing businesses to borrow against future sales.