Conceptual Framework

The objective of this chapter is to define the concept of “financial conglomerates” by exploring various classifications, thus providing a unified framework for future discussions on the topic. The initial part explores the essence of banks and their distinctiveness. This chapter primarily focuses on BBFCs as the banking sector significantly impacts financial stability and serves as the primary financing source for a considerable portion of the world. The subsequent section scrutinizes three distinct classifications of financial conglomerates based on their commercial activities (“Commercial classification”), legal and operational separateness (“Structural classification”), and systemic importance categories (“Regulatory classification”).