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NATIONAL BANKS

A bank associated with national finances and usually owned or controlled by a government. It is a commercial bank chartered by the federal government. All banks in the United States are chartered by either a state government or the federal government. Federally chartered banks, called national banks, are overseen by the Comptroller of the Currency of the US Department of the Treasury. All national banks are members of the Federal Reserve System and deposits are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). The dual banking system of federal- and state-chartered banks can be traced to the National Banking Act of 1863. The act created the new federal bank system in an attempt to impose order on what had been a chaotic situation. State banks have survived, however, and the two banking systems coexist.

National Bank Act
The National Bank Act (ch. 58, 12 Stat. 665, February 25 1863) was a United States federal law that established a system of national charters for banks. It encouraged development of a national currency based on bank holdings of U.S. Treasury securities. It also established the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) as part of the Department of the Treasury. this was to establish a national security holding body for the existence of the monetary policy of the state. The Act, together with Abraham Lincoln's issuance of "greenbacks," raised money for the federal government in the American Civil War by enticing banks to buy federal bonds and taxed state bonds out of existence. The law proved defective and was replaced by the National Bank Act of 1864. The money was used to fund the Union army in the fight against the Confederacy. This authorized the OCC to examine and regulate nationally-chartered banks.

National Bank of Colombia
The national bank in Colombia is the Bank of the Republic. Its primary role is to control the flow of money inside and outside the country and to issue the Colombian currency, the peso.

National Bank of New Zealand
The National Bank of New Zealand is a private bank corporation which has been purchased by ANZ 2003 from its former owner, Lloyds TSB.

The National Bank Cup
The National Bank Cup is New Zealand's principal netball competition. It was founded in 1998. From 2008, it will be replaced by the ANZ Championship.

National Bank Notes
National Bank Notes were United States currency banknotes issued by banks chartered by the United States Government. The notes were backed by United States bonds the bank deposited with the United States Treasury. National bank notes were retired as a currency type by the U.S. government in the 1930's during the great depression. The volume of national bank notes was dependent on the decisions of individual national banks; therefore, it was sensitive to liquidity strains during financial crises.

Notwithstanding the name, not all "national banks" have nationwide operations. Some "national banks" have operations in only one state. Further, some state-chartered banks have nationwide operations, but are not properly called "national banks." "National banks" should also be distinguished from federal savings associations which include federal savings and loans and federal savings banks, which are financial institutions chartered by the Office of Thrift Supervision, another agency in the U.S. Treasury Department.