The Etruscans started it all for Rome, but Banca Popolare dell'Etruria e del Lazio (Banca Etruria) serves central and northern Italy through approximately 200 branches, including those of subsidiaries Banca Federico del Vecchio and Banca Lecchese (acquired in 2006 and 2008, respectively). The company divides its banking operations into three segments: retail, private, and corporate. In addition to traditional deposit and loan products, the bank offers leasing, insurance, asset management, real estate management, and business consulting services. Banca Etruria is also one of Italy's foremost gold lenders, financing the purchase of more than 10 tons of the commodity annually.

Pacific Continental Corporation is the holding company for Pacific Continental Bank, which has about 15 locations in the metropolitan areas of Eugene and Portland, Oregon, and Seattle. The bank attracts deposits from consumers, local businesses, professional service providers, and not-for-profits by offering such retail products as checking and savings accounts, IRAs, and CDs. Services for commercial clients also include credit card transaction processing and business credit cards. Its lending activities consist mainly of residential and commercial real estate loans (more than three-quarters of its loan portfolio). Pacific Continental Bank also makes consumer and business loans.

Erste Group Bank is the holding company of Erste Bank which, dating back to 1819, is Austria's oldest and among its largest commercial banks. Together with its Sparkassen subsidiary, Erste Bank has some 1,000 branches and an approximately 20% market share. The company has expanded beyond Austria and owns about 10 banks (approximately 2,000 branches) in Central and Eastern European nations. Erste Group has operating subsidiaries in Austria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Hungary, and Ukraine. Erste switched to the holding company structure in 2008.

There's nothing half way about HLF, or Hong Leong Finance. The company, with some 30 branches across Singapore, offers personal and business loans, insurance, wealth management, foreign exchange, and corporate financing services. The largest finance company in the country by assets, HLF specializes in financing for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and it sponsors an annual forum for budding entrepreneurs. Hong Leong Finance Limited company also provides investment banking services including handling IPOs and other public offerings and M&A consulting. Investment firm Hong Leong Group Malaysia owns 73% of HLF.

People's United Financial is the holding company for People's United Bank (formerly People's Bank). Founded in 1842, the bank has more than 300 locations (including traditional branches, supermarket branches, commercial banking offices, investment and brokerage offices, and equipment leasing offices) in New England and New York. In addition to retail and commercial banking services, the bank offers trust, wealth management, brokerage, and insurance services. Its lending activities mainly consist of commercial mortgages (more than a third of its loan portfolio), commercial and industrial loans, equipment financing, and consumer loans.

Peoples Bancorporation owns three community banks: The Peoples National Bank, Bank of Anderson, and Seneca National Bank. The banks serve individuals and small to midsized businesses from about 10 branches in northwestern South Carolina. In addition to checking, savings, and NOW accounts, the banks offer investment products such as stocks and bonds, annuities, and mutual funds. Real estate loans, including mortgages and construction loans, account for some 85% of the banks' lending portfolio, which also includes business loans and consumer loans.

Severn Bancorp is the holding company for Severn Savings Bank, which operates about five bank branches in Anne Arundel County, Maryland. The thrift provides traditional retail products, including checking and savings accounts, CDs, and IRAs. Severn uses funds from deposits to originate loans and mortgages, primarily residential and commercial mortgages, construction loans, and business loans. The holding company also owns SBI Mortgage, which originates riskier loans than Severn Savings Bank does; it also invests in real estate on its own behalf. Severn is working towards recovery after suffering real estate- and mortgage-related losses in the economic recession.

Headquartered in San Francisco, UnionBanCal Corporation is a financial holding company with assets of $80 billion at September 30, 2010. Its primary subsidiary, Union Bank, N.A., is a full-service commercial bank providing an array of financial services to individuals, small businesses, middle-market companies, and major corporations. The bank operated 397 banking offices in California, Oregon, Washington and Texas and two international offices, on September 30, 2010.

Carrollton Bancorp can baby-sit your money from Babe Ruth's hometown. The institution is the holding company for Carrollton Bank, a commercial bank serving Baltimore and surrounding areas from about a dozen branches. It offers standard retail services such as checking and savings accounts, money market accounts, and IRAs. Commercial real estate and residential mortgages account for about 45% and 20%, respectively, of the bank's loan portfolio. Bank subsidiary Carrollton Financial Services sells stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and annuities; Carrollton Mortgage Services originates and sells residential mortgages.

Capital Business Credit has about five offices in the US and another in Hong Kong. Factoring everything into the equation, Capital Business Credit is one of the nation's top factoring firms. Capital Business Credit LLC purchases accounts receivable at a discount from its clients and assumes the risk of making the collections itself. It also offers asset-based lending, supply-chain finance, and other specialized lending. Capital Business Credit targets companies with $1 million to $500 million in annual sales. It does most of its business in the consumer goods sector, primarily lending to clothing, housewares, jewelry, and electronics companies.

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