1. The UK Banking Environment
2. What is Banking?
3. A Brief History of UK Banking
4. How do Banks Work?
5. Banks and the Economy
6. Banking Regulation
7. The Banker-Customer Relationship
8. Customers and Accounts
9. The Operation of Bank Accounts
10. Payment Systems
11. Payment Systems and the Law
12. Elementary Lending
13. Banking Securities

Appendix: The Dog Hotel - Lending Proposition

Retail banks have undergone considerable changes in the last twenty years. This text is a user-friendly guide and introduction to the nature of retail banking in the modern financial services industry. The book comprehensively explains how banking works, covering subjects such as payment methods, fund transfers, collecting and paying banks and the principles of the banker-customer relationship. It introduces the topic of lending, where some key credit risk tools are reviewed and applied, and basic securities, a vital “secondary repayment method” if credit default occurs.

The book is a successor to the highly popular The Business of Banking, which went through many editions and puts the topical area of retail banking into context for students and bank staff alike.