
This is the first in an ongoing series on nonbank financial institutions.
There is a vast set of U.S. financial institutions that sit outside the banking system. These companies, which are called “nonbank financial institutions” (NBFIs), are collectively much larger than U.S. banks, as measured by assets, and perform a broad array of services for the U.S economy. In this article, we discuss the universe of NBFIs and their importance for the Federal Reserve’s monetary policy, supervision, and financial stability objectives.