Global competition, technological development, and changes in banking laws and regulations are transforming the role of commercial banks and the nature of the banking business within the U.S. financial system. The earlier editions of this work have been revised and expanded to incorporate discussions of these dramatic changes and their results. The discussions of the issues have been kept as current as possible, and a solid background has been supplied to provide perspective. Emphasis has been placed on the management of commercial banks through the formulation and implementation of sound and flexible policies.