There has grown up in this country a class of financial institutions
which take a sort of middle ground between the commercial bank and the
savings bank, so far as their service to the public is concerned.
These are what are known as trust companies. National banks are
prohibited by law from making loans on real estate, and though State
banks are not hedged in this way, as a matter of good banking they
usually avoid loans of this character. The policy of commercial banks
is to make a great many comparatively small loans on short-time paper,
while that of the trust company is to make large loans on long-time
securities. The deposits of trust companies consist largely of
undisturbed sums such as might be set aside by administrators,
executors, trustees, committees, societies, or from private estates.
They are such as are not likely to fluctuate greatly in amount. From
the very nature of their deposits trust companies find it convenient
and profitable to make larger loans and at longer periods than do
ordinary banks. Trust companies not only receive moneys upon deposit
subject to cheque and for savings, and loan money on commercial paper
and other securities, as do commercial banks; but they also act as
agents, trustees, executors, administrators, assignees, receivers for
individual properties, and corporations. They frequently assist as
promoters or reorganisers of corporations and in the sale of stocks,
bonds, and securities. They act also as agents for the payment of
obligations maturing at future dates, such as the premiums on
insurance, interest on mortgages and bonds, etc. Trust companies are
organised under the laws of the State in which they exist and are
usually subject to all the supervision required in the case of State
banks.