A modern band provides many services. One of the most important of these is regular passbook savings. If you went to a bank to open a savings account, first you would be asked to fill out a signature card. Then you would be given a passbook in which your initial deposit would be recorded. All deposits and withdrawals from your account are entered into your passbook. With a regular passbook savings account, you would be able to withdraw money whenever you needed it. All banks pay interest on savings account. The interest rate varies from bank to bank, but the general range is fro 4.5 to 6 percent. Another important service that banks provide is traveller’s checks. If you went on a vacation or traveled on business to another city or state, you would probably want to bring some traveller’s checks with you. They have two important advantages over cash. One is that your money is always safe. If the checks are lost or stolen, you can receive a refund for the total amount. Another is that they are more convenient. For this service the bank charges 1 percent of the amount of the check. Still another service that banks provide is safe-deposit boxes, where you can keep important documents and valuable jewelry. To get a safe-deposit box, you would have to fill out a signature card and pay a yearly rental fee. Before you can open your box, you must sign a slip of paper. Your signature is compared with the one on your signature card. You will not be allowed to open your box unless the employee at the bank is satisfied that the signature is genuine. One other important service, one which many businessmen who travel a great deal take advantage of, is the credit card. Credit cards are a convenient way of paying hotel bills and other expenses. To get a credit card, you must fill out an application that requires you to supply such personal information as your monthly salary and other income. If your credit is not good, the bank will not issue you a credit card. Most of the services described above do not provide a major source of income for the bank. How, then, does the bank itself make its money? Its largest source of income is through loans. The majority of loans made are known as commercial loans---loans make to businesses and not to individuals. In addition, banks make real estate loans to individuals for the purchase of houses or land, and they also give personal loans to people who want to buy a new car or a new appliance. It is hard to imagine how the complex business affairs of our modern world could be carried out without the many services that a bank provides.