How the U.S. Banking Structure Compares to the Rest of the World Foreigners arriving in the United States are often overwhelmed by the number and kinds of financial institutions that exist. The structure of the banking industry in the United States is quite different from that of other industrialized countries. America is the only country that does not have a true national banking system in which a relatively small number of banks have a large number of branches located throughout the country. The reason is that the U.S. banking system is governed by both federal and state regulations. Until the Riegle–Neal Interstate Banking and Branching Act was passed in 1994, interstate banking was prohibited. As a result, the United States has nearly 12 times the number of banks that other industrialized countries have. Japan has only about 1 percent as many commercial banks as the United States. (Note that means separate legal entities, not branches or offices.) Because the United States has more banks, they are usually smaller than those in the rest of the world. And U.S. banks may become even smaller in a relative sense as banks in the European Union (EU) increasingly offer complete banking services throughout all of the EU countries. In addition, the EU has allowed universal banking—the right of banks to offer a complete line of banking-related services and to own shares of stock in other companies since 1988. In 1999, U.S. banks were allowed to engage in universal banking. (A) Why do you think that U.S. banking laws were changed? Solution In the U.S there are so many commercial banks because a single bank can’t operate between states. Interstate banking is not legalized there. Universal banking like acquiring shares and offering other services were also prohibited in the country. But the things are changed now, because banks are allowed to engage in universal acts and services since the year 1999. It indicates the changing of banking laws in the country..