This book examines the role of financial institutions in the financial markets during normal times, as well as during the global financial crisis. Chapter 1 offers a brief introduction to the research topics in the book, while Chapter 2 discusses the impact of financial derivatives on risk exposures of BHCs. Chapter 3 then investigates whether and how different types of bank capital affect bank lending and whether this relation changes in times of the global financial crisis. Chapter 4 adds to the scant information on competitive landscape in the clearing and settlement industry. Lastly, Chapter 5 provides a summary and discussion of the findings and presented.