Financial institutions perform the essential function of channeling funds from those with surplus funds to those with shortages of funds. Financial institutions provide a variety of services to sectors of the economy. Failure to provide these services or a breakdown in their efficient provision can be costly to both the ultimate suppliers of funds and users of funds as well as to the economy overall. For instance, bank failures may destroy household savings and at the same time restrict a firm’s access to credit. Insurance company failures may leave household members totally exposed in old age to the cost of catastrophic illnesses and to sudden drops in income on retirement. In addition individual financial institution failures may create doubts in savers ’minds regarding the stability and solvency of financial institutions and the financial system in general and cause panics and even withdrawal runs on sound institutions. Financial institutions are regulated in an attempt to prevent these types of market failures and the costs they would impose on the economy and society at large.