Below is a list of institutions of note and their roles:

Commercial Banks: These are institutions whose main objective is to raise funds. They accomplish this by accepting deposits (they usually have a variety of deposit accounts), using these deposits to make consumer, business and mortgage loans and also buy government securities and bonds.

Credit Unions: These are non-profit financial institutions which are owned and operated by its members.  They offer services to members of a particular group; employees of the same firm, members of the same union, people who reside in a certain geographic area etc. They obtain funds called shares through deposits and use these deposits to issue loans and in some cases mortgages to members.

Insurance Companies: These companies obtain funds from premiums which are paid annually or in instalments and provide protection to clients through life, health and automobile insurance among others.

Mutual Funds: These are investment companies which raise money from selling shares to shareholders and invest these funds by buying stocks, bonds and money market instruments.

Building Societies: These are institutions which raise funds through deposits and use the funds to issue loans, in most cases mortgages.

Development Banks: These are government owned institutions whose priority is to fund new and upcoming businesses which facilitate growth and development in all areas of the economy. They issue these loans either directly or through Approved Financial Institutions (AFIs). They also offer financial structuring and in the case of the Development Bank of Jamaica, also lead the privatisation of Government of Jamaica assets.

Stock Exchange: This institution provides a medium through which companies who are registered with the stock exchange board, can buy and sells stock and common stock equivalents in other companies.