What Is a Public Financial Institution?

A public financial institution takes funds from customers and places it in financial assets. The most common financial assets include deposits, loans and bonds issued by or made by the public financial institution. The purpose of this process is to earn a return on the customers' funds and provide these returns to the customers. Financial institutions are public when the government owns the organization.

Government-owned public financial institutions typically are heavily regulated institutions. National, regional or local governments might create rules that allow these organizations to exist. A common form for these institutions is a credit union for state or local employees. Not only do these institutions handle payroll checks and other banking services, they also handle loans and investments into funds for invested capital. The government operates these institutions as a benefit for government employees and to provide loans for improving the surrounding economy.

All financial institutions operate in a similar manner. The purpose of a public financial institution, however, is not to make money for invested stakeholders. The purpose is often to help provide funds for the government and its employees. For example, a government-owned financial institution might provide funds from interest earned on loans or bonds to pay for various government services. Other times, the public financial institution might issue bonds to investors for paying costs related to public improvements.

Membership might be necessary to place funds into a public financial institution. The only way to achieve this membership is often by obtaining a government job. In some cases, however, an individual might be able to purchase bonds invested by the institution. These bonds might be a special sale or public sale to large-scale investors who can provide the institution with funds for improvements. The public financial institution will often provide rules or statements on these special activities.

Placing funds into a public financial institution does not necessarily guarantee a higher rate of return than a private bank. In most cases, the public institution still must operate under the guidelines or rules for financial institutions. This includes offering specific rates for invested funds, specifically bonds and loans issued on customer money. The payouts for interest and other profits made on invested funds often come periodically and have a corresponding statement. The statement describes and details invested funds with interest earned for a specific period.