Intense competition, particularly from remaining insolvent savings units that have not been closed or sold, has pushed up the rates needed to attract depositors.

In order to attract depositors some banks in China have introduced deposit accounts which use deposited funds to make riskier loans and offer higher interest.

The problems of the weak Texas institutions are widely known and they must pay excessively high interest rates to attract depositors.

American banks have also suffered steep drops in credit ratings - a serious matter for companies that rely on their financial strength to attract depositors.

Banks want to keep the Federal insurance that attracts depositors and then use that capital to compete against traditional, unsubsidized securities firms.

Other states, such as Singapore, have attracted depositors seeking privacy and protection.

Noticeably flamboyant, the credit union also attracted depositors with television ads dominated by pretty women.

But the potential for immediate gains attracts professional investors as well as small depositors.

These institutions became identified as a type of pyramid scheme because of the need to continuously attract new depositors in order to meet obligations.

The 17 private banks established during the 1990s were limited to domestic transactions and attracted few private depositors.