Everyone needs money to buy food，clothes，and housing.Very few people call produce everything that they need.Today，most people use money to buy these things.Buying and selling is necessary for modem society.Money is important for life，and banks control money in most places.In the United States，there are many different banks，and they。offer many different services.
　　The most common banking service is the checking account.People deposit their money into the bank，and then they can write checks to buy things.A check is a piece of paper.It tells the bank to pay the seller.The bank must pay the seller from the customer’s account.The customer usually pays the bank a service charge for a checking account.
　　Another banking service is the savings account.People can deposit some of their money in a savings account.They do not usually need this.money right nOW.They leave the money in the bank and withdraw it when they need it.The bank will pay interest on the savings account. Interest is the money that the bank gives to the customer.
　　Loans are an important banking service.Banks give money to businesses and tO individuals. A bank may loan money to a business to buy more：machines or tools.Some people borrow money from the bank to build swimming pools Or to repair their houses.The bank always charges interest on loans.The borrower must repay the loan plus the interest.The interest Oil loans is.always higher than the interest on savings accounts.
　　The credit card is another important service that the bank provides.It makes life easier in many ways.By using the credit card，people no longer need to carry large slims of money while travelling.
　　Banks in the United States usually have safety deposit boxes.These boxes are in the vault at the bank.The vault is a room that has a very heavy doo.r with a very safe lock Oil it.Because it is very difficult to get into the vault of a bank，a safety deposit box is a good place to keep important things.Customers can rent the boxes from the bank for a small fee each year.Many people keep their important papers，such as their birth certificate，marriage certificate，or passport，in their safety deposit boxes.