Banker’s bank – definition and meaning

A banker’s bank is a US bank that provides financial services to community banks. Several community banks own the banker’s bank. This type of bank, however, provides services just to community banks rather than companies or individuals.

Thanks to bankers’ banks, community banks receive a wide range of services. Community banks receive the services that would only be available to the giant financial institutions.

The community banks can then offer these services to their customers. In other words, smaller banks can subsequently compete more effectively with the giant operators.

As of 2025, there are twelve bankers’ banks in the United States:

NameDepositsAssets
TIB NATIONAL ASSOCIATION2,433,4182,955,684
BANKERS’ BANK926,4481,470,771
PACIFIC COAST BANKERS’ BANK534,8411,251,957
UNITED BANKERS’ BANK671,9721,249,756
FIRST NATIONAL BANKER’S BANK337,276952,216
ATLANTIC COMMUNITY BANKERS BANK557,260896,422
BANKERS’ BANK OF THE WEST291,975431,504
MIDWEST INDEPENDENT BANKERSBANK226,832332,726
THE BANKERS BANK232,660275,876
BANKERS’ BANK OF KANSAS125,176216,552
INDEPENDENT CORRESPONDENT BANKERS’ BANK, INC.67,795143,926
COMMUNITY BANKERS’ BANK110,433143,170

Data source: iBanknet

TIB (The Independent Banker’s Bank) has become the largest in the US (in terms of deposits and assets) serving roughly 1,400 community banks across nearly all US states.

The central bank is the banker’s bank

The term may also refer to a country’s central bank. Commercial banks maintain a current account with the central bank. Commercial banks also have access to very short-term loans.

Examples of central banks are the Federal Reserve System in the US or the Bank of England in the UK. Central banks provide services to commercial banks in the same way our banks provide services to us.