The number of FDIC-insured commercial banks has steadily decreased over the last decade, as of 2018 there were 4,708 in the United States, about 200 fewer than in the previous year. Additionally, the number of new banks charters has dropped steeply in the last decade; since 2011 there have only been 12 new FDIC-insured commercial chartered banks. Despite the impact of the 2008 financial crisis, which saw the demise of several banking giants, the pre-tax net operating income of U.S. commercial banks quickly bounced back and overtook pre-recession levels.
As with any bank, one of the most important services offered by commercial banks are loans. As the U.S. economy continues to grow, the demand for loans to start new businesses or expand an existing business will also grow. In September 2019, the value of loans of U.S. commercial banks amounted to over 13.5 trillion dollars, up from about 12.8 trillion in the previous year. Commercial banks also issued about 840 billion U.S. dollars in loans to individuals through credit cards and other related plans in 2017.
