英国财政研究所（IFS）：英国的人力资本与不平等（英文版）

The main activities of retail or ‘high street’ banks, such as accepting savers’ deposits, making loans and providing payment services, are well known. In contrast, the functions of investment banks are typically less well understood. This article describes what investment banks do and highlights some of the risks that they can pose. Along the way, it attempts to explain some of the terminology frequently used in relation to investment banking — from ‘SPVs’ and ‘CDOs’ to ‘bid-offer spreads’ and ‘