Finnish

Noun

osuuspankki

1. credit union
2. cooperative bank
3. (law, Finland) A form of cooperative banking in which the customers may but are not obliged to become members of the cooperative (credit union) that runs the bank.

Declension

Usage notes

Majority (200+) of the Finnish regional credit unions are organized as a group by owning jointly a "central bank" organized as limited liability company which in turn may own locally operating ordinary banks (also commonly called osuuspankki) in regions where there are no competing member credit unions. Together, the group and their holdings (OP-Pohjola Group, formerly osuuspankkiryhmä) make the largest financial institution in Finland. The minority (abt. 30 credit unions) cooperate more loosely through POP Pankki. In their international communication the osuuspankki's prefer to be called "co-operative banks" rather than credit unions.

Coordinate terms

• liikepankki
• osuuskassa
• säästökassa
• säästöpankki