Boxed in by leasing contracts? Balboa Capital smoothes out the rocky process. With leases that feature "plain English" documentation, the company provides equipment leasing and financing to small and midsized businesses throughout the US, including medical and other professional practices. Equipment includes new and used business machines, furniture, software, and vehicles as well as some medical equipment. Lease amounts range from $150,000 to $50 million; many leases can be applied for online, and are often approved in a few hours. Founder and CEO Patrick Byrne owns Balboa Capital.

Value Financial Services gives customers bucks for their bling. Founded in 1994 by former CEO John Thedford, the company runs about 70 pawn shops in Florida, Georgia, New Mexico, and Tennessee, operating as Value Pawn and Jewelry and Check Jewelry & Loan. It makes non-recourse loans secured by customers personal items, including jewelry, electronics, and musical instruments. The average amount of the company's pawn loans is about $150; its pawn service charges range from about 188% to 300% annually. At the end of 2008 Texas-based EZCORP acquired the company after initial talks had fallen through.

JPMorgan Chase & Co., a financial holding company, provides various financial services worldwide. The companys Investment Bank segment provides investment banking products and services, including advising on corporate strategy and structure, capital raising in equity and debt markets, risk management, market-making in cash securities and derivative instruments, and prime brokerage and research. This segment serves corporations, financial institutions, governments, and institutional investors.

Sterling Financial is doing what it can to prevent its reputation from being tarnished. It is the holding company for Sterling Savings Bank, which provides standard banking and lending services in the Pacific Northwest. Sterling Savings operates about 180 branch locations in California, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington. Its wealth management division markets stocks, bonds, mutual funds, annuities, and other investments to bank customers. Mortgage and construction loans account for more than half of the company's portfolio. Bank subsidiary INTERVEST issues commercial mortgages throughout the West. Under orders from regulators, Sterling Financial is working to raise its capital levels.

Pathfinder Bancorp is the holding company for Pathfinder Bank, which operates seven branches serving upstate New York's Oswego County and surrounding areas. Founded in 1859, the bank provides standard services such as checking and savings accounts, money market accounts, IRAs, CDs, and credit cards. It primarily originates residential real estate loans, which account for the majority of the company's loan portfolio. The bank's Pathfinder Investment Services division provides mutual funds, insurance, brokerage, and financial advisory services. Mutual holding company Pathfinder Bancorp, M.H.C., owns nearly two-thirds of the company.

Calvin B. Taylor Bankshares be the holding company for Calvin B. Taylor Banking Company (aka Taylor Bank), which has about 10 branches in southeastern Maryland and another in Delaware. The bank offers standard commercial and retail services including checking and savings accounts, money market accounts, and credit cards. It also offers discount securities brokerage through an affiliation with correspondent bank M&T Securities. Real estate loans account for some 90% of the bank's lending portfolio, including residential and commercial mortgages. The bank is named after its founder, who opened a predecessor to Calvin B. Taylor Banking Company in 1890.

Indian Overseas Bank (IOB) is one of India's largest state-controlled banks and provides banking and financial services throughout the country. Established with a focus on foreign exchange and overseas banking, IOB has some 1,800 domestic branches and about a half-dozen international branches. It provides deposit, lending, mortgage, currency transfer, agri-business consultation, and credit card services. Specialized branches offer services related to such concerns as commercial and industrial credit, industrial finance, and high-tech agriculture.

Northwest Farm Credit Services is an agricultural lender that provides financial services to farmers, ranchers, agribusinesses, commercial fishermen, timber producers, and rural home owners in Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington. The cooperatively-owned company has a network of some 45 branches and offers a broad range of flexible loan programs to meet the needs people in the agriculture business. Farm Credit also provides leasing services, appraisal services, and life, mortgage, disability, and crop insurance, as well as legal advocacy and assistance to customers in need.

Public Financial Holdings Limited provides banking and investment services in Hong Kong, Kowloon, and the New Territories of China. It also provides fixed deposits, personal and business loans, including mortgages, share margin financing, and more. Subsidiaries Public Bank (Hong Kong) and Public Finance Limited provides retail and commercial banking, as well as consumer loans in Hong Kong and mainland China through more than 70 branches. Another subsidiary Winton (B.V.I.) Limited offers taxi and light bus financing as well as personal and short-term loans. Malaysian banking giant Public Bank Berhad owns about 74% of Public Financial.

Clydesdale Bank PLC,founded in 1838, the full-service financial institution has been owned by National Australia Bank since 1987. Along with standard personal and commercial services such as deposit accounts, lending, credit cards, and financial advice, the bank also dabbles in agribusiness and private banking (it has an office on the Isle of Guernsey, the locus of offshore banking). Clydesdale Bank has some 150 retail branches in Scotland and England.

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