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Synopsis This book deals with the strategic issues in US banking in areas like universal banking, mergers and acquisitions and consolidation, outsourcing, credit risk transfer, securitization, derivatives, Basel norms, globalization etc. Major US banks are universal banks in character, as they are large financial groups that offer not only commercial banking but also investment banking, securities trading, insurance and other financial services. The US financial markets have, by and large, an effective market driven discipline. The major banks have the option of choosing their own requlators. While mergers could prove to be successful strategies in creating diverse revenue streams and risk mitigation, the existence of mega institutions due to mergers could adversely affect market liquidity. US regulators are essentially concerned with systemic financial stability in allowing large-scale consolidation. The declining number of banks and the rising number of branches have resulted in greater consolidation of branches and deposits in the larger banks. More of interstate branching and banking has also been noticed. US banks outsource generally non-core functions and some core functions as well. Credit Risk Transfer has resulted in the transfer of credit risk to the relatively less regulated insurance industry. Banks in the US have been resorting to large-scale securitization of housing mortgage loans, auto loans, telecom receivables, university fee receivables, credit card receivables etc. With regard to the new Basel-II norms, US regulators propose to make its implementation mandatory for the largest banks and optional for others. Globalization is affecting the US banking industry to a very significant extent. Global banking assets are growing larger and more highly concentrated.