The central giro institutions (state banks) are the central banks of the public savings banks in the federal states. As house banks of the states they are mainly concerned with regional financing. Most savings banks, which cater mainly for employees and the self-employed, are operated by municipalities or associations of municipalities. They are autonomous public enterprises, their guarantor being liable. The approximately 2,500 local Volksbanken and Raiffeisenbanken with their nearly 17,000 branch banks form the bedrock of the group of cooperative banks.

They are legally and financially independent and act on their own responsibility. Within the framework of an interlocking financial system, they receive support for their business activities from the regional cooperative central banks and from the central institution of the group of cooperative banks, the DG Bank Deutsche Genossenschaftsbank. On average, each Volks-bank or Raiffeisenbank is backed by 5,000 members. Mortgage banks are private real-estate credit institutions which give mortgages and municipal loans and raise the necessary funds by issuing mortgage bonds and municipal bonds. Building and loan associations accept the savings deposits of people who want to build or buy their own homes and give them loans for this purpose after a certain percentage of the total contract amount has been saved. Among the credit institutions with special functions is the Development Loan Corporation. It provides investment loans, lends to developing countries and helps finance exports.