A bank officer is an employee of a

bank A bank is a financial institution that accepts deposits from the public and creates a demand deposit while simultaneously making loans. Lending activities can be directly performed by the bank or indirectly through capital markets. Becau ...

endowed with the legal capacity to agree to and sign documents on behalf of the institution. The

title A title is one or more words used before or after a person's name, in certain contexts. It may signify either generation, an official position, or a professional or academic qualification. In some languages, titles may be inserted between the f ...

is usually held by

branch manager A branch manager is an executive who oversees a division or office of a large business or organization, operating locally or with a particular function. Their responsibility is to ensure that payments to employees are correct, their vacation pay arr ...

s, assistant managers, loan officers, and other experienced personnel. Executives and others holding titles such as "vice president" are considered officers of the bank for legal purposes. The title is also used to designate those branch personnel who act in a supervisory capacity. In larger banks, an officer at the branch level sometimes reviews accounts and makes decisions on whether to honour NSF items or to return them. Such decisions are usually left up to those who are legally responsible to act on behalf of the bank.

See also