Sociedad de Ahorro = Savings Banks

Sociedades de ahorro y préstamo para la vivienda u otros inmuebles = Building Societies (this is the functional equivalent - it does precisely that, take in savings and ude the deoposits specifically for mortgages)

Cajas de crédito = Credit Unions (again a functional equivalent - boith 'caja' and 'union' imply that these banks serve indiciduals not corporations)

The others (to avoid any kind of sense duplication:

Bancos comerciales = Commercial Banks
Bancos de inversión = Investnment banks
Bancos hipotecario = Mortgage Banks
Compañías financieras = Finance Houses

This Is BRITISH English, and reflects the structure of British banking.

This is the translation that I would use.

SAVINGS AND LOAN COMPANIES FOR HOUSING AND OTHER REAL ESTATE (or OTHER PROPERTY may also be used but I think real estate applies here better).
CREDIT BANKS

Savings and Loan Associations:One of a number of types of mutually-owned, cooperative, savings associations, originally established for the primary purpose of making loans to members and others, usually for the purchase of real estate or homes. In the 1980's they expanded into commercial and other non-mortgage loans and services.

I hope it helps!

Hi buceo,

Just wanted to ask you to post your term requests are separate entries for each term in the future. I think I've requested this of you before, but here's a reminder:

One of the reasons for posting term requests is so other translators can come along later and search the data base for answers to their own term questions. However, the only way to locate a term is through the request "header" info (the "term" part of the request form). If other terms are buried in the "explanation" part of the request, the info will not be available to the searcher.

Another reason for posting multiple requests, one for each term, of course, is that it is in your immediate self-interest. A potential answerer might be discouraged from answering, just because it is a multiple post. That is, s/he might know the answer to one of your terms, but not to the others.

Also, while answerers sign up to help out on KudoZ mainly because they are interested in being helpful, they are also interested in getting those KudoZ points. So if they need to spend time researching a query before answering it, they are more likely to spend their time looking up answers where they are more likely to get more KudoZ points for their efforts. And, frankly, Ailish has just given you a whole slew of term translations--enough, really, to merit not only KudoZ, but actual financial compensation!

Happy translating,

Yolanda Stern Broad,
ProZ Moderator, French to English