California Code, Financial Code - FIN § 1855

(a) To purchase, sell, discount, and negotiate, with or without its endorsement or guaranty, notes, drafts, checks, bills of exchange, acceptances, including bankers' acceptances, cable transfers, and other evidences of indebtedness; to purchase and sell, with or without its endorsement or guaranty, securities, including the obligations of the United States or of any state thereof but not including shares of stock in any corporation except as herein provided; to accept bills or drafts drawn upon it subject to such limitations and restrictions as the commissioner may impose; to issue letters of credit; to purchase and sell coin, bullion, and exchange; to borrow and to lend money; to issue debentures, bonds, and promissory notes under such general conditions as to security and such limitations as the commissioner may prescribe; to receive deposits outside of the United States and to receive only such deposits in this state or in any other state of the United States as may be incidental to or for the purpose of carrying out transactions in foreign countries or dependencies or insular possessions of the United States.

(b) Generally, to exercise such powers as are incidental to the powers conferred by this article or as may be usual, in the determination of the commissioner, in connection with the transaction of the business of banking or other financial operations in the countries, colonies, dependencies, or possessions in which it shall transact business and not inconsistent with the power specifically granted herein. Nothing contained in this article shall be construed to prohibit the commissioner, under his or her power to prescribe rules and regulations, from limiting the aggregate amount of liabilities of any or all classes incurred by the corporation and outstanding at any one time.

(c) To establish and maintain for the transaction of its business branches or agencies in foreign countries, their dependencies or colonies, and in any state of the United States, and in the dependencies or insular possessions of the United States, at such places as may be approved by the commissioner and under such rules and regulations as he or she may prescribe, including any state of the United States, or countries or dependencies not specified in the original organization certificate.

(d) With the consent of the commissioner to purchase and hold stock or other certificates of ownership in any other corporation organized under the laws of this state for the purpose of transacting business pursuant to this article, or under the laws of the United States, or under the laws of any foreign country or a colony of dependency thereof, or under the laws of any state, dependency or insular possession of the United States but not engaged in the general business of buying or selling goods, wares, merchandise, or commodities in the United States, and not transacting any business in the United States except such as in the judgment of the commissioner may be incidental to its international or foreign business.