Sparbanken Västra Mälardalen (SBVM) is a traditional savings bank, meaning that it is operated without an owner and focuses on customers in a specific geographical region. The earnings of the bank, less a 5% donation used to support the local community, are retained on the balance sheet to protect depositors', and in turn senior creditors', funds. Like most Swedish savings banks, the bank shares a history and cooperation with Swedbank AB, which provides material product diversification, shared costs on IT solutions and the opportunity to finance retail mortgages via Swedbank Hypotek AB, Sweden's largest issuer of covered bonds.
SBVM is based in Köping, with other core markets of Kungsör and Arboga at the western end of Lake Mälaren, which extends to Stockholm in the east. These three communities have a total of 50,000 inhabitants and are centred within the geographical triangle of the municipalities of Örebro, Eskilstuna and Västerås, a market that includes nearly 750,000 inhabitants and a strong manufacturing industry.