Given the lack of a functioning banking system the traders took on the financing the commodities transactions themselves. They granted loans to their customers and made advance payments on the deliveries of their suppliers.

The large number of different currencies also formed the basis for extensive exchange business with good earning opportunities. Cornelius Berenberg increases the assets he had earned through trading by taking on money and insurance transactions, so becoming increasingly active as a banker.

After his death in 1711 his sons Johann (II) and Rudolph (III) Berenberg took over the business. In 1735 Rudolph (III) was elected to the City Council and the company renamed »Johann und Herr Rudolph Berenberg« as a result position as alderman presupposed a particularly good credit worthiness.

Hamburg’s trading grew rapidly at that time.  As an answer to Prussian mercantilism Hamburg was declared a »porto transito« in 1727: it forwent transit customs duties almost and became a free port open to all regions. Seven Years’ War (1756-63), in which Europe was involved, was also very advantageous for the Hamburg economy and furthered both the goods trade and the credit business. Thanks to the permanent cash needs of the warring nations a huge money circulation was set in motion. At the end of the war it was not goods trade which dropped dramatically.

The exchange business also collapsed many banks and business went into The Berenberg business also got into and had to be supported by the rapidly loan society, by means of which the City helped fundamentally healthy companies period of temporary illiquidity. A seventh societyís total assets were made available business, which is probably only explicable the high regard in which both company family were held in Hamburg.