When we used to have a functional banking system, you could work your ass off, make your money, and simply put it in a savings account, or Certificate of Deposits (CDs), and make 4-8 percent interest while inflation was 2-3%. That money was reinvested locally as loans to local businesses.

The advent of free money to cover the insolvent institutions caught making stupid decisions, but managing to be "too big to fail", stole a lot of money from local economies, and my parents.