A deposit in a bank is not a riskless form of saving. “Banks are not vaults. They are thinly capitalised asset managers that make a promise– to return depositors’ money on demand and at par– that cannot always be kept without the assistance of a solvent state.” Or, in our case, a fiat currency with a central bank willing to print enough money to reflate asset prices and keep the banks afloat. The theme song of fractional reserve banking is “I’m forever blowing bubbles.”
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