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I'm all in favor of banks that play their part in community endeavors, private individuals looking for loans, people who want to start up a little business, and that's what banks are for.

Commercial banks are very good for certain businesses, like loans and guarding other people's money. They're not great investors or entrepreneurs.

Banks properly established and conducted are highly useful to the business of the country, and will doubtless continue to exist in the States so long as they conform to their laws and are found to be safe and beneficial.

The fundamental problem with banks is what it's always been: they're in the business of banking, and banking, whether plain vanilla or incredibly sophisticated, is inherently risky.

Banks are run by executives, and executives protect themselves, and that does not always mean that banks are going to behave rationally.

Forget about banks that are too big to fail; the focus should be on cities, municipalities and countries that are too big to fail.

A bank is a place that will lend you money if you can prove that you don't need it.

You read constantly that banks are lobbying regulators and elected officials as if this is inappropriate. We don't look at it that way.

Banks need to continue to lend to creditworthy borrowers to earn a profit and remain strong.

With weak balance sheets, banks tend to continue lending unprofitable businesses and leave them existing.