Beschermd door een depositogarantie waren Amerikaanse leen- en spaarbanken is staat om tegen lage rentetarieven enorme hoeveelheden spaargeld van consumenten aan te trekken, die ze investeerden in risicovolle, alhoewel schijnbaar winstgevende activa.
Protected by deposit insurance, US savings and loan institutions were able to attract, at low interest rates, huge amounts of customer deposits, which they invested in risky, though seemingly profitable, assets.