[yellowapple]

> Yeah, I pretty much can't imagine a situation where I would lose the money in my bank account

Those who witnessed the Great Depression (or similar events involving bank runs and financial crashes) probably could.

[mpyne]

There's a reason the Great Depression pre dates the things that were mentioned like FDIC.

I'll leave alone for now the fact that it was the government boogeyman that implemented the changes that make things like bank crashes wiping out a family's meager savings a historical artifact.

[yellowapple]

I'm well aware that the Great Depression is the reason why banks are insured in the modern age.

That insurance has limits, though; not only is the amount limited, but the U.S. government - like all non-fictional things - has finite budget/capital (no matter how much Congress likes to pretend otherwise).