As reported by the Economic Studies at Brookings, the big four banks in America, which are JP Morgan Chase, Citigroup, Wells Fargo, and Bank of America, in aggregate have banking assets held by these entities exceeding 50% of total share, effectively making these banks the most important banks in America, by far. Although, ostensibly these banks compete against one another, in effect, these banks recognize the value of working together in principle as well as in goals, so as to increase their overall influence and importance to governmental agencies and corporations throughout America.
These banks are the leaders in banking, so whatever that they do, it is copied and replicated by most other banking institutions in America. So too, because of their sheer size and depth of services offered, these are the banks that governments and multinational corporations are going to engage with on an everyday basis, effectively freezing out small, regional banks, as well as banks that simply don't have the experience, depth of resources, or apparent expertise.
This makes, in effect, a relationship to at least one of these big four banks, if not all of them, almost mandatory for governments and conglomerates because the need for ready access to capital, is foundational for the growth and the expansion of governments and their funding, as well as conglomerates and their current and future planning. Not too surprisingly, when the only game is town is one of the big four, one's ability to negotiate the best deal on behalf of one's own interests, is somewhat compromised. Still, on an overall basis, each side needs the other, so a somewhat happy middle and accommodating ground is reached.
On the other hand, there then is everyone else, in which that playing field heavily favors the rich, the connected, and those that have stellar credit, in opposition to those that lack these very same things. The fair access to credit is one of the most important dividing lines, between those that have and will have more, in stark contrast to those that don't have, and don't have much choice. That is to say, in virtually any business enterprise, capital is needed, which unless already inherited or already saved, one is required to have as well as it being prudent to have good access to capital in order to profitably engage in a given business enterprise. Those that have wonderful business ideas but lack fair access to capital must then make alliances with those that do have great credit and/or are powerfully connected to such, in order to have any hope of success and growth. This means that because of the lack of capital, or the lack of access to capital, this will ultimately end with one's given ownership percentage being shared simply with those that have money, even if, that is pretty much all that they bring to the table.
While certainly it is better to share wealth created, then not to have any portion of that wealth at all, it is unfair that the money brokers receive a nice, healthy chunk of profits without actively engaging in the day-to-day activities and attendant responsibilities of a given business. Even worse, is the outcome for those that lack fair access to capital because of their perceived un-creditworthiness, or lack of appropriate connections, or lack of appropriate schooling, or lack of appropriate bloodline, to which, these people often can find access to capital, but that access to money comes at a far higher percentage rate, with far less forgiveness, with far less benefits, and far more pressure, thereby squeezing the little man -- into the grip of a relentless and unrelenting vise.