Hushed tones, cool marble counters, the smell of cash, pens chained to tables with blank deposit slips, solid steel doors with impressive locks, velvet-lined cords directing customers to the appropriate teller — a bank is an important place. Banks are everywhere. From small towns to large cities, the ubiquity of banks reveals their importance to the economy. Much maligned of late, banks are an integral part of the economy. Without them, capitalism would not function.