[Flick Lives]

...ingenious bankers are lending and simultaneously allowing borrowers to deposit identical amounts with their institutions at identical interest rates.

—

Sounds like a zero sum game. I borrow $1M @ 6%, then deposit $1M @ 6%???

[Alberta's Child]

It IS a zero-sum game from a financial standpoint. The bank is only lending the money to meet the requirements established by stupid government bureaucrats.

If I worked for a bank and my manager told me I had to get 1,000 new checking accounts opened in the next six months, the first thing I’d do is go to my existing customers and ask them to open new accounts — and close down their old ones.

[PTBAA]

It’s not Zero Sum (for you) if you have to pay taxes on the interest.