There was a time when banks acted as custodians of their customers’ money. Indeed, keeping a person’s money and using it as if it belonged to you without their agreement is fraud in common law. A banking license legally exempts banks from charges of criminality in pursuing the normal course of fractional reserve banking business, by making it clear that you, the customer, agree to being a creditor of the bank instead of the bank acting as custodian for your money.
