The financial system allows savers to provide money to borrowers through financial institutions like banks. Savers deposit money in savings accounts or invest in assets, and banks use this money to issue loans to businesses and individuals. Borrowers use the loans to make purchases or investments and pay interest to the bank. The bank then shares some of its profits with savers in the form of interest to incentivize saving. When making financial decisions, savers must consider the tradeoff between return, liquidity, and risk - higher potential returns generally come with higher risks.

1. Investing and the Financial System Basic ideas and definitions