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Public Testimony

Susan Peters testifies on monetary system and private bank money creation

New York City Council · Aug 18, 2026 · starts 1:23:38 · 3 min 7 sec

Susan Peters of the American Monetary Institute discusses the root cause of city distress as the U.S. monetary system, arguing that commercial banks privately create money through loans. She cites Bank of England research on money creation in the modern economy.

Member of the Public - Susan Peters

Can you hear me?

Member of the Public - Susan Peters

Okay.

Member of the Public - Susan Peters

Hi, my name is Susan Peters, and I'm a resident of the Upper West Side of Manhattan and a member of the American Monetary Institute, a 30-year-old monetary reform 301c3.

Member of the Public - Susan Peters

I speak today about the root cause of distress in our city, displayed today by our need to legislate a pie-a-terre tax, a wealth tax.

Member of the Public - Susan Peters

The root cause is our U.S.

Member of the Public - Susan Peters

Monetary system, which determines the creation and distribution of money.

Member of the Public - Susan Peters

Who creates all the money our citizens need to live?

Member of the Public - Susan Peters

Who decides who will receive that money?

Member of the Public - Susan Peters

I worked for 17 years as a data professional for a Wall Street bank.

Member of the Public - Susan Peters

I learned the secret of private banking.

Member of the Public - Susan Peters

Our money, the money we all need to pay rent,

Member of the Public - Susan Peters

buy food, clothe our family, send our children to school, is privately created by commercial banks.

Member of the Public - Susan Peters

Quote, every time a private commercial bank makes a loan, it creates the loan principal by writing a bookkeeping entry for the principal in the borrower's checking account.

Member of the Public - Susan Peters

This is new money creating the U.S.

Member of the Public - Susan Peters

Money supply, all from debt.

Member of the Public - Susan Peters

Hard to believe.

Member of the Public - Susan Peters

Legally, the banks can charge interest and foreclose on property when the borrower defaults.

Member of the Public - Susan Peters

This is a vast power in the hands of private parties, not taught in our schools or discussed in our media.

Member of the Public - Susan Peters

These private banks are deciding who gets loans.

Member of the Public - Susan Peters

Therefore, deciding who gets loans.

Member of the Public - Susan Peters

Deciding who gets loans.

Member of the Public - Susan Peters

the distribution of our money.

Member of the Public - Susan Peters

As any citizen can see, the loans are going to the financial economy, which creates stocks and bonds bubbles and ignores the real economy where we all live.

Member of the Public - Susan Peters

Real infrastructure in our city suffers.

Member of the Public - Susan Peters

I'd like to give you some documentation here.

Member of the Public - Susan Peters

One of them is an article from 2014 published by the Bank of England, which has the same system as ours.

Member of the Public - Susan Peters

The title is Money Creation in the Modern Economy.

Member of the Public - Susan Peters

Quote, this article explains how the majority of money in the modern society is created by commercial banks making loans.

Member of the Public - Susan Peters

End quote.

Member of the Public - Susan Peters

Number two, quote, in the modern economy, most money takes the form of bank deposits.

Member of the Public - Susan Peters

But how those bank deposits are created is often misunderstood.

Member of the Public - Susan Peters

The principal way is through commercial banks making loans.

Member of the Public - Susan Peters

Whenever a bank makes a loan, it simultaneously creates a matching deposit in the borrower's bank account

Member of the Public - Susan Peters

thereby creating new money.

Gale A. Brewer

Thank you very much.

Gale A. Brewer

Thank you.

Member of the Public - Susan Peters

Please contact me with questions.

Gale A. Brewer

Thank you.