It's wild how mainstream banks operate these days. Credit card interest rates routinely hit 20 percent or beyond, even for customers with pristine credit histories. The whole setup feels predatory—basically running a loan-sharking operation without the physical intimidation. Banks have perfected the art of extracting maximum returns from consumers through fine print and compounding rates. Meanwhile, they position themselves as legitimate institutions bound by regulations. The gap between their marketing and actual practices keeps widening.