 By way of historical perspective, financial sector profits from the 1930s until 1980 grew at the same rate as the rest of the American economy.By way of illustration of the increased power of the financial sector over the economy, in 1978 commercial banks held $1.2 trillion (million million) in assets, which is equivalent to 53% of the GDP of the United States.By year's end 2007, commercial banks held $11.8 trillion in assets, which is equivalent to 84% of U.S. GDP.