We are living in times of extremes, particularly when it comes to economic data, and this is reflected in the divergence of bank lending and deposit gathering; Axios has an excellent graph, showing data from the Federal Reserve, that shows year of year growth in bank deposits of 14.3% in May while consumer lending was down 4.4%; this means that consumers and small businesses are not starting new projects or focusing on growth but are instead hoarding cash during these uncertain times; at the same time banks are tightening lending standards so those people looking for a loan are finding it more difficult. Axios.