re: The system is designed to keep people poor

A transaction fee. Process is designed for efficiency and convenience. No different that fees used by sites like PayPal etc. As noted, to avoid it, when possible, just direct deposit, or less efficient, get a paper check. The amount overall isn't really material for the amount expected to earn, but I get the point.

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The system is designed to keep people poor

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I would think a better example would be when wages don’t keep up with the cost of living. Wages staying flat while housing, insurance, and basics are exploding in price.

A livable wage should be the floor needed to survive in today’s economy. But examples of that not happening would be corporate pay structures reward cost-cutting, not wage-raising. Raising wages is treated as a “cost,” not an investment in employees. 1-2% raises and keeping your job if you're lucky. That doesn't help people get ahead. Never mind the amount of layoffs happening ("Reductions In Work Force" - RIFs).

The system keeps people poor because wages aren’t connected to the actual cost of living. For decades, housing, insurance, healthcare, and food prices have risen faster than median wages. Productivity has increased, corporate profits have grown, and executive pay has surged — but typical worker pay has barely moved in real terms. Most workers have limited bargaining power, and many safety-net programs create “benefits cliffs” where even small raises can cause people to lose essential support. A livable wage isn’t a political idea — it’s basic economic math. The problem is a system where the math no longer lines up with what it costs to survive. (Confirm details with trusted sources.)

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The system is designed to keep people poor

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It's a matter of choice, isn't it? It has always been that way, and probably always will be.

In many ways it is the "lottery argument." The argument, being, lottery participation, and affordability, often takes advantage of poor people "investing" to try to strike it rich. It is a terrible choice for poor people who really cannot afford it. Therefore lotteries should be banned altogether.

The comingling of betting platforms and investment platforms is another example.

I would argue that the opportunity is not to limit choice, but to extend education.

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I think there are plenty of people in America who are rich mostly because they took advantage of others, and also plenty of people whose poverty has a lot to do with the fact that they've been taken advantage of.

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Give me an example or two.