An American banker explains how she sacrificed more than two thirds of her income when she went to help run a community bank in Washington DC For nearly a quarter of a century I made my living as an investment banker. My specialty was in finding sources of capital for large non-profit organisations such as the United States Chamber of Commerce, universities or the American Red Cross. I would be flown around the country in private jets to persuade state treasurers and pension-fund advisers to invest funds in my clients’ projects. In return for my 70-hour weeks, I drove a BMW convertible and enjoyed lavish holidays. I am the daughter of the neighbourhood pub owners and was first in my family to graduate from college, so this was a new world for me. One afternoon in Holy Week 2003, I