While some may claim that the settlements made with big banks in recent years are better than nothing or are significant amounts, no matter how much that bank borrowed in 2008-2009, to say that these settlements are minuscule at best is an understatement. Last month, Morgan Stanley, one of the largest investment banks in the world and biggest borrowers in the 2008 financial crisis, agreed to pay $3.2 billion in a settlement with federal authorities.

Although $3.2 billion may seem like a lot of money, and it absolutely is for people not in the investment banking business, let's compare this settlement to other settlements reached in relation to the crisis. JPMorgan reached a $13 billion settlement, Citigroup reached a $7 billion agreement, and Bank of America agreed to a "historic" settlement of $16.6 billion. Compared to these hefty settlements, $3.2 billion really doesn't seem like much, especially considering Morgan Stanley borrowed more than almost any other bank during the crisis.