Economics is the science focused on the efficient management of efforts, while Finance is concerned with preserving those efforts and allocating them effectively.
In a robust financial system, money symbolizes the value of stored productivity. Its utility comes from its ability to retain value over time, thereby providing the system with stability, confidence, and making it easier to secure well-being in old age.
A balanced financial system maintains equilibrium between the savings of wealth creators (workers and companies) and the demand for this wealth in the form of investment.
The value banks offer to society stems from their capacity to store this wealth and judiciously lend it to new investment endeavors, thus enabling economic development.