How did they fix it?

Bank account interest is pretty much always less than inflation. So, money sitting in a bank account for 18 years is just losing value.

The object of the game is to live within your means, save and invest. More than half the population does not do that. When you’re 18 the treadmill starts turning if you don’t use your time wisely, you’re going to be in trouble at the end of life. When you are young, simple compounding is your friend because you have time.

https://www.thewealthminded.com/finance-basics/how-compound-...

People have won the lottery and blown it all, some people who have extremely high paying professions in their youth, have over the course of time have also blown it all.

While banks often pay crap rates, real rates (e.g. from government bonds) have largely been positive (except the short end after GFC and COVID).

https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/REAINTRATREARAT10Y

https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/REAINTRATREARAT1YE