Lifeboat Foundation

The world of money and finance is completely different than it was a century ago, with decentralized banks and electronic balances making it possible to access your funds from just about anywhere on Earth. Writer Edward Bellamy’s 1888 novel Looking Backward was a huge success in its day, but it’s best remembered for introducing the concept of “universal credit.” Citizens of his future utopia carry a card that allows them to spend “credit” from a central bank on goods and services without paper money changing hands.