Question about Investment Banks and Merchant Banking

I'm currently taking a history class about finance and corruption. The professor always talks about how big banks are evil because they use people's deposits to invest in high-risk securities and derivatives. However, I thought that merchant banking arms of investment banks were a thing of the past after regulations like the Volker Rule. It was my understanding that investment banking generally refers to advisory services like m&a and rx.

Can anyone shed any light what my professor is referring to when he mentions how Goldman Sachs acts like a hedge fund with people's money? Is prop trading with people's money?

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