What are your views to anything involving money and the houses and the templars?
My view is that most of that money is alive.
Let me explain, I believe most houses keep their money invested in slaves, wagons, employees, clothing, and bribes.
Houses do keep the money alive of course. It is the players that matters when playing the game however.
Some nobles/templars use the money in an excellent way. But not all.
EDIT: Oh.. I must say all templars I know keep the money alive. Maybe it is because, they are really earning that money with bribes, rather than just having a cheap stipend.