Jul 30

I’ve seen remarks across the blogosphere that the recent FDIC advertisements are a bad sign. I’m not convinced. I think there are many who have no idea how the FDIC protection works, what its limits are, and how to get more coverage. First, here is one of the ads they are running:

FDIC ad

The important thing to understand is that non-retirement accounts are insured up to $100K. If you have more cash than this, you should consider splitting it up among more than one bank. In the case of a failure, you may have to wait some time to access your money, so even if you are below the limit, using 2 or 3 banks is a good idea. See the FDIC Website for more details.

Joe

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Jul 29

They say that when the shoeshine boy starts talking about stocks it’s a time to get out of the market. Last week, David Letterman offered his Top Ten List,

Top Ten Signs You Have a Bad Bank

  1. Manager giggles whenever he says, “early withdrawal”
  2. They made $2 million loan to the Hillary Clinton campaign
  3. Most banks are backed by the FDIC; your bank is backed by KFC
  4. Bank robbers leave with a sack of IOUs — that’s how bad things are, ladies and gentlemen
  5. Loan officer will approve your mortgage only if you let him rub you
  6. ATM looks suspiciously like a Ms. Pac-Man machine
  7. Interest paid not in money, but in Saltines
  8. They promise they’ll have your money if you come back after tonight’s Keno drawing
  9. Instead of Andrew Jackson, their $20 bills have a picture of Tito Jackson
  10. Teller asks, “How may I swindle you?”

Maybe this is the sign that we’ve reached the bottom in this crisis, I hope so.

Joe

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