Is My Bank Safe In These Troubled Times?

By Simon Natta • December 17th, 2008

Thanks to the recent “bailouts” of many brokerages, insurance companies, and banks, people are wondering whether their bank is safe. If you are not comfortable in the current climate, having a home safe is a possible alternative for storing valuable items.

First, everyone should know that the best way to insure that your bank or savings and loan is safe is by checking out its rating at: www.thestreet.com and clicking on this link http://www.thestreet.com/screener/index.html?src=ratingsindex&tab=3.

This is The Street.com’s conservative bank and savings and loan rating system. If your Bank is not rated “B” or above, then move your money to a safer bank with an “A” or “B” rating. Some of the largest banks have very poor ratings. The bad ratings mean that the bank has a high debt to equity ratio or too many bad loans outstanding and reflect other factors considered by the financial experts at The Street.com.

It seems many people want to keep some emergency cash, precious metals or other valuables in a home safe. Each individual must decide how much, depending on his needs. We suggest that you do not keep excessively large amounts of cash on hand, as it won’t be earning any interest. Precious metals can be a hedge against inflation depending on whether those markets are going up, but they are suitable for storing in a home or business safe.

There are many different types of Burglar Fire Safes for home or business use. If the total content value of your Burglar Fire Safes is less than $30,000, then you can shop for the right safe by going to Burglar Fire Safes . You will find a large variety of quality Burglar Fire Safes to fit your needs.

If you intend to keep contents worth more than $30,000 in a home or business safe, then look at a High Security Burglar Fire Safes. These are Underwriters Laboratory rated safes that will protect amounts from $30,000 to $1.5 million or more. Underwriters Laboratory uses burglar Ratings for High Security Burglar Fire Safes from TL-15 up to TRTL 30 X6. burglar Ratings information can be found at this site.

Once you decide to install a home safe, we recommend that you also install a quality burglar alarm system and high quality door dead bolt locks to protect your valuables. Also, once you have your safe installed in your home keep it a secret. We recommend you put it in a closet or under the stairs. The only people who need to know are close trusted family members, and the fewer people who know, the better.

As in all past recessions, the stronger banks survived. The same will be true this recession. You must do your homework, and you will get through these tough times with your assets secure by simply planning ahead.

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