CNNMoney.com
Companies Economy International Corrections Pre-market Trading After-hours Trading Winners/Losers/Actives Bonds Currencies Commodities World Markets Subscribe to Real Money Newsletter Subscribe to Money Magazine Money Magazine Real Estate Taxes Jobs Ask the Expert Money 101 Autos Mutual Funds The Help Desk Loan Center Best Places to Live Subscribe to Money Magazine Ask the Expert Ultimate Guide to Retirement Retirement Calculators Rules of Retirement Best Funds Best Places to Retire Fortune Brainstorm Tech Apple 2.0 Blog Big Tech Blog Sectors and Stocks Tech Talk Questions & Answers Innovation Nation Small Business Video 50 Best Places to Launch Resource Guide Next Little Thing Subscribe to Fortune Magazine Fortune 500 Brainstorm Tech Investing Management Executive Interviews Rankings Main Create Portfolio Edit Portfolio Create Alerts Edit Alerts

Is your bank safe?

The number of 'problem banks' has risen this quarter and is expected to grow. Here's how to protect your money.

EMAIL  |   PRINT  |   SHARE  |   RSS
 
google my aol my msn my yahoo! netvibes
Paste this link into your favorite RSS desktop reader
See all CNNMoney.com RSS FEEDS (close)
By Gerri Willis, CNN

home_rich_cover.03.jpg
For more information on managing your largest investment, check out Gerri Willis' "Home Rich," now in bookstores.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- More banks are in trouble according to the FDIC. Is your bank next on the list? Here's what to look for.

1. Get the numbers

The FDIC reported that the number of banks on the "problem bank" list grew to 117 during the second quarter. That's the highest level since the middle of 2003.

There were 90 banks on the problem list in the first quarter of this year. The FDIC chairman also said that list is going to grow. In fact, analysts say that there could be up to 150 bank failures on the horizon.

But keep in mind that banks included on the problem list are considered the most likely institutions to fail, although few institutions actually reach that point - just 13% of banks on the FDIC's problem list have failed on average.

And let's put this in perspective - the FDIC insures more than 8,000 thrifts and banks. And this is nothing like what we saw during the late 1980s and early 1990s, when more than 1,000 financial institutions failed amid the savings-and-loan crisis.

2. Get the ranking

Generally small and mid-size banks are more at risk - that's because they may not be able to raise enough money if they are in trouble. If you're looking to park your money somewhere safe, go with larger, more familiar banks.

The FDIC doesn't release the names of banks that are in trouble, but you can check the health of your own bank. Check out bankrate.com. This site will has a safe & sound rating system that can help you get a picture of your bank's health.

If you want more detailed information about your bank's financials, you can go to ambest.com.

3. Know the signs

Bottom line is that financial institutions are having a tough time. So, while it may just be the environment right now, you want to pay attention to massive job layoffs or cutback in services.

If your bank doesn't accept new loan submissions that's a red flag. And if you start to see generous CD yields advertised, that could be a sign that the bank is in trouble. That's because banks are trying to entice people to keep their money at the bank.

As we've been reporting, if you are within the limits of FDIC-insurance coverage with an FDIC-insured bank, you shouldn't panic. The worst move you could make is pulling your money out of a regulated institution and holding the cash yourself.

4. Don't Panic

The FDIC is not required to reimburse you for anything above the covered amount. But there are some cases where you'll be ok. For example, you may qualify for more than $100,000 if there are accounts in different "ownership categories."

For example, your share of any joint account at a bank is insured up to $100,000 separately from accounts you hold in your name alone.

And the bank can also choose to pay for uninsured deposits if it raises enough money after selling off the banks assets.  To top of page

Gerri's Mailbox: Got questions about your money? We want to hear them! Send e-mails to toptips@cnn.com or click here - each week, we'll answer questions on CNN, Headline News and CNNMoney.com.
Features
  • hollywood_sign.gi.04.jpg
    Silver lining of the housing bust: A protectionist group was able to buy the land around the iconic sign. More
  • european_ave_train.04.jpg
    Trains of the future are likely skipping you. Despite grand government plans, funding is small.  More
  • exterior.04.jpg
    Broadway star Scarlett Johansson is selling her L.A. pad for $2 million less than she paid. More
  • john_thain_100111.gi.04.jpg
    Former Merrill Lynch CEO John Thain is being asked to work his magic on small business lender CIT. More
  • challenger_fuscia.04.jpg
    It's Dodge's new tough-guy color for the Challenger muscle car. More
  • vanessa_corey.04.jpg
    Lenders are collecting from owners like Vanessa Corey even after a short sale or foreclosure. More
  • wild_things.04.jpg
    The $10 electronic hamsters were last year's monster hit. Meet the encore. More
Markets Last Change
Dow Jones 10,004.90 -53.74 / -0.53%
Nasdaq 2,137.49 -13.38 / -0.62%
S&P 500 1,063.85 -6.67 / -0.62%
10-year Bond 97 28/32 Yield: 3.63%
U.S.Dollar 1 euro = $1.369 -0.010
February 10, 2010 11:15 AM ET
CompanyPrice% Change
Cablevision Systems Corp 21.86 -16.30%
Dean Foods Co 15.19 -13.89%
YRC Worldwide Inc 0.67 -9.26%
Micron Technology Inc 8.33 -8.27%
Feb 10 11:13am ET †
More Galleries
10 sages read the future of print What becomes of the printed word? What's the fate of companies that produce periodicals and books? Here's what 10 media and tech luminaries think. More
Buy Scarlett Johansson's hilltop manse Even starlets are subject to the faltering real estate market. Just three years after buying her Los Angeles home, Johansson is selling it for $2 million less than she paid. More
I stopped looking for work The number of discouraged job seekers is at an all time high. These readers tell us what it's like to give up on the job search. More

© 2010 Cable News Network. A Time Warner Company. All Rights Reserved. Terms under which this service is provided to you. Privacy Policy. Advertising Practices.
Copyright © 2010 BigCharts.com Inc. All rights reserved. Please see our Terms of Use.
MarketWatch, the MarketWatch logo, and BigCharts are registered trademarks of MarketWatch, Inc.
Intraday data provided by Interactive Data Real-Time Services and subject to the Terms of Use.
Intraday data is at least 20-minutes delayed. All times are ET.
Historical, current end-of-day data, and splits data provided by Interactive Data Pricing and Reference Data.
Fundamental data provided by Morningstar, Inc..
SEC Filings data provided by Edgar Online Inc..
Earnings data provided by FactSet CallStreet, LLC.