Finances Making You A Bit Uneasy?
Everyone is thinking and talking about finances lately and the stress of it all is really getting to some people. Maybe you think that it isn’t effecting you, but I would tell you that it is probably effecting you more than you think. Take this scenario:
You hop online to check your bank account, just like you do on a regular basis, but the screen says sorry we are experiencing technical difficulties, and you can’t check to see if your direct deposit is in your account. So you try this over and over again, but still it doesn’t work. Still trying to find out if your deposit has come in, you now try to call the bank’s 1-800 number, and when you call you receive a recording that says “sorry this service is not available at this time”. So you shoot up to the local ATM machine to check your balance, and it is Temporarily Out of Service. Now let me ask you a question, do you think “wow, there computers must be on the fritz” or do you think to yourself “I wonder if my bank went out of business”? Well, I have encountered computer glitches on several occasions, but when this scenario happened to me last week, I started to think that maybe my bank had gone under and my money was gone. Unfortunately, with all the hype and focus on the state of the economy, you can’t help but keep these worries in the back of your mind. Even when you think that they aren’t seeping in, they probably are. One way to keep things in check is to read your news instead of getting it over the airwaves. Although, they can still put a spin on it, it is a little less traumatizing to read it in print then to listen to it. Then if you read something and you are unclear about what was said you can go back and reread it. When you hear it, it is in a fleeting moment and then it is gone, sometimes leaving you unsure as to what you just heard. Also, tone and inflection can play a big role in how you interpret what is being said, and in the paper they are less likely to influence you in this way.
Don’t feel alone, we are all feeling the heat. Try to do things to keep yourself calm and realize that either way we will make it through this difficult time, as have many who have come before us, we will persevere.
FDIC Will It Take Care Of You?
FDIC insurance is what our banks supposedly have to cover our money in case the bank that you have your money in goes under. This insurance used to cover up to $100,000 per account and has recently been extended to cover up to $250,000 per account and if your money is in a non-interest bearing account, all the money that you have in an account is supposedly covered according to the new FDIC rules effective until December 2009. Investment and finance expert Suze Orman has been on TV of late for commercials regarding the new FDIC online evaluator, that allows you to check and make sure that your money is insured. My real question to all is, if this system were to crash, would our government really be able to cover all of the money that every single person in the US has in the bank? And the answer in my opinion is NO WAY! Take a moment and think about the movie “It’s a Wonderful Life”. In that movie, when people got wind of the bank’s problems they all ran to the bank to withdraw all their money at once and very quickly they knew they were in trouble. How do you think that our government would handle such a crisis? Do you think that they could just explain to people that their money was invested in their neighbor’s homes and farms? I think not. So is it a good idea to keep all your money in the banking system? I suggest not. I am not saying to withdraw every penny, however, it may be a more advisable to begin to save some cash on hand, just in case. I mean with the stock market so iffy, and the potential that banks and real estate could crash and no credit available, isn’t it possible that you could be left without a dime. I think it is not only possible, but perhaps likely. In any case, it is not meant to scare people, but to take note of where your money is and who has the control over it. It is actually ironic that we are allowing the Federal Government full control over our personal finances, especially since they seem to be such prudent financial wizards, don’t you think?