7/13/2012 9:51 PM ET
By Sara Glakas, InvestingAnswers
The 359 safest banks in America
The following institutions, grouped by state, boast perfect scores using a method developed to diagnose failing banks.
The relationship Americans have with their banks used to be based on trust.
As well it should be. In many ways, banks make some of our biggest financial dreams come true.
We go to the bank when we want to buy our dream home, and again when we remodel the kitchen. Our bank helps us buy that great new car we've been thinking about. When we retire, the bank turns a lifetime of savings into income by paying us interest on money-market and savings accounts, and on certificates of deposit.
We trust banks to protect our hard-earned money. We expect that every dollar we put into our bank will be held safe until we come back for it.
But what if the bank doesn't deserve our trust?
What is the difference between a credit union and a bank?
In America, we have let our guard down in our banking relationships. We assume that everything will be fine if our bank fails. After all, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. insures our deposits up to $250,000. Why worry?
I hate to be the one to break this to you, but the FDIC's Deposit Insurance Fund -- aka the money used to cover bank failures -- has been all but drained.
In 2007, the DIF had a healthy $52.4 billion. But since 2008, more than 413 banks have failed, and that has taken a devastating toll on the once-solid reserve fund.
1 of 4
According to the FDIC, the balance in the DIF is now just $11.8 billion -- a drop of almost 78% from where it was before the financial crisis began. And though the fund will replenish slowly over time, the FDIC expects future bank failures from 2012 to 2016 to cost the fund $12 billion more.
I don't know about you, but I'm not willing to assume that the FDIC will always be there to cover my savings. Instead, I want to pick the safest bank in my area, so I know the FDIC will never have to get involved.
To help Americans regain their sense of financial security and peace of mind that their money is safe, we've found a way to find the safest banks in America -- using a special metric called the "Texas Ratio."
The Texas Ratio was developed by a financial wizard at RBC Capital Markets named Gerard Cassidy, who used it to correctly predict bank failures in Texas during the 1980s recession, and again in New England during the recession of the early 1990s.
While the ratio has been excellent at predicting bank failures, it can also be used to find the banks that are the furthest from failure.
Without walking through the formula (which you can find here), the takeaway is this: The closer the Texas Ratio gets to zero, the lower the bank's risk of failure.
Out of more than 7,300 banks in America, just 359 achieved a perfect Texas Ratio of 0.0. They are listed on the following pages, sorted by state (no banks qualified in Alaska, Hawaii, Maine, New Hampshire, South Carolina or Vermont).
(Continued ….Click below for a list of all the banks by State.)SOURCE
Sterling Currency Group Dinar Banker Takes Its Commitments Seriously
REPOSTED - This is a good time to remind you about this book - and the scams that are out there....
Thanks to Mr Anonymous for telling me about this book.....
Scam School by Chuck Whitlock
They are Out to Get You!
Chuck Whitlock, the world's leading scam-buster, wises you up to the incredible variety of cons just waiting to rid you of your wallet, your health, and your pride. Renowned to viewers of Oprah and Hard Copy, Geraldo and Sally Jesse Raphael, Inside Edition and CNN, Chuck Whitlock has exposed hundreds of con artists and reenacted scores of scams on camera. In his Scam School he reveals the tricks of the con artist's trade as he recounts his adventures going undercover to expose the most common and crafty scams circulating today — scams like:
The faith healer who sold "human fat" candles at $900 a pop
The new hire who wooed his boss and then bilked her out of her life savings
The Three-Card Monte game that cost one man $25,000
The nursing home that double-charged patients and Medicare, pocketing the profits
At once shocking, entertaining, and empowering, the true stories in Chuck Whitlock's Scam School will give you a Ph.D. in street smarts. "In a culture where people are increasingly being victimized by fraud, Scam School is a must read." --
Vincent Bugliosi, Author of Helter Skelter "Chuck has educated millions of viewers about the dangers of con artists. This book can help avert tragedies." --
Sally Jesse Raphael "Knowledge is power. Scam School will make you powerful." --
John G. Di Liberto, President & Ceo, National Insurance Crime Bureau "Through his investigative reporting and on-camera scams, Chuck has probably cost con artists millions of dollars in lost revenues"
Google Voice Gives you a FREE phone number (or as many as you want) which you can then forward (NO charge either FREE) to a number of phones, your cell, office, home, place you are visiting. The call will ring ALL phones until it is picked up, or a voice mail will be recorded and an additional transcript of the message can be sent to your email.THANKS BRENDA FOR PUTTING THIS TOGETHER FOR USGoogle Voice basics
How it works
With Google Voice you can choose the account option that works best for you. Below you’ll find a brief introduction to the different account types and how they work:
Google Voice Number:
With this option you get a brand new custom Google number that can receive calls from all of your phones. This means that whenever someone calls your Google number you can set it to ring all of your phones (ex. mobile, home, work phone) or just certain phones.
Google Voice Lite (Voicemail Only)
With Google Voice Lite, you get to have the same voicemail for all your mobile phones. Just add your existing numbers to Google Voice and then make your own rules. You can set up personalized greetings, get voicemail transcriptions and share voicemail messages.It gives you voicemail that acts like email. For example, all of your voicemail messages will be stored in your Google Voice inbox and can be accessed online and on your mobile phone.
Google Voice on Sprint
Google Voice on Sprint integrates the cool functionality of Google Voice with your Sprint phone. There are two different ways to use this:
1. Option 1: Use your Sprint number with Google Voice: Your Sprint mobile number functions as your Google Voice number. You can take advantage of all of Google Voice's features without having to get a brand new number.
2. Option 2: Replace your Sprint number with your Google Voice number: If you already have a Google Voice number or prefer to sign up for a brand new number, you can enable Google Voice for your Sprint mobile phone. This means that all calling, text messages, and voicemail on your Sprint Mobile Phone will go through Google Voice and display your Google Voice number. When others call or text your Sprint mobile number, you will still be able to receive calls or texts on your Sprint mobile phone number.
Number Porting
There is a fee associated with porting your number
With number porting you can port your mobile phone number into Google Voice, giving you all the same functionality of a custom Google Voice Number but, without having to get a brand new number.
Google Voice Account Types
Google Voice gives you ultimate control over your voice experience with 5 different account options: GOOGLE NUMBER SPRINT: With your Sprint number SPRINT: With a Google number NUMBER PORTING GOOGLE VOICE LITE Get a new phone number from Google. Sprint customers can seamlessly enable all Google Voice features on their mobile devices while using their Sprint mobile number Display your existing Google Voice number when making calls and sending texts from your Sprint handset. Get the full set of Google Voice features by moving your number from your carrier to Google. Get a select set of Google Voice features without changing or porting your number.
Use your existing number
Get a custom Google number
Google Voicemail
Call Forwarding
Call Recording
Text
International Calling
Voicemail transcriptions
ListenIN
Custom voicemail greetings
Blocking callers
Conference calling
Choosing your Google number
Google Voice lets you choose a new phone number that stays with you, not a device or location. Your Google Voice number won't be your exisiting mobile device or landline number; you select a new number when signing up, which you can use for all your phones.
Ready to sign up for Google Voice? Here's how the process works, and some tips for choosing and setting up your number (click on the blue links for information about each step):
1. Go to the Google Voice website and sign in using your Google account. (If you don't have a Google account you can create one.2. You'll be prompted to choose whether you want a new number or you want to use your existing number. Choose I want a new number. Learn more about the difference between the two options:
3. Search for your new Google number and once you've chosen one click Continue. Tips for finding a new Google number
4. Choose a PIN to use to retrieve your messages and access your Google Voice settings from any phone.
5. Enter a forwarding phone number (this is the phone that will ring when someone calls your Google Voice number) and select a type from the 'Phone type' drop-down menu. Learn more about how forwarding phone numbers work
6. Verify your phone. You'll see a numerical code along with a Call Me Now button. When you click the button, we'll call your forwarding phone and ask you to enter the code on the screen so we know the phone number you gave us is the right one.Congratulations! Your Google number is all set up. You can choose to add more phones to forward to or take a look around the Google Voice inbox.Cost
All the features are free, except for calls placed outside the United States or Canada; you'll be able to make those calls through Google Voice at an affordable price.
https://www.google.com/voice/?setup=1#setup/Here are some things you can do to get started with Google Voice:
You can see all these videos at
http://www.youtube.com/googlevoice
1. Read transcriptions of voicemails. Watch a video »
2. Customize which phones ring. Watch a video »
3. Personalize greetings for different callers. Watch a video »
4. Make cheap international calls. Watch a video »
5. Forward SMS to email. Watch a video »
6. Share voicemails with friends. Watch a video »
7. Block unwanted callers. Watch a video »
8. Screen callers before answering. Watch a video »
9. Access the mobile app on your phone. Watch a video »
10. Conference call with co-workers. Watch a video »
You can see all these videos at
http://www.youtube.com/googlevoice
And for the latest news, check out our blog.
http://googlevoiceblog.blogspot.com/
- The Google Voice Team
HOW TO SET UP GMAIL Account (Free email account) & Forwarding Instructions (Repost from March 2012)
Click below to go to GMail
GMail
Click on: Create Account (top right hand corner)
Complete the Info requested on the screen:
You will pick a username for your account here - and password (Remember these two)
(You do NOT have to enter correct information for any of the other fields if you choose not to & You do NOT have to enter your secondary email address here either)
AGREE TO TERMS
CLICK NEXT STEP
SKIP THE PROFILE (unless you want to set it up) and Click NEXT
Click on CONTINUE TO GMAIL Your GMail account is now ready to use..
IF YOU WANT TO HAVE YOUR GMAIL FORWARDED TO YOUR REGULAR EMAIL ACCOUNT (so you only have to use your current email account and not log into GMail) FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS BELOW:
On top right of page: Grey box that looks like a wheel (this is the Settings Tab)
Choose SETTINGS from the drop down menu
Click on: Forwarding & POP/IMAP tab
Click on: Add a forwarding address
Click on: Forward a copy of Incoming Mail
Enter the email address you want to receive all gmail emails sent to you
(For example: when I set up my gmail accounts, I forward a copy to my aol account so ALL emails that come in to my gmail account are AUTOMATICALLY forwarded to my main email)
Which means I do NOT have to log into Gmail to get my email.
SAVE CHANGES
A confirmation code email will be sent to the email you entered
Go to your email and click on the link that says ALLOW TO FORWARD
Then go back to your NEW GMail account and Again Click on Forwarding & POP/IMAP
Click on Forward a copy to email
Click on SAVE CHANGES
ALL DONE..
Straight Talkin Mike Comments about Article referencing the 10 year Period and the LOP
"Parliamentary Finance: Central Bank will continue to receive the old currency for a period of ten years" (Article is at bottom of this post - below comments made by Straight Talkin Mike on Thursday, July 5, 2012)
Straight Talkin Mike....July 5, 2012
So Shabibi Had a meeting with Maliki a year ago on June 19, 2011...So lets see they were ready a year ago...Its now July 5, 2012 - yes I would say they are ready to go...
This is going to be "RV for Dummies".....Let me break this down and understand why this is so important so all of the misinformation being given out on other calls can go away.....
You have 30 trillion dinars...thats the total M3 money supply...you have an internal money supply whats in the bank and whats in
the Iraqis pockets..thats the M1 money supply...thats a smaller portion of the total money supply..there are countries that hold dinar...We hold dinar in another country...Theres 15 trillion or less in country...most of that other is held outside of the country..there is not much held in the banks...
The reason this 10 yr period is so important is because when other countries cash out their money it goes to their Central Bank...Ours goes to the Federal Reserve Bank..Now they are not like all of us who just hit the lotto and are going to run and cash in your money and go out and spend it.....Central Banks are going to hold onto that money which means the have a 10 yr period to exchange what they have in their reserves for the new money.....they do that ...we don't do that....we just trade it in...this is almost like depreciating this money over 10 yrs for him as far as paying for the RV.....they are making it very clear to the world each time we see one of these articles that there is going to be a 10 yr period for these Central Banks to do that...
Now we may only have 2 yrs which is what they say and we are in this process and they are going to run them concurrently for 2
yrs and the new currency is coming out ....We believe that sometime before this currency comes out this RV will take place because you can't issue the new currency with money that is worthless because it costs more to print it than it does...
Now the debate can rage on all it wants on whether or not they are ready but when you have the Governor of the Bank a year ago telling them they are ready to do this and they wanted to do as of January of this year..June last year they went to Maliki and said we are ready to do this 2012...well all of the political stuff went on so they moved it to 2013 so they are beyond the point of no return..they know they are going to do this and that this is going to happen..as we move along this ride they are giving us all of friendly information to keep everybody on board...
Now everybody can come up with their theories and all of that other stuff...they are not not going to lop their currency...they are not going to take value away from it...we here on this team believe that this investment will be worth more than what we paid for it at some time in the future....Period... end of story...You can talk about all of the other theories, etc but this is basically what these articles are telling us and that the Finance Committee is on board.....I don't think we have had this kind of response from the Finance Committe ever....its almost like they are over zealous at the Finance Committee--they don't understand the difference between oversight and monetary policy..they think they have to implement all of this..so they are out there blabbering and talking away...half the time in these articles they don't know what they are are talking about - so when you read an article make sure where it is coming from..is it coming from the Finance Commitee or is it coming from Shabibi at the CBI...the more correct information is going to come from the CBI....the overblown info from the Finance Committes because they truly do not understand what that process is....so we really need to make sure you understand your frame of reference when you read these articles...but this is another article that lets us know that as they have been telling us for the last 1 1/2 years...there will be a 2 yr period...currencies will run concurrent which means they will have equal value....they keep on telling us that...and that at some point in time over 10 yrs people can turn these in and when they talk about people they are talking about the Central Banks...
It is truly that simple...people try to overcomplicate it....
Parliamentary Finance: Central Bank will continue to receive the old currency for a period of ten years
Published on Thursday, 05 / 2012 08:35 | posted by: Rasan | Print | E-mail | Hits: 253
BAGHDAD / With: revealed the parliamentary finance committee that the central bank has agreed to allow replacement of the survival rates for ten years from entry into the exchange, stressing that the three companies had to perform the printing new currency.
A member of the Finance Committee, the parliamentary Haitham al-Jubouri said in an interview to the correspondent of news agency future: "The Finance Committee and even the central bank were afraid of the process of handing over money to the Iraqi banks could see the manipulation or through which some of extortion in order to reduce the delivery time therefore, and after studying the abundant of the subject and agreed conservative central bank that there is a lot of time represented by ten years to the Imam on the currency exchange receipt of new surveys of the Iraqi currency and replace the old El Jadida. "
The Jubouri that "a mechanism to replace the currency will be in two years and the first three stages are the printing process and secondly the process of offering the two currencies in the markets of Iraq and the third pull the old currency and to keep only the new currency."
The Jubouri that "there are companies presentations were made to the Central Bank and the Iraqi government in order to compete on the process of printing new Iraqi currency as each company competes in terms of price, first hand, security second, and both these issues are two important too, noting that all the offers are under hand, but must first get to the final decision to switch the currency or not, and then can receive offers and discussed in detail. "
The Jubouri that "the offers made are from Switzerland and Russia and Brazil and that these offers are competing in terms of the quality of the paper and worker security primarily, so the offers must be subject to a discussion of a specialized committee of the Central Bank of Iraq to determine the priorities of the companies that can be printed Iraqi funds ".
The Central Bank of Iraq announced (29 September 2011) that the year 2013 will see the deletion of zeros and currency exchange rates, pointing out that the current formed a cluster of large cash estimated at 30 trillion dinars.
According to some economists that Iraq is ready for the time being to delete the zeros of the Iraqi dinar, pointing out that the deletion of zeros needed to stabilize the security and political as well as economic stability.
And declared the Iraqi Central Bank Governor Sinan Shabibi independent bodies during a meeting with Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, which was held in (June 19, 2011) is ready to create all supplies to replace the Iraqi currency. (Finished)
Marwan Shuwaili
Source
Thanks to several of you who forwarded this to us.....We thought is was good enough to post as an additional warning
PLEASE READ.......
I have replaced our normal chat comments today with this post – an excellent read and thanks Mr. Bentley!!
I left this warning in the Blog one more day – IT’S THAT IMPORTANT!! Be very careful about who you allow to have your personal information. It will be out in open (soon) as to who are the main actors at the core of these “bank package schemes” are – it’s not the Guru’s you know and love – it’s possible they are being DUPED as well (best case). You will be furious when the truth comes out.
I have been hearing about, “Bank Deals” for months and months. Every “deal” I’ve checked out, was a hoax. I know bankers and bank procedures pretty well. I have 9 bank accounts with 4 different banks. I have been in business for myself most of my life and currently own two businesses. The bank Presidents I speak to say, “we won’t know anything in the local banks, until the final button is pushed”. Even the Regional Banks do not know for sure because this thing has changed so many times. They are sick and tired of the questions and have quit giving out any information.
A few “whales” have negotiated some fringe benefits or side deals based on the movement of additional large Commercial Loans or other hefty deposits, financing projects, etc. in conjunction with their exchange, but he’s going to get the same “exchange rate” as any other client at that bank. What do you think would happen if one “minnow” like you or me, ratted a bank out for giving a “whale” a better International Currency Exchange Rate than us common folk?
I just happened to be in Tampa at the time all the Wells Fargo “Yuppies” were there getting training on the Da La Rue machines and “currency exchange” procedures” so I know for a fact, they were there. They didn’t send all those people there for milk, some fig newtons and a fire-side pep rally on housing foreclosures….but nothing came about. Why? because they are on the same merry-go-round we are on. Its the “Pump-go-round” at the “Misconception Circus”. They thought is was about to happen and perhaps it really was set to happen. Just like the other 50 times it should have happened this year….and didn’t).
I was asked the other day, “are you keeping up with all the bank deals?” I said, “I sure am”! ” I want to make certain I don’t go to any of them!” I think the latest deal out there reads something like….”call us, give us your info so you will be the first to cash in at a rate no one else will get”. That’s B.S.! (B.S. is a Baptist term for…”Better Sleep-on-it”) .
Take a time out and ask your common sense to sit with you for a moment and just talk. (You know, like you used to before he left about a year ago for parts unknown). Give someone your name, address, and other vital information probably including how much Dinar you have….and they will put you on their list. Really? What list? the “priority list of scam targets”? You might as well send them your Dinar to hold for you while you are out getting that bullseye tattooed on your forehead!
I’m not saying that everyone offering a “Bank Deal” is crooked. Or that there may not be some type of legitimate, “deal” of some sort for a group. But I DO NOT BELIEVE that banks have the luxury of offering the next person in line a different exchange rate that the man with the suitcase in front of him. There may be fringe benefits based on the length of time the deposits must remain in the bank, etc. But, I believe the actual “exchange rate” must be the same.
We have been told that here are some pretty heavy hitters that have already been “taken” and some who were very close to being taken in scams represented as a, “bank deal”. Some are still shaking from the experience.
Lets just check the list of things that would have to happen….
* First, you need to find someone you know and trust personally, who’s integrity is beyond question, and that you would be willing to trust with your entire estate. (there are some out there, but ya gotta look hard).
* Next: he needs to have an “in” with a banker that you don’t have and cannot get.
* Then: that banker needs to have the same compassionate heart and pure motive that your friend has and is willing to work on something special, just for you.
* Next: The Banker has to have an “in” in Upper Management who is willing to risk his/her job to leak info the branch grunts on the front line..
* And: Upper Management has to have an “in” somewhere where information is totally accurate so they can make a deal for the future that they can commit to and live with…by-the-way, where the heck is that place?
* Finally, ask yourself… am I really that lucky?
I don’t want to be a wet blanket but - C’MON people!! You need to start thinking or you are going to be poorer than you were before this thing ever started.
Don’t share any information about yourself, your plans or the amount of Dinar you have. DO YOUR OWN RESEARCH, make your deal and live with it. that is not to say, don’t get help from professional’s when the time comes, Just quit depending on someone else to make your initial deal(s) for you. You were smart enough to invest in this, be smart enough to protect it. Then, get tax and investment counsel from the people you can now afford to hire! Make your own deal. Tailor it to your specific needs
Unfortunately, the ones who will get hurt the worst on this “exchange” are the same ones that have never researched a thing. They just read, complain, listen to CC’s and comment on those that do. And when they get hurt, they will blame the lousy advise and incorrect information they got in the “Chat rooms, blogs and Guru’s”.
I quit giving out advise on the Dinar a couple years ago when it suddenly dawned on me that I was setting myself up as a “professional Dinar advisor”. BUT JUST FOR YOU GUYS, I WILL COME OUT OF THAT CLOSET ONE MORE TIME AND GIVE YOU THE BEST ADVISE YOU WILL EVER GET – GUARANTEED! … Don’t take too much advice!!!
…even mine!
Mr. Bentley
Footnote: Mr. Bentley is a close personal friend with significant banking, currency and overseas contacts. He is “the real McCoy” – unlike some of the other “enigmas” out there.
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