With the sharp decline in the stock market and the failure of many financial institutions, many people are very worried about their savings and retirement accounts. If you are worried about your financial nest-egg, then you probably need to know more about how the government already has safeguards in place for you, depending on where your money is invested.
Here are some tips and pointers about making sure your money is safe:
Banks and Credit Unions
If your money is in an account that is FDIC insured AND your account balance is less than the FDIC insurance limit, then you are as safe as you can be. The same goes for credit unions, except they are insured by NCUA. It’s the same idea, but a different organization. They are both backed by the federal government, so the government is going to make sure your funds are there when you need them.
Certificates of Deposit, Bonds, etc.
These really depend on who is backing the bond. If you have a treasury bond, you’re all set. Those are bonds issued by the government, so they are backed by the financial resources of the government. Most bonds and CDs fall into this category, so you should be safe. These fall under the same FDIC insurance as savings accounts, except that CD insurance is (currently) at $250,000 per institution, instead of the $100,000 limit for checking and savings. Keep in mind that a little investigating may save you untold heartache, so it would be good to ask about your specific CDs.
If your CDs are backed by a financial institution that is not FDIC insured, then you may consider breaking the certificate and paying the penalty to get your money out early. You can then put the remaining money into CDs and Treasury Bonds that are fully backed by the government. This will allow you to know that your money will be safe, even if the bank that holds the certificate falters.
Stock Portfolios
If your money is in the stock-market (i.e. it is in a 401(k) plan), then you’re not so lucky. Then again, you’re very lucky. It depends on how you want to look at it and how much time you have until you need that money.
If you need the money now (or within the year) from your stock-market portfolio, then you may be in trouble. The value of those stocks may be worth considerably less than they were even a year ago. The longer you can leave them sit, the better off you should be.
However, if you have five to ten years to leave the stocks alone and let the stock-market rebound, you’re in great shape. In fact, you could actually see a profit in this situation. You see, for every dollar you put into the market right now, you’re buying more shares of stocks than you were a year ago for the same dollar. In some cases, two-to-three times the amount.
Now, this doesn’t mean to dump everything you have into stocks. The market is still a bit too unstable for that, and the stock market is – after all – a gamble. But if you can just hold on and keep contributing to your retirement plan just as you have been, the odds are in your favor to come out ahead.
Of course, it is always a good idea to know where your stock-purchases are going. You may want to make some adjustments to your portfolio to ensure that the dollars you are investing are going to solid funds, but don’t panic. You just need to sit tight with the patience to let the market rebound.
Jerry Hanel is a freelance writer, computer programmer, and over-all financial scrooge… but in a good way. You can find more frugal living tips and financial information at Jerry’s Frugal Living Tips.
http://www.jerryandcheryl.net/financial
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