This is
G&G Associates
Tax & Financial Consulting Services
e-Newsletter


The “Fantasy Deposit Assurance Corporation”

Dear G&G Reader,

If there’s one thing that constitutes a bankers’ worst nightmare, it’s a bank run.
Because – as we can see in today’s markets – banks are more than happy to carry on the illusion of “solvency” as long as it’s in the banker’s best interest.

But a run? Well, with a run…all bets are off. Depositors cry “Show me the money!” and the heist is over. The bank doesn’t have time to wait for loans to be repaid. They suddenly can’t fulfill the massive demand from their depositors and everyone loses (except the lucky few that reach the teller’s window first).

That’s why the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) is one of the greatest achievements in the history of bank regulation; because it prevents bank runs.
How? Not by actually insuring all deposits, but by assuring depositors’ peace of mind.

Uncle Sam Says: “Don’t Worry…The Money’s There”

You see, the FDIC’s dirty little secret is that they don’t really have enough money to back all the deposits they’re insuring. They didn’t even receive the authority to collect their insurance premiums until 2006…shortly before Sheila Bair took office. Even more shocking is the fact that the FDIC collected no insurance premiums whatsoever from most banks in the decade between 1996 and 2006, according to the Boston Globe.

Why hasn’t this mattered? Because the FDIC is a security blanket…and it’s actual functionability is secondary to the psychological effect it has on the depositors it insures.

Step back and think about it for a second. Have you been watching the evening news lately? How many times have your local news anchors reminded you that the FDIC insures all bank deposits? Likely more than once.

Or perhaps you caught CNBC’s “Special Town Hall Event: Who’s Protecting Our Money?” featuring Jim Cramer and Erin Burnett. Did you feel like you were being “sold” on the legitimacy…the credibility of FDIC insurance? If you can be convinced that the FDIC will protect your deposits, then it’s essentially served its purpose. Because it will keep you – and the rest of America – from rushing to the bank to collect your deposits in the case of an emergency. As such, it guarantees that banks won’t face the imminent demise of a run…giving them time to rebuild their balance sheets and muster the funding to make their depositors whole.

And the FDIC has had a massive impact, even on today’s crisis.

Think about it. If the FDIC didn’t exist, who what person in their right mind would still have any money with Citigroup? Normally speaking, depositors would be extremely concerned by the fact that Citi (or indeed any bank) is – for all intents and purposes – currently insolvent.

What beyond the FDIC’s guaranteed insurance could possibly compel a depositor to trust that institution with his or her continued business?

Competing for the Title “Worst Insurer on the Planet”

Now I'm not saying that the FDIC is insolvent. I'm not saying that they’re likely to fail at their obligations. If worse comes to worst, Congress will back them and print fresh ("Fiat" aka "Fake") dollars to satisfy their obligations. But inquiring minds want to know just how deep in the hole are they?

The answer; pretty deep!

According to a Bloomberg report from September of last year (my, what a difference a few months can make) the FDIC had assets of US$45.2 Billion, and a US$70 Billion dollar line of credit, bolstered by promises of more credit being made available when it becomes necessary.

Behind that limited pool of assets, the FDIC was – as of Bloomberg’s report last year – guaranteeing some US$4.5 trillion in deposits (under the And adding more fuel to the fire is the FDIC’s own “troubled bank” list.

After 25 bank closures in 2008 and 18 so far this year, the list has ballooned from 171 to 252 banks, and the pool of associated “troubled bank” assets from US$115.6 Billion to US$159 Billion, roughly matching the FDIC’s pool of assets.

Facing a list of “troubled banks” that could wipe out the FDIC’s reserves, it’s no wonder that they’ve stepped up the PR campaign to sooth or better yet "FOOL" the public. But the harsh reality is that they – like their long-forgotten sister organization, the “Federal Savings and Loan Insurance Corporation” – face a problem that’s too big for them to handle. They may, like the FSLIC, face several bouts of insolvency in the coming years. And the face of the organization might even change drastically before it’s all said and done.

But what if the FDIC takes over your bank? And what if they’re busy scheduling “emergency funding” when they do so?

Improving Your Deposit Insurance

I believe diversification is the key here. “In the United States, cash management should include spreading your bank deposits among two or three institutions, perhaps a local bank that is small yet profitable.” Better yet...place your money in USPS Money orders. Why? Because the USPS are backed by real money, yes GOLD...become a G&G Investment Society (GGIS) member and I'll send you a report explainin this very fact.

I also recommends gold & silver coins as an insurance policy against questionable banks, possible inflation and the uncertainty in today’s markets, “Buy gold coins. Store part of your holding at home in a safe or vault and the balance in a safety deposit box at a local bank. If you're financially able, store some gold overseas. Private banks in Europe normally require at least a US$100,000 deposit to get started.”

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Feel free to pass this along to all those you know and care about who you want to help preserve their wealth. If not, at least take action yourself.

Thanks

Gary Gray
Tax & Financial Consultant, RFC
G&G Associates
877-817-6031 toll-free
866-361-3872 toll free fax
www.gngassociates.net

"A Prudent man foresees the difficulties ahead and prepares for them; the simpleton goes on blindly and suffers the consequences."
Proverbs 22:3 -- Living Proverbs



LEGAL NOTICE: This work is based on SEC filings, current events, interviews, corporate press releases and what I've learned as a financial consultant. It may contain errors and you shouldn't make any investment decision based solely on what you read here. It's your money and your responsibility. G&G Associates gets paid a commission from a membership purchase at www.publicgold.com/gngpreciousmetals.