Question

1. What are some considerations in choosing a financial institution? Which one do you think would be the most important consideration for you in choosing a financial institution?
2. What are the pros and cons of U.S. savings bonds?
3. What are some of the problems that individuals might face if they use one of the "problematic" financial institutions?
4. What are some of the consumer protections available? What can individuals do to protect themselves?
5. What are some of the advantages and disadvantages of choosing a federally-insured account?

Answer 1

1. In choosing a financial institution you must consider how frequently the bank responds, how long they operate on the weekends, the notary services they are offering, the loans you can get and their financial strength among others. The most important factor to consider would be the institution's financial strength since you must only put your trust in institutions with high strength.

2. One good thing about the U.S. savings bonds is their security and the fact that the investments that you will make in these bonds will not cost you any form of state or local taxes. Cons would include its complexity though as it can get hard for you to identify when the bonds will mature, their interest rates, when to know how to cash them, and their current value.

3. If you put your trust in the so-called "problematic" financial institutions, you are basically gambling your money away. First of all, as mentioned earlier, you must only put your trust in banks with a healthy financial strength since problematic ones will be unreliable and unsafe. Trusting them can lead to your money being stolen or you can also be bombarded with additional fees.

4. The state and local government have laws that will protect the consumer from unfair practices or frauds. As an individual, you can add more security to protect yourself and your money. This protection includes setting up alerts on your bank account, adding a two-step verification on your emails so no one can access it easily, as well as avoiding calling lists.

5. One major advantage is that the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation has a $100,000 guarantee per institution so your investment won't be totally gone during unfortunate circumstances. The disadvantage, on the other hand, is that the interest rates on federally-insured accounts are below the inflation rate so you can expect a decrease in the value of your money over time.