considering the economy, where do you/would you keep your money?

[jackson'smama]

Are banks safe these days? I'm starting to worry about some big crash and I'm worrying about the money I have set aside to purchase land or a home. It's just in a regular old money market at the neighborhood bank. The interest rate has decreased drastically this past year, but it's still making something each month.
Is there a safer/better place to keep it?

[superstella]

Well if it's a big (huge) crash then any money I have laying around my house will likely be worth nothing more than the paper it's printed on. The banks are insured, and I don't have so much money that I'm worried about it. I do keep a small amount around the house for emergencies, but I'd worry about a fire or something if I had a huge amount.

[Free Thinker]

We are in the process of building (just started) and have had saved $$ in revolving CDs for the last few years. Now the highest interest rate I can get is less than 4%, that's in a 1 year CD, so we are switching ours into our MMDA which gets 3.8% right now. If I were still in the saving stage, I'd call and get the highest IR CD I could find and lock it in that. I had revolving CDs, so that one came due every few months incase of emergency and I needed the $$ we would have it. I feel like the banks are relatively safe, but right now rates are just really bad, so you won't be making much on interest, but something is better than nothing!

[amyamanda]

You can check bank ratings here, for free: http://www.thestreet.com/tsc/ratings/screener.html click on "banks and thrifts" for banks, or use whichever category fits your situation. An economist friend recommended this. More and more banks are failing and it's good to have your money with a high-rating institution. Good luck.

[jeca]

I still keep our money in the bank. We have our EF in a USAA money market account and it hasn't taken any kind of hit.

[A&A]

You could always buy some gold and/or silver. And gold/silver don't have to be just for "doomsday" scenarios.

We bought some silver and sold it a month later for a $200 profit. Not bad for a month's investment.