Is your bank in trouble? If it was - and you knew -what would you do? Withdraw all your money or wait and see if things worked out OK? After the Armageddon like economic shake-up that we've been recently faced with, many Americans are asking themselves these questions and wondering just how safe their money in the bank really is.

Personally, because I've been following financial news and threads closely for the last couple years, I'm not surprised at the meltdown that is currently occurring. I have been antipicating a meltdown for awhile, but just didn't know how it would unfold. Basic laws of business apply here:

The United States Government and Wall Street have been making some bad business decisions, and like any business, bad decisions eventually catch up with you. I know because I owned and operated a small business for over 14 years. When you have problems and they are not addressed they only get worse. Throwing money at the problems doesn't make them go away, it just delays the problems getting solved (contrary to popular opinion, money does not solve everything)

So with the passage of the recent 700 Billion Dollar Bill to bail out Wall Street, I am cautiously optimistic. I know that unless the underlying problems that caused this mess are not addressed and cleaned up, we are going to be back to where we started, and this time we will just be deeper in the hole.

So with all this failing financial mess around us you might be feeling a little shaky about your bank, with good reason. Does that mean you should go out and withdraw all your money? Hide it under the mattress?

I'm not going to advocate doing that in this article but what I will say is that you at least have the right to know if your bank is in trouble, and if so, provide information for you to make a sound decision regarding your money. Because I am not a financial guru, I have provided a comprehensive list of important links below that can help you make better decisions with your money, and to understand how banks operate, and to understand more about whether your money in the bank is safe or not.

As for my own personal financial plan nowadays - mine is very simple. I use cash, money orders or cashiers checks to pay my bills and live on. I closed my checking accounts a while back, cancelled my ATM card and threw away my credit cards (gasp!)

For me and my life this works just fine. When I need to cash a check I go to Walmart, and I cash it for a very reasonable fee. I also get my money orders and cashiers checks there for a very reasonable fee ( I love not having to deal with those nasty bank service charges anymore!)

It has simplified my life, I am now down to only one small credit union account , which I have kept open. If I don't have cash to buy something, I don't get it. If I can't afford something, I no longer use credit to buy it. It has been a big life change, but for me one that was necessary to ensure I travel as light and simple as possible in this life. Some of you might gasp at the thought of not having an credit card but for me this lifestyle change has worked just fine. Sure I have had to make some adjustments but it was well worth it. That being said, I will never look back to my previous banking habits (which ultimately got me into trouble )

So if you are worried about your money in the bank, asking yourself if your bank is in trouble, please read up on the consequences and risks of both keeping or withdrawing your money from the bank.

(If you have found this article helpful please rate it and you are also welcome to join my fan club!)

-Dorsi