Author of What to Eat When You’re Broke and Bloom Where You’re Planted online course
Right on the heels of seeing a downgrade of the creditworthiness of the United States itself, Moody’s has downgraded ten small to medium banks across the country, citing “financial strain” and “strains that could erode their profitability.” Six more banks are under review, and another eleven have been shifted from “stable” to negative.
If you still have all your money in the banking system, you’re quickly running out of time to change strategies and preserve some of your wealth.
Which banks got downgraded?
The ten banks which were downgraded are:
- Commerce Bancshares
- BOK Financial Corporation
- M&T Bank Corporation
- Old National Bancorp
- Prosperity Bancshares
- Amarillo National Bancorp
- Webster Financial Corporation
- Fulton Financial Corporation
- Pinnacle Financial Partners
- Associated Banc-Corp
According to the Federal Reserve, the largest of these is M&T, which is the 19th largest bank in the country.
More banks are under review.
But the downgrades may not stop there. Moody’s has said that six more banks are “under review.”
Those banks are:
- Bank of New York Mellon Corporation
- Northern Trust Corporation
- State Street Corporation
- Cullen/Frost Bankers
- Truist Financial Corporation
- U.S. Bancorp
Other banks have been given a “negative outlook.”
The bad news doesn’t stop with these 16 banks. Another eleven have been shifted from stable to negative:
- PNC Financial Services Group
- Capital One Financial Corporation
- Citizens Financial Group
- Fifth Third Bancorp
- Huntington Bancshares
- Regions Financial Corporation
- Cadence Bank
- F.N.B. Corporation
- Simmons First National Corporation
- Ally Financial
- Bank OZK
According to the Washington Post:
And Moody’s assigned a negative outlook to 11 more banks, meaning their ratings could be downgraded in the medium to long term. That group also included some of the nation’s biggest lenders, including PNC Financial Services Group, Capital One and Citizens Financial.
Why are these banks struggling?
CBS reports:
In its report, Moody’s highlighted that some of the issues that caused the banking crisis earlier this year haven’t disappeared; banks are still at risk for depositors to withdraw their funds, while the current higher-interest rate environment is knocking down the value of investments lenders made when rates were super low.
The rating agency added that asset risks are also rising for small- and mid-sized banks, especially those with large corporate real estate (CRE) holdings.
“Elevated CRE exposures are a key risk given sustained high interest rates, structural declines in office demand due to remote work, and a reduction in the availability of CRE credit,” it noted.
Smaller banks are especially at risk, given that they have “sizable unrealized economic losses” that could cause investors to lose confidence, it stated in the Monday report.
What should you do?
If you happen to bank with any of these companies, you may be feeling pretty uneasy, and for good cause. We’ve already watched the failure of multiple banks this year, and at the time, we predicted that we had not seen the end of these closures and collapses.
I’ve written about financial preparedness here in this article. We’re watching this unfold in real-time. I cannot possibly urge you strongly enough to get your financial ducks in a row. If you haven’t invested in precious metals, this would be the time because I just don’t think our system will look the same this time next year. To learn more about this kind of wealth preservation strategy, go here.
Of course, “experts” are saying there’s nothing to see here.
I don’t think that I’m jumping the gun when I say that things are going downhill fast. But financial experts in the mainstream sector seem to feel like this is not concerning.
Christopher Marinac, director of research at Janney Montgomery Scott, said that the news would have little impact on customers.
‘I don’t think there is a risk at all. You cannot expect banks to have zero credit problems and zero losses all of the time.’
He added that customers of the banks affected could trust their money is ‘safe.’
The mainstream is saying that we don’t need to move our money. And as we saw before, a massive de-banking can actually cause a bank to go under.
I am not a financial advisor, but I can tell you that I personally am NOT keeping all my financial eggs in one basket – er – bank account. You need to make your decisions based on strategies that work for you, not in the hopes of supporting the banks. You need to find advisors who are NOT involved with your bank – of course, the banks’ advisors will tell you everything is fine.
It’s game on for the economic collapse.
It would be nice if I could say that I see a way for things to get better. But between “Bidenomics,” banks tumbling like a row of dominos, the looming threat of CBDCs, and rampant inflation, I just cannot give a positive prediction.
You are the only person who can make decisions solely in the best interest of yourself and your family. You cannot expect the banks to be looking out for you or the government to watch your back.
These downgrades from Moody’s ARE the warning. A wise person will heed it.
What are your thoughts?
Do you think it’s all about to come tumbling down? Do you bank with anybody on the list? What do you plan to change financially, if anything? Let’s talk about it in the comments section.
About Daisy
Daisy Luther is a coffee-swigging, adventure-seeking, globe-trotting blogger. She is the founder and publisher of three websites. 1) The Organic Prepper, which is about current events, preparedness, self-reliance, and the pursuit of liberty; 2) The Frugalite, a website with thrifty tips and solutions to help people get a handle on their personal finances without feeling deprived; and 3) PreppersDailyNews.com, an aggregate site where you can find links to all the most important news for those who wish to be prepared. Her work is widely republished across alternative media and she has appeared in many interviews.
Daisy is the best-selling author of 5 traditionally published books, 12 self-published books, and runs a small digital publishing company with PDF guides, printables, and courses at SelfRelianceand Survival.com You can find her on Facebook, Pinterest, Gab, MeWe, Parler, Instagram, and Twitter.
I don’t think you’re jumping at shadows Daisy. I’m no Economics Expert, but the Financial Systems, at home and abroad, are on ground shakier than in 2008 before the Dot.Com collapse.
Some of the numbers we’re seeing, I strongky suspect are manipulated, and not reflecting what’s truly going on.
It’s going to get worse.
The writing is on the wall. The trillions in debt that can never be repaid, the non stop billions of aid to the Ukraine money laundering machine for the deep state, rampant inflation, rising gas prices, rising grocery prices, supply and distribution manipulation, credit down grades, and that’s just for starters! Its definitely time to grab some life rafts in the form of Bitcoin, precious metals, bullion bucks, lead (ammo) and other forms of crypto. The BlackRock ETF is most likely going to get approved as well as a bunch of other major financial institutional ETFs which means trillions of dollars will likely flow into BTC and the crypto space in the next bull run which should occur towards the EOY or after the BTC halving in April of next year. Last chance for any sort of retirement IMO!
Throughout history no government that has ever created a fiat currency (meaning one that’s neither made of (or backed by) uncounterfeitable precious metals or easily divisible commodities like grains, alcohol, chocolate, etc … has ever been able to resist counterfeiting such fiat currencies. The typical motive is a government bureaucracy’s insatiable motive to spend more and more to fund their warfare/welfare ambitions. The ancient Romans did it which caused many citizens to flee to other countries. When Charles I tried heavily taxing the British which helped cause a civil war, he was tried for treason and beheaded three days later. So in the 1690s the Bank of England was created to use fiat money to be able to steal extra purchasing power by counterfeiting from the citizenry in a way to the majority would not understand and had no lone criminal to punish.
During our American Revolution there was serious starvation resulting from a combination of colonial over-printing of the “continentals” money AND deliberate counterfeiting of it by the British to starve the Americans. Memories of that starvation were still very fresh in 1792 when the American US Coinage Act was passed that prohibited using anything but pure silver to make coins — upon penalty of death for violators. The next case of unbacked money didn’t happen until Lincoln created the unbacked greenbacks. After his mis-named civil war the country went on a gold standard until 1913 when Woodrow Wilson (sneaked into office in the 1912 election by secret British cash to pay for Teddy Roosevelt to suck away enough votes from Taft) signed off on the Federal Reserve Act to facilitate counterfeiting American money to help pay for America’s getting sucked into joining England against Germany in the coming European civil war.
Every war (and welfare project) since then that the USA has been in has partly relied on such fiat money counterfeiting. Just in the last couple of years I’ve seen news reports that the US money supply has been increased by a record 40%!!! That is an all-time historical record for US theft of purchasing power by counterfeiting. The Austrian Economics people call such theft of purchasing power the Cantillon Effect. Those buddies of the Fed who get first crack at the new money typically spend it on valuables (real estate, businesses, valuable commodities, war material, etc) before the new fraudulent money slowly ripples through the economy to jack up prices gradually. The double standard of government-shielded counterfeiting (versus private individuals who risk prison or death) is ongoing and obvious once that scam is understood. It’also a scam (while quickly explained here in a couple of paragraphs) will never be allowed discussion in any government-approved public school history book — or any lamestream “news” media.
It’s also worth knowing how people have tried to defend themselves from looming out-of-control inflation. Many Russians during the sad dictatorship of the USSR learned to grow their own food in family gardens. In our era there are people who are doing everything possible to replace their fast-dropping-in-value US dollars with precious metals, with storable goods for barter, and even a few are learning how to use crypto currencies via non-custodial wallets that no central government can track, tax, or confiscate. There are some people who are considering (or have already moved) moving to other countries that may be less likely to knuckle under to the globalist CBDC digital money which will destroy all US Constitutional protections of privacy and property rights.
There is even a UK business that archives massive quantities of gold bullion in a Swiss (Brinks) vault and sells rights to whatever percent of such bullion to people in other countries — which they can spend as much or as little as they want in their country via a company-issued Mastercard. That company is https://glintpay.com/us
There is one very unusual story of a wealthy German who figured out how to financially benefit wildly as he saw hyperinflation coming in Weimar Germany. His name was Hugo Stinnes. He loaded up on all kinds of property, businesses, and other valuables while paying for them with pre-hyper-inflation loans. When hyper-inflation hit so badly that a wheelbarrow full of paper Germany money could not even buy a loaf of bread — thieves would steal the wheelbarrows while leaving the worthless paper money on the ground. Stinnes then easily paid off those loans with the new worth-much-less money and became the richest man in Germany … a year before he died.
–Lewis
yep 2 of mine are on the list. so being an “oldie” and having stubborn hubs who doesnt believe anything will actually happen to our retirement/savings etc…..he wont go for metals, etc. so where can I put some/all to save it? who would I trust to give me honest info at this point?> thanks for any suggestions asap.
Hi Kt – google Catherine Austin Fitts – she’s quite famous now and publishes the solari Report which might be found at Solari.com
She has been advising individuals for decades and one suggestion she always offered besides investing in precious metals is to bank with local community banks or credit unions that are very solid – and they are out there – I have my funds in one of each in Sonoma Co California, even though I moved to a different state a few yrs ago and these are both very ‘solid’ debt free institutions which I feel safe having my money in. My bigger worry is not them going under but what will happen when the whole system goes into CBDCs and banks are forced to cooperate with that. So I would look at what you have in your area that might be a good institution. You could use as a model those which I’ve mentioned which are Exchange Bank and Redwood Credit Union of Sonoma County California. But do look at Solari. Good luck! We’re all going to need it!
thanks Christina, just read your reply. think I will go ahead and reopen my credit union acct and move some over there. what about cds? would you get some, laddered? just dont trust anything these days, never thought we’d live to see this happening in our lifetime…lol
invest in making your home comfortable for old age; make capital improvements that will do well in hard times–solar with battery backup; greenhouse to heat home and grow plants as well as increasing your home’s value. learn skills that make your life better, like sewing, canning, gardening, cooking–skills that benefit you now and later. don’t invest in anything you don’t understand. if it is too good to be true…it isn’t true. keep a significant cash hidden away at home and maybe in a safety deposit box or with an out of town friend. be sure your car runs well and the gas tank never goes below 1/2. get your dental work caught up; have a medical check up with labwork; get new glasses.
Two of my banks are on the list also. 🙁 Same as “kt”, my hubs really isn’t interested in metals. I’m trying to convince him to spend some on big & small home improvements (new roof, new mattress, etc.) while our money is still available. We are retired and have no debt–been frugal all our lives and lived below our budget but no fear it could all be wiped out. What to do???
Live simply – see my comment above written to Kt which is same suggestion I’d give to you
same as you livesimply, no debt, retired. would love to ditch this house but afraid we wouldnt get its worth, its paid off; have 3 banks, savings in one, but afraid like you, things are going south. do I split up the savings, move it all to a smaller local bank, open a credit union acct to pay bills, what? just dont know! cant even get him to start taking rmds (he’s eligible). do we pay the fed/state taxes up front from the rmd, do we take all required from one acct or split the rmd from the others too? any ideas?
that should read “NOW fear it could all be wipe out.”
Most of the banks probably bought low interest US treasury bonds at the insistence of the Fed. Now that they need the funds, they can’t sell them for what they paid for them. Then they become insolvent.
The game on unsuspecting & gullible public continues especially those watching mainstream media & not Daisy’s prepper followers:)
Remember Jim Cramer on CNBC telling audiences as coming ‘08 hurricane collapse, to buy.. buy..buy as stocks started sinking 🙁
Btw he did the same recently months ago with the two CA bank fiascos that started with SVB & Signature Bank!
As a retired financial advisor I tell friends & acquaintances to establish various layers of protection: precious metals (not Gold IRA’s), cash, crypto & barter(able) items. Prep with food (grow your own as much as possible), store water (catchment or ground well even better) and independent solar with battery storage backup, preferably not tied to grid.
Last but not least own real estate with land, not in big metro cities but small town America to be with like minded people to help each other during a SHTF scenario. Keep reserves to cover & pay the property taxes and establish the ‘Castle Doctrine’ that’s imbedded in our 🇺🇸 Constitution against our current Tyrannical Government run by the Elites!
But I’m probably preaching to the choir:)
My bank’s on the list… I suspected it would be because they’ve been offering a 4.65% high interest savings account deal to attract new assets to the bank.
Found a great website describing what happens when a bank collapses.
https://www.investopedia.com/what-happens-if-my-bank-fails-7378029
As folks have said before… I don’t fear losing the money I have in the bank because of a collapse, but I fear more losing the VALUE of that money thru inflation as it sits in the account… especially if hyperinflation kicks in.
HOWEVER… if my bank were to collapse, and my business is run out of that bank, or I rely on that account to pay my monthly bills (vs a savings account that I don’t need monthly), THAT would be a problem. The delays and confusion as a new bank buys out the old one (typically what happens) would not be fun. Doable, but not fun.
So… I think I’ll move my monthly bill-paying account over to a stronger bank and I’ll leave my (< $250k) Savings at the high interest bank. I suspect all banks will eventually end up bought up by JP Morgan Chase. I think their goal is to have one (or maybe a few) banks survive, but just to provide a "familiar" interface, but not as "real" banks… the end goal is for the Fed to have all of our accounts. This is just as effective for "control" as a CBDC.
BTW… I've worked with ITM Trading personally and were real happy with their service. LOVE watching Lynnette's YouTube videos. Precious metals might just be the best "bank" out there.
Can’t drink or eat precious metals. The gold or silver will not fill our hungry tummies. FOOO and Purified water is what keeps us alive… What about bartering? Ummmm many will resort to doing that I think and strength in numbers will also survive…Might be mistaken…but when the masses find no food or water in the stores and they need food and water, then what?????
As I’ve explained repeatedly, gold and silver is not for bartering during bad times. It’s so you don’t lose everything you’ve saved during those times and still have your savings when the bad times are over in a medium that can be converted to the new currency.
If you don’t have preps, obviously you should do this before investing in metals. But people here are preppers and it’s safe to assume they have food and water. It’s our retirement funds and savings accounts we buy metals to protect.
I agree with Daisy. I have not been counting on any kind of safety in banks for many years. When I was 11 the bank my father used went belly up. One day after he deposited his Fisher Body paycheck.
He could not get that money, nor the small amount that was already there. We lived paycheck to paycheck. Yes, the FDIC did cover what he had in the bank, but it was several months before he got that payout. FDIC he learned (therefore I learned) that the FDIC goes through a whole list of actions to recover all they money can from bank assets, after first trying to broker a sale to another bank. Until they exhausted every possibility of limiting how much they would have to pay out did the FDIC start doing so.
At the time there was a hierarchy for who got how much. And the simple household checking account holders were not the first ones to get money. We were fortunate that Daddy did get everything back, but not for the help of family and friends we would have really been suffering through those months. Even though he got paid the next month, and used a different bank, obviously, to cash the check, missing an entire paycheck for several months was a huge blow.
After that, once he decided on a new bank, and then, finally, a second bank with a totally independent company, he began depositing again, alternately, into both banks.
He did not leave the money in for very long. The bills requiring checks were paid out of the checking accounts, and after they cleared (it seemed faster in those days than now), he took out the rest in cash, leaving in enough to keep the account open.
Once I had income myself I started doing the same thing. Two checking accounts in two separate banks. I maintained that from the time I was 18 until I became disabled and had to get Section 8 Housing assistance.
They did not tell me I could not have two bank accounts, but they made it clear that they found it suspicious for me to have two bank accounts when I had to go on Section 8. Pretty much considered that a very strong indicator I was trying to defraud the system.
I was unhappy with Bank of America at that time and closed out that account. I have not had enough money coming in to afford a second account for some time, but I still draw the account down as soon as all my bills that go through the bank have been paid. Then the rest is pulled out and put in my pocket. Or preps.
I am 70 years old now and in poor health. I do not have many years left and unless my publisher gets me a movie deal on one of my books I am not going to have any money to do anything with except pay most of my medical bills, my rent, my medical and truck insurance, and food. A little sometimes to add a small prep or two.
If I did have a steady income where I had some discretionary income, what I would do now, considering the financial situation in the US and around the world, would be to try to make arrangements with a farm, a ranch, a truck farm, or something similar that I could provide them something in return for a guaranteed source for a balanced food diet.
Continue to increase my general preps such as Basic Human Needs; and items needed for specific types of disasters.
Purchase, without a paper trail, 1/10-ounce US Mint Gold Eagles, 1-ounce US Mint 1-ounce Silver Eagles, circulated pre-1965 US Mint 90% silver dimes and quarters.
Barter and trade goods suitable for the various stages of a major disaster, post-disaster period/Post Apocalyptic World situation, and if possible items for the recovery period, though those do require quite a bit of money and guesswork so are probably a very low priority.
Items needed for at least one, and preferably two or three, types of occupations that one can do in a post-disaster environment in order to generate whatever the currency at the time turns out to be to pay whatever government evolves the taxes that will surely be levied, and to pay the various monthly bills similar to currently such as rent, food, water, etc.
Consumable supplies cannot last forever. Not only should one begin using the part of the Prep Plan that involves acquiring additional food, water, and sanitation if needed, and other Basic Human Needs just as soon as possible so as much of the stored items can be held in reserve in case of a setback.
The same for the post-event operations that will provide two or more separate income streams to generate some of the prevailing currency that will develop for those that no longer want to barter and trade, or live longer distances that makes moving trade and barter goods those distance, and those contrary people, like me, that want PMs in standard forms, and are willing and capable of dealing with them.
Just my opinion.
The more you write, the less they read.
I read it.
A lot to learn from people who have had real experiences during tough times.
And, it is interesting.
I, too, read it. Every word. There is some good information in what he said.
Rude. I found it helpful too. More info with personal experiences the more we learn real life.
If China stops accepting dollars then the dollar collapses in hyperinflation, imports become unavailable and food may be scarce.
For now fake economic numbers and money printing will keep things going while we slowly get poorer due to inflation.
Once the BRICS nations roll out their precious metals backed currency, all those greenbacks are going to come flooding back into America, making the dollar even more worthless than it is now. That’s coming sooner rather than later.
Sorry Steve, it’s just not going to be that easy either here or the rest of the world. The dollars tentacles run so far and wide, and yes, there is a glimmer of hope, it’s probably 10-25 years, short of the 2nd Coming of it being replaced.
I dunno Marty.
In 2001 the USD was held in reserve currency status of the world at 73% of holdings.
By 2021 it those holdings fell to 55%.
Then in 2022 it fell by 19% to 47%.
If this trend continues it is expected to fall to 30% by 2024.
The world is de-dollarizating (is that a word?). And at a faster rate than many expected.
Combine that with our national debt and outrageous spending the US is going down hill so much so might just see the end of the US empire in our lifetime.
On Aug. 1, 1991, no one imagined that the Soviet Union was about to collapse and break apart. It can happen just as easily and quickly here.
Lets see, you do a lock-down of the economy which is bad on banks. You quickly raise interest rates and grade the banks bond holdings of the previous year purchased near or around 0%. Then you get ratings agencies to talk about it. What a plan guys!
I had a $7600 tax bill coming due by July 31. I was so concerned that I tried to pay it early( by April 30) but the county tax office told me there was no way they could accommodate me until they receive appropriate paperwork. I was so utterly concerned; would I make it to July 1-5 when tax bills arrive? So yes I did make to the office on July 3 with much relief.
I see a report this week showing my bank along with 40 others being under watch or downgraded by Moodys. Seems like most of the notable banks in the Mid-Atlantic made the list. So bank anxiety knocks at my door again
Marty, Mount Airy, Md
Neither of my banks are on the list, but then I bank with local banks.
How about down grading an entire state?
S&P say the out flow of people from CA to other states is leaving those who remain being forced to pay higher home owners insurance driving the cost of living even higher, which likely will mean more people will leave, leaving those who remain being forced to pay higher . . .
https://justthenews.com/nation/states/center-square/sp-says-california-outmigration-could-result-state-credit-downgrade
It won’t matter if your bank is on the list or not. The simple fact that we are seeing larger numbers of banks on the list is the big thing. As the smaller banks struggle, or go under, it will undermine confidence in ALL the banks. The more that go under – the more confidence will be lost. Even the top three banks can not survive a bank run. The may have a lot more money/assets in their holdings, but the percentage that they maintain is the same as the smaller banks. (Just orders of magnitude larger)
As I pointed out to a family member last weekend: “The crash of 1929 wasn’t the crash of 1929, until it was.” Or to put it another way, and one that seems very relevant to our present situation: It was slow, slow, slow, slow….holy shit! What just happened?
Lone Canadian,
That is what I am expecting.
Wake up one morning, fire up the computer and see the headlines to the affect of,
“Holy sh1t! What just happened?”
And then watch all the talking heads try to make sense of it, which they will not until they get some egghead on air to explain what did happen. Unless dumb downed to Sesame Street level and a whole lot of charts and graphics, the average person will not understand what happened.
Just, poof! Your savings are gone, or worth nothing due to hyper-inflation!
Then stand back and watch the chaos explode.
best to keep your eyes and ears to the grindstone , and be prepared to take out all your savings or transfer as much , as you are comfortable with ,to properly constructed life insurance companies ( hope they are fiduciarries and cannot take your money nor invest that money without you knowing about it . Then get dividends and compound interest ! or if you are already too old ,( it take some years to start building after commissions are coming out ) Get CD’s from a investment broker (not bank). they pay on the short term more then you savings account . ladder them buy 3 mo’s or 6 mo’s every new month,with rollover attached , and stop them from rolling over when you need a sizeable cash amount for anything in the future , and cash out only as much as you need ( taxable event ) make sure your’e old enough for a low tax bracket .LOL.
I don’t bank with any of those, but that hardly means I am safe. All banks are at risk. Credit Unions are a bit safer, but gold and silver are much better. And Catherine Austin Fitts mentioned the “friends bank,” I think she called it. She loaned money generously to friends in need, and then when she was attacked by the US Fedgov, making her the one in need, gobs of money came back to her. She says this is much safer than any SWIFT institution.
I agree 100%. we are at the end in banking system. They would have to go back to pre -1913 before the FED took over the FIAT system. They have turned into the greatest PONZI scheme and corrupt money stealing operation know to man, Gold and Silver would have to be reintroduced with the metals redeemable for currency on request. Only a slim chance for that to happen. hope lives eternal!!!
The breakup of the US is inevitable. The only question is when. Afterward, new conservative republics will form. They will have to require many things in order to restore liberty and their citizens’ unalienable rights. Three include prohibiting a central bank, limiting the geographic reach of any bank, and mandating a currency backed with precious metals.
IMHO Wells Fargo should top the list. Between the fake account scandals and not crediting deposits, it is a criminal enterprise that should be shut down.
Many secret Chinese labs in the USA that want to exterminate us and China is preparing to invade USA. They have taken over Cuba. Many Chinese sneaking over our borders. We have a woke military and no Ammo; it is in Afganistan and Ukraine. After this happens none of this will mater; we will be hunted and gunned down. The Chinese want our beautiful country for themselfs. I don’t know what to do with our retirment funds. I have a jumbo CD paying 5% and treasury bill paying 5.365. Have a large amount of cash. A bank mgr.told us not to deposit the cash. I suppose for the IRS sneaks. One bank with PNC.; they have been graded negative. My wife has her head in the sand and will not do anything. She hates PMs. I’m lost.
Interesting. A while back, banks in the West went through the same thing. I recognized almost all bank names then.
This post is about banks I have never heard of, or just barely; bancorps sound familiar, but none of the others, so all of THESE banks must be situated/located in the East.
I find this interesting