Now hat its a new year everyone is asking what the best investments are. While at the end of the year 2008 bank CD rates were very popular, they have grown a bit cold and just aren’t providing the great return that they used too.

Are there any other alternatives to investing? Of course there are. What about simple old-fashioned bank savings and checking accounts? Many people have found that savings account at their local banks are using quite a bit higher returns than CD rates.

Why not try something else that works. Online banking. It makes sense because there is very little overhead for the bank itself, and thus the bank is able to offer quite a bit more in return than a normal brick and mortar location would.

It is true that some banks have crashed and burned, and many people have questions of what the future of banking will bring. Many question whether it is safe to be investing large amounts of cash into checking or even savings accounts.

If you really want to know the truth, then whether your bank does fall into serious financial trouble, the FDIC is willing to cover over $250,000 per account. This means that if the bank falls short, your money will be covered and returned to.

Some have the thought that because of new presidency, that the economy will be changing rapidly, and soon. Even with this optimism there is no certainty of whether banks in general will recover from a serious disasters of lending money to those who cannot repay.

Currently your best option may be to invest with a large bank that you are comfortable with, which also may be a bank that is buying up smaller banks. This ensures that your bank is not only strong but in a position to take over the debts of struggling financial institutions.

However you look at things and make a choice, we certainly hope that you make wise choices with your money, and save for the future not only for your family but also for a rainy day of financial troubles if need be.