The banking turmoil following the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) has significantly affected the American public’s confidence in banks and other financial institutions, according to a new poll.
The poll from the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that just 10 percent of U.S. adults say they have high confidence in the nation’s banks and financial institutions, down from 22 percent in 2020.
A total of 57 percent said they have “only some” confidence in banks, while 30 percent have “hardly any.”
The nationwide poll of 1,081 adults was conducted from March 16–20, using a sample drawn from NORC’s probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.
Along with declining confidence in banks, the poll found that fewer Americans have high confidence in any branch of the U.S. government.
In addition, roughly half of the public anticipates the national economy and the state of the country will decline over the next year, with Republicans more than twice as likely as Democrats to expect the situation to worsen.
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The poll also found that a majority of Americans believe the government is not doing enough to regulate banks and other financial institutions: 56 percent said the government isn’t doing enough to regulate the industry, while 27 percent said it’s doing “about the right amount,” and 15 percent said it’s regulating “too much.”
Biden, Fed Say Banking System Stable
The latest findings come as both the Biden administration and the Federal Reserve have sought to quell fears over possible wide-reaching bank instability.
“Americans can have confidence that the banking system is safe. Your deposits will be there when you need them,” Biden said at a White House press conference on March 13.
His comments were reiterated by Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell on Wednesday after the policy-making Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) voted unanimously to raise interest rates by 25 points.
While speaking after the FOMC meeting, Powell told reporters that the U.S. banking system remains “sound and resilient” with “strong capital and liquidity.”
“We will continue to closely monitor conditions in the banking system and are prepared to use all of our tools as needed to keep it safe and sound,” Powell told reporters. “We are committed to learning the lessons from this episode, and to work to prevent episodes from events like this from happening again.”
However, fears are still rife of possible contagion following the collapse of SVB, the nation’s sixteenth-biggest bank, on March 10. The bank’s failure was prompted by a combination of rising interest rates, a dry-up in venture capital, and that a high percentage of customer deposits were invested in Treasury bonds, which are highly sensitive to interest rates.
‘Banking Crisis of the Rich’
Two days later, regulators closed New York-based Signature Bank, which had recently made headlines over its alleged involvement in the now-bankrupt crypto firm FTX.
Flagstar Bank, a subsidiary of New York Community Bancorp, will buy a significant portion of the failed bank’s deposits under a $2.7 billion deal with U.S. regulators announced on March 19.
Shortly after, Swiss banking giant Credit Suisse—which is among 30 financial institutions known as globally systemically important banks— was acquired by rival UBS in a $3.23 billion deal meant to stave off a collapse and broader market chaos.
However, some industry experts have framed the current turmoil as a “banking crisis of the rich” as opposed to the general population.
Speaking at a Bloomberg conference in London on Wednesday, Davide Serra, founder and CEO of global asset manager Algebris, said, “In this banking crisis, in a way, I would characterize it as a banking crisis of the rich. If you think about it SVB was the bank of all the tech guys, startups, and venture capitalists, the average deposit was more than $10 million—that’s not a little bank.”
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Serra also noted that First Republic was the bank of “hedge fund managers and private equity guys,” while Credit Suisse was the bank of the “global rich.”
“This time assets are fine, it’s a liability problem, and it’s in banks that are not normal banks … so in a way, it’s institution run, very concentrated clientele, albeit billionaires, and they all panicked” and moved their deposits out of the banks, he said. “But that’s not what’s going to happen to the rest of the banking system.”
Article cross-posted from our premium news partners at The Epoch Times.
Five Things New “Preppers” Forget When Getting Ready for Bad Times Ahead
The preparedness community is growing faster than it has in decades. Even during peak times such as Y2K, the economic downturn of 2008, and Covid, the vast majority of Americans made sure they had plenty of toilet paper but didn’t really stockpile anything else.
Things have changed. There’s a growing anxiety in this presidential election year that has prompted more Americans to get prepared for crazy events in the future. Some of it is being driven by fearmongers, but there are valid concerns with the economy, food supply, pharmaceuticals, the energy grid, and mass rioting that have pushed average Americans into “prepper” mode.
There are degrees of preparedness. One does not have to be a full-blown “doomsday prepper” living off-grid in a secure Montana bunker in order to be ahead of the curve. In many ways, preparedness isn’t about being able to perfectly handle every conceivable situation. It’s about being less dependent on government for as long as possible. Those who have proper “preps” will not be waiting for FEMA to distribute emergency supplies to the desperate masses.
Below are five things people new to preparedness (and sometimes even those with experience) often forget as they get ready. All five are common sense notions that do not rely on doomsday in order to be useful. It may be nice to own a tank during the apocalypse but there’s not much you can do with it until things get really crazy. The recommendations below can have places in the lives of average Americans whether doomsday comes or not.
Note: The information provided by this publication or any related communications is for informational purposes only and should not be considered as financial advice. We do not provide personalized investment, financial, or legal advice.
Secured Wealth
Whether in the bank or held in a retirement account, most Americans feel that their life’s savings is relatively secure. At least they did until the last couple of years when de-banking, geopolitical turmoil, and the threat of Central Bank Digital Currencies reared their ugly heads.
It behooves Americans to diversify their holdings. If there’s a triggering event or series of events that cripple the financial systems or devalue the U.S. Dollar, wealth can evaporate quickly. To hedge against potential turmoil, many Americans are looking in two directions: Crypto and physical precious metals.
There are huge advantages to cryptocurrencies, but there are also inherent risks because “virtual” money can become challenging to spend. Add in the push by central banks and governments to regulate or even replace cryptocurrencies with their own versions they control and the risks amplify. There’s nothing wrong with cryptocurrencies today but things can change rapidly.
As for physical precious metals, many Americans pay cash to keep plenty on hand in their safe. Rolling over or transferring retirement accounts into self-directed IRAs is also a popular option, but there are caveats. It can often take weeks or even months to get the gold and silver shipped if the owner chooses to close their account. This is why Genesis Gold Group stands out. Their relationship with the depositories allows for rapid closure and shipping, often in less than 10 days from the time the account holder makes their move. This can come in handy if things appear to be heading south.
Lots of Potable Water
One of the biggest shocks that hit new preppers is understanding how much potable water they need in order to survive. Experts claim one gallon of water per person per day is necessary. Even the most conservative estimates put it at over half-a-gallon. That means that for a family of four, they’ll need around 120 gallons of water to survive for a month if the taps turn off and the stores empty out.
Being near a fresh water source, whether it’s a river, lake, or well, is a best practice among experienced preppers. It’s necessary to have a water filter as well, even if the taps are still working. Many refuse to drink tap water even when there is no emergency. Berkey was our previous favorite but they’re under attack from regulators so the Alexapure systems are solid replacements.
For those in the city or away from fresh water sources, storage is the best option. This can be challenging because proper water storage containers take up a lot of room and are difficult to move if the need arises. For “bug in” situations, having a larger container that stores hundreds or even thousands of gallons is better than stacking 1-5 gallon containers. Unfortunately, they won’t be easily transportable and they can cost a lot to install.
Water is critical. If chaos erupts and water infrastructure is compromised, having a large backup supply can be lifesaving.
Pharmaceuticals and Medical Supplies
There are multiple threats specific to the medical supply chain. With Chinese and Indian imports accounting for over 90% of pharmaceutical ingredients in the United States, deteriorating relations could make it impossible to get the medicines and antibiotics many of us need.
Stocking up many prescription medications can be hard. Doctors generally do not like to prescribe large batches of drugs even if they are shelf-stable for extended periods of time. It is a best practice to ask your doctor if they can prescribe a larger amount. Today, some are sympathetic to concerns about pharmacies running out or becoming inaccessible. Tell them your concerns. It’s worth a shot. The worst they can do is say no.
If your doctor is unwilling to help you stock up on medicines, then Jase Medical is a good alternative. Through telehealth, they can prescribe daily meds or antibiotics that are shipped to your door. As proponents of medical freedom, they empathize with those who want to have enough medical supplies on hand in case things go wrong.
Energy Sources
The vast majority of Americans are locked into the grid. This has proven to be a massive liability when the grid goes down. Unfortunately, there are no inexpensive remedies.
Those living off-grid had to either spend a lot of money or effort (or both) to get their alternative energy sources like solar set up. For those who do not want to go so far, it’s still a best practice to have backup power sources. Diesel generators and portable solar panels are the two most popular, and while they’re not inexpensive they are not out of reach of most Americans who are concerned about being without power for extended periods of time.
Natural gas is another necessity for many, but that’s far more challenging to replace. Having alternatives for heating and cooking that can be powered if gas and electric grids go down is important. Have a backup for items that require power such as manual can openers. If you’re stuck eating canned foods for a while and all you have is an electric opener, you’ll have problems.
Don’t Forget the Protein
When most think about “prepping,” they think about their food supply. More Americans are turning to gardening and homesteading as ways to produce their own food. Others are working with local farmers and ranchers to purchase directly from the sources. This is a good idea whether doomsday comes or not, but it’s particularly important if the food supply chain is broken.
Most grocery stores have about one to two weeks worth of food, as do most American households. Grocers rely heavily on truckers to receive their ongoing shipments. In a crisis, the current process can fail. It behooves Americans for multiple reasons to localize their food purchases as much as possible.
Long-term storage is another popular option. Canned foods, MREs, and freeze dried meals are selling out quickly even as prices rise. But one component that is conspicuously absent in shelf-stable food is high-quality protein. Most survival food companies offer low quality “protein buckets” or cans of meat, but they are often barely edible.
Prepper All-Naturals offers premium cuts of steak that have been cooked sous vide and freeze dried to give them a 25-year shelf life. They offer Ribeye, NY Strip, and Tenderloin among others.
Having buckets of beans and rice is a good start, but keeping a solid supply of high-quality protein isn’t just healthier. It can help a family maintain normalcy through crises.
Prepare Without Fear
With all the challenges we face as Americans today, it can be emotionally draining. Citizens are scared and there’s nothing irrational about their concerns. Being prepared and making lifestyle changes to secure necessities can go a long way toward overcoming the fears that plague us. We should hope and pray for the best but prepare for the worst. And if the worst does come, then knowing we did what we could to be ready for it will help us face those challenges with confidence.
