Subject: Re: OK - so now what?
So these two types of institutions MIGHT be the safest.

1. State level Credit Unions because they have low amounts of leverage and are heavily regulated. PenFed would have a lot of Pentagon paper.

2. Uk has some brokerages not allowing margin debt. Good sign. These brokerages also are much more heavily regulated.

The idea, you can invest as you like, but the trades won't be bargain basement e brokers. You get an advisor and insist on what you want other than his or her mutual funds etc. Then you need to be nibble if things get bad. If things get bad and you are reduced to cash only, your banking/brokerage institution might not be wiped out. It is supposed to withstand hell freezing over by design.

If you know of such institutions outside of those two please add to the list.

Ireland is a hotbed for gambling at financial institutions. I have Irish citizenship but not until after the dust clears and I know what survives would I touch them. Remember during the Great Depression banking failures went on for years.

European and other governments are very leveraged as well. Their respective financial institutions maybe equally dangerous.