Daria is smarter than me (like she didn't already know that!).

She declared that we were in a recession ONE YEAR before Washington admitted it. At the same time, she also predicted major problems ahead with banks.

Some people thought that she was way too pessimistic.

But how right can you be?

Over breakfast this morning, Daria reiterated her concern that many more bank failures are coming this year this year. She also shared an article about the FDIC picking up the pace of bank closures.

So, I want to be sure that you have the information you need to protect yourself in this banking crisis.

92 banks have failed so far this year, 47 of which have been closed by the FDIC just since July.

The big problem for banks is loans-but maybe not the loans you are thinking of. Of course, some banks are still in trouble thanks to sub-prime mortgages. But the BIG bugaboo on the horizon for banks is commercial loan trouble.

Have you passed a mall or large office building lately?

I hate to shop, but, last week I went to a local mall with Daria. There were more salespeople in the mall than customers--and the few customers that I did see carried very few bags of purchases! And there were plenty of empty store fronts where stores have closed.

It all adds up to more trouble ahead for banks. That's why you must act now to make sure your bank is safe and to protect savings.

New Bank Safety Tool

As we've told you, the FDIC keeps their watch list of "problem" banks a secret. But there is a brand new tool that lets you take a peek under your bank's hood to see if they are in trouble.

The American University has created a new BankTracker site that shows a bank's "troubled asset ratio." That simply compares a bank's trouble loans to its capital and loan reserves.

A bank with more troubled loans than money to cover potential losses has a "troubled asset ratio" greater than 100.

There are 297 banks with more troubled loans than assets today. (By comparison, there were only 10 at the end of 2007.)

Use the BankTracker to check out your bank.

Is Your Bank Safe?

Are we suggesting that you head to your bank, withdraw your bucks and throw them in with your dog's bones buried in the back yard?

No, but don't believe today's happy BS from Washington that the worst is over. You must be vigilant about your bank's financial stability and take simple steps to protect your bank savings.