Re: Financial advice?
I have a few accounts, Washington Mutual and Citibank being two of my banks.
My partner also works for Citibank and has warned me about WaMu's problems.
So this is my decision and the logic behind it.
1. The money I have in WaMu I will not need in the foreseeable future. If WaMu collapses and I can't get my money for a few weeks, I'm okay with that.
2. I don't have more than 100K in the WaMu account. FDIC will cover my account.
3. I have other sources (other bank accounts) to provide me with liquidity to pay my bills if WaMu closes.
If WaMu is your only account, keep the following in mind. If WaMu collapses, the FDIC will insure them, but once you get your FDIC check, other banks will place long holds on them and the funds will not be immediately available -- especially if you are a new customer. This is because situations like this result in rampant fraud.
On the bright side, WaMu stock has been positive all morning. Also, Chase wants a presence on the West Coast. Maybe Chase could work a deal -- but it would be very complex because WaMu is only an S&L and not a true bank.