Our thanks to bankrate.com and Jessica Seubert:

How do I … Know if my bank is safe?

What you need to know

Now that financial institutions are going belly up, more people than ever are concerned about their own money and their bank’s safety.While the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. keeps a secret running list of banks to watch, Bankrate has its own system measuring the strength and stability of U.S. commercial banks, savings institutions and credit unions.

Bankrate measures the banks based on the CAEL system, which stands for the capital adequacy, asset quality, profitability and liquidity.

To find out how safe your bank is, go to Bankrate’s Safe & Sound bank ratings.

Choose whether you have a bank, a thrift or a credit union, then click “next.”

To find your bank, search by one of the options given: bank name, state, ZIP code, asset size or rating.

After following the instructions for which option you choose, the Safe & Sound rating will appear for that bank. You’ll also have the option to read the report or financial summary on your bank.