Thought this might interest some of the members who have been discussing banking/bitcoins/gold, etc. I'm not espousing any particular investment or currency type.<div><br><div><br></div><div><table border="0" cellspacing="2" align="center" style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:12.727272033691406px;background-color:rgb(255,255,255)">

<caption><h2>The World's 50 Safest Banks 2012*</h2><br></caption><tbody><tr><td width="50%" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;margin:0px">1.<strong> KfW</strong><br>(<em>Germany</em>)</td><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;margin:0px">

26.<strong> Pohjola Bank</strong><br>(<em>Finland</em>)</td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;margin:0px">2.<strong> Bank Nederlandse Gemeenten (BNG)</strong><br>(<em>Netherlands</em>)</td><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;margin:0px">

27.<strong> BNP Paribas</strong><br>(<em>France</em>)</td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;margin:0px">3.<strong> Zurcher Kantonalbank</strong><br>(Switzerland)</td><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;margin:0px">

28.<strong> China Development Bank</strong><br>(<em>China</em>)</td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;margin:0px">4.<strong> Landwirtschaftliche Rentenbank</strong><br>(<em>Germany</em>)</td><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;margin:0px">

29.<strong> DZ Bank **</strong><br>(<em>Germany</em>)</td></tr><tr><td width="50%" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;margin:0px">5.<strong> Caisse des Depots <span class="boomerang-time-zone">et</span> Consignations(CDC)</strong><br>

(<em>France</em>)</td><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;margin:0px">30.<strong> Agricultural Development Bank of China</strong><br>(<em>China</em>)</td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;margin:0px"><strong>Tie* </strong>6.<strong> Landeskreditbank Baden-Wurttemberg</strong><br>

<strong>Forderbank (L-Bank)</strong> (<em>Germany</em>)</td><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;margin:0px">31.<strong> CoBank ACB</strong><br>(<em>United States</em>)</td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;margin:0px">

<strong>Tie* </strong>6.<strong> Nederlandse Waterschapsbank</strong><br>(<em>Netherlands</em>)</td><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;margin:0px">32.<strong> National Bank of Abu Dhabi</strong><br>(<em>United Arab Emirates</em>)</td>

</tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;margin:0px">7.<strong> Banque <span class="boomerang-time-zone">et</span> Caisse d'epargne de l'etat</strong><br>(<em>Luxembourg</em>)</td><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;margin:0px">

33.<strong> National Bank of Kuwait</strong><br>(<em>Kuwait</em>)</td></tr><tr><td width="50%" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;margin:0px">8.<strong> Rabobank Group</strong><br>(<em>Netherlands</em>)</td><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;margin:0px">

34.<strong> Pictet & Cie</strong><br>(<em>Switzerland</em>)</td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;margin:0px">9.<strong> NRW.Bank</strong><br>(<em>Germany</em>)</td><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;margin:0px">

35.<strong> Deutsche Bank</strong><br>(<em>Germany</em>)</td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;margin:0px">10.<strong> Royal Bank of Canada (RBC)</strong><br>(<em>Canada</em>)</td><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;margin:0px">

36.<strong> JPMorgan Chase</strong><br>(<em>United States</em>)</td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;margin:0px">11.<strong> Toronto-Dominion Bank (TD Bank)</strong><br>(<em>Canada</em>)</td><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;margin:0px">

37.<strong> Banque Federative du Credit Mutuel (BFCM)</strong><br>(<em>France</em>)</td></tr><tr><td width="50%" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;margin:0px"><strong>Tie*</strong> 12.<strong> National Australia Bank</strong><br>

(<em>Australia</em>)</td><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;margin:0px">38.<strong> U.S. Bancorp</strong><br>(<em>United States</em>)</td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;margin:0px"><strong>Tie*</strong> 12.<strong> Commonwealth Bank of Australia</strong><br>

(<em>Australia</em>)</td><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;margin:0px">39.<strong> DNB Bank **</strong><br>(<em>Norway</em>)</td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;margin:0px">13.<strong> Westpac Banking Corporation</strong><br>

(<em>Australia</em>)</td><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;margin:0px">40.<strong> National Bank of Canada **</strong><br>(<em>Canada</em>)</td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;margin:0px">14.<strong> Scotiabank (Bank of Nova Scotia)</strong><br>

(<em>Canada</em>)</td><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;margin:0px">41.<strong> Northern Trust Corporation</strong><br>(<em>United States</em>)</td></tr><tr><td width="50%" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;margin:0px">

15.<strong> DBS Bank</strong><br>(<em>Singapore</em>)</td><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;margin:0px">42.<strong> Qatar National Bank </strong><br>(<em>Qatar</em>)</td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;margin:0px">

16.<strong> Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation</strong><br>(<em>Singapore</em>)</td><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;margin:0px">43.<strong> SAMBA Financial Group </strong><br>(<em>Saudi Arabia</em>)</td></tr><tr>

<td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;margin:0px">17.<strong> United Overseas Bank</strong><br>(<em>Singapore</em>)</td><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;margin:0px">44.<strong> La Banque Postale </strong><br>(<em>France</em>)</td>

</tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;margin:0px">18.<strong> Caisse centrale Desjardins</strong><br>(<em>Canada</em>)</td><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;margin:0px">45.<strong> Bank of Taiwan </strong><br>

(<em>Taiwan</em>)</td></tr><tr><td width="50%" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;margin:0px">19.<strong> HSBC Holdings</strong><br>(<em>United Kingdom</em>)</td><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;margin:0px"><strong>Tie*</strong> 46.<strong> Shizuoka Bank</strong><br>

(<em>Japan</em>)</td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;margin:0px">20.<strong> Nordea Bank</strong><br>(<em>Sweden</em>)</td><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;margin:0px"><strong>Tie* </strong>46.<strong> Banco del Estado de Chile (BancoEstado) **</strong><br>

(<em>Chile</em>)</td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;margin:0px">21.<strong> Australia and New Zealand Banking Group (ANZ)</strong><br>(<em>Australia</em>)</td><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;margin:0px">

47.<strong> Barclays Group</strong><br>(<em>United Kingdom</em>)</td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;margin:0px">22.<strong> Svenska Handelsbanken</strong><br>(<em>Sweden</em>)</td><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;margin:0px">

48.<strong> Credit Agricole</strong><br>(<em>France</em>)</td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;margin:0px">23.<strong> Bank of Montreal (BMO)</strong><br>(<em>Canada</em>)</td><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;margin:0px">

49.<strong> Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ</strong><br>(<em>Japan</em>)</td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;margin:0px">24.<strong> Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC)</strong><br>(<em>Canada</em>)</td>

<td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;margin:0px">50.<strong> Banco Santander</strong><br>(<em>Spain</em>)<br><br>*Source:<i> Global Finance</i></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;margin:0px">25.<strong> BNY Mellon</strong><br>

(<em>United States</em>)</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>James</div>
</div></div>