It’s risky to keep your money in cash. It could easily get lost, stolen, or even destroyed in an unexpected event such as a house fire. By keeping your money in a financial institution, you’ll have the peace of mind knowing your funds are always safe.

By using financial institution, you don’t have to carry large amounts of cash, but you can conveniently get cash when you want it at bank branches, ATMs, grocery stores, and many other convenient locations—even when you travel away from home.

The people who work at the bank are there to help you. If you’re brand new to banking, they’ll be happy to explain what accounts and services can help you with your money management needs.

Many people who don’t have a bank account use check cashing stores instead. Most of these stores charge very high fees. You can usually save a lot by using a bank.

Are you worried that a bank might mismanage your money, or even go out of business? All U.S. banks have to follow federal and state laws and regulations. And at most banks, your funds are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, or FDIC. That means that if anything ever happened to the bank, the FDIC insures each person’s money to at least $100,000. For specific information, go to www.fdic.gov.

By working with a bank, you can talk to and work with financial professionals. The knowledgeable advice of bankers can be valuable resource to help you build a better financial future.