To bank or not to bank

In 2014 would you put your money in a Chinese bank, an American bank, a European bank, or just put it under your mattress? Where would your money be safest next year?

That was the question The Economist Intelligence Unit asked global executives (The Economist, The World in 2014). The EIU asked it survey panel of executives around the world where they thought was the safest place to put their money – given the choices above.

Of the 1,876 people who replied to the survey, more than 20% said that they would rather keep their money under their mattress.

While the article in The Economist did not specify the breakdown of respondents’ nationalities, nevertheless 37% of respondents thought their money would be safest in an American bank, while 31% said a European bank, and 9% said a Chinese bank.

Half of the respondents thought America’s Federal Reserve would ease back it program of bond-buying at about the right pace. If the Fed errs, 36% said it would err due to tapering too slowly, while 14% said it would err by tapering too quickly.

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