Credit default swaps: how to spot the riskiest banks

When banks give you a higher savings rate, it’s not because they’re being generous, it’s because they have to compete for funds with more secure institutions.

This article was first published in March 2008. We have since updated the credit default swap ratings so they reflect the current positions.

The whole point about the 'credit crunch' - is that it means banks won't or can't lend as easily or as cheaply as they once did.

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James Ferguson qualified with an MA (Hons) in economics from Edinburgh University in 1985. For the last 21 years he has had a high-powered career in institutional stock broking, specialising in equities, working for Nomura, Robert Fleming, SBC Warburg, Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein and Mitsubishi Securities.