Starting with those three days of trading the market fell for a full month and began the Great Depression which took a little over 25 years for the United States to recover from. In fact it was November of 1954 before share prices reached the level they were at on that first day of the crash. So what caused such an economic disaster? If you need ready access to your money then go for something which won't be as easily affected by outside events. While markets fluctuate and at times quite wildly they do tend to rise over time but that won't help you if you need to get your hands on your cash the day after tomorrow and the market's in freefall. (ii) The second thing you need to check is the amount that the bank needs you to deposit so that you can open the account. Different financial institutions have different limits here and hence you need to ask them personally or check their written brochures. (iii) Since these are savings accounts, you will need to keep some amount in the bank each month. As with any other major decision you should do some checks to make certain you are doing the right thing. Ask about them at your church. Consult the Better Business Bureau and speak to your state consumer affairs representatives. One final point to keep in mind when you start to make your enquiries. All these organizations stand to benefit by having you as a customer. As a smart shopper you need to do the math on whether the amount you will pay over the life of your refinancing will be worth the monthly reduction in your outgoings. Sit down with a calculator and a pen and figure out the monthly payment of the loan multiplied by the term. Then do a similar calculation with your outstanding credit card balances taking the monthly minimum payment. Your choice is limited only by your imagination and of course the depth of your pockets! Whichever way you decide to invest there are some "rules" which carry across regardless. One of the fundamentals is to know what you are doing. Without this you are not investing but gambling. Let's take an example of the silver markets about 30 years ago.