I'm not talking AIG, but the FDIC, which was created in 1933 to prevent the bank failures of the great depression from ever happening again. It's true that it could fail, too, but if it got to that point, I think we'd be looking at a total failure of the government, and currency wouldn't be good, either. Of course, diamonds and gold have always been portable and easily convertible wealth, and if I worried about the FDIC, that's where I'd want my money.