How often are the star ratings updated? At least four times per year, generally in mid-March, June, September and December.

How can I tell when the ratings were assigned? Look right above the search results. You’ll see a statement like this: Star ratings are current as of (date) based on (quarter-end date) financial data.

Why can't I find my bank or credit union? Institutions are listed based on the state and city in which they are headquartered. Possible solutions to finding yours: 1) try searching again without entering the state  2) brand new institutions can take up to three months to appear on our site due to the lag time in receiving data from regulators  3)it is possible for foreign banks to have FDIC-insured U.S. branches. We do not have data on foreign banks. You may call the FDIC at 1.877.275.3342 or visit http://www2.fdic.gov/idasp/main_bankfind.asp to find out if your bank is a foreign branch or a new bank in the last few months..

How do you assign your star ratings? Each institution files a 30 page report with government regulators each quarter. We perform our own independent analysis on the raw data supplemented with historical data to assign our star ratings.

If all banks and credit unions have federal deposit insurance what difference does it make what the rating is? It is surprisingly easy to go over the insurance limit without realizing it due to interest payments, proceeds from the sale of a house, retirement accounts, conditional clauses in trust documents, brokered deposits, etc.  Also, even if your deposits are within the insurance limits it can be very disconcerting to go to the bank and find regulators instead of tellers. Did you know if your bank fails and is closed your outstanding checks may be returned unpaid?

The rating went down from last time. Does that mean the institution is in trouble? Institutions rated 2-stars and below are put on our Troubled and Problematic Report. Click on “Order Now” next to the institution's star rating to purchase a highlights report that will show trends over the last year.

Do banks and credit unions pay to be rated? No, nor can an institution elect not to be rated.  We rate all U.S. chartered banks and all federally insured credit unions with assets of at least $1.5 million.

Do credit unions have FDIC insurance? Credit unions do not have FDIC insurance but they have similar government-guaranteed insurance from the National Credit Union Administration.  Please visit their website, http://www.ncua.gov/, for details.

How can I find the best banks and credit unions in my area? Do a search by selecting only a state – leave the institution name field blank. The search will return all the banks or credit unions headquartered in that state in alphabetical order. Or you can order YourHometown Bank Ratings for information on all the banks in your city or county. (Select from Home Page.)

Where can I get more information? Click on “Order Now” for the institution to purchase a Highlights Report that will show trends over the last year ($10 for first institution, $4 for additional institutions on the same order). If you need more detailed information call us at 1.800.388.6686 or click on “products” for additional report descriptions.

Why are Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and other territories listed? They are not states. Although they’re not states, they are U.S. territories and do share all the benefits and guarantees of FDIC insurance.

Do you use the CAMELS rating system? The CAMELS rating system is the regulators own proprietary system and is confidential. However, we take a similar approach in assigning our star ratings.

What makes Bauer different from other rating agencies? Bauer’s track record stands for itself. Nearly 98% of all bank failures can be found on Bauer’s Troubled and Problematic Bank Report. Well before they actually fail. (The rest are generally cooking the books.)  Failures that were first rated zero stars, our lowest rating, account for about 90%.

That isn’t the only reason Bauer has not been lumped in with credit rating agencies, though. There are several problems plaguing other rating companies.