Which bank is the safest one? Well, the question is by no means easy. Large banks fail in the same way as small ones, and they sometimes do so absolutely unexpectedly. The best strategy is, as usual, to diversify your wealth. Once again, you will have to choose more or less safe banks to deposit a part of your wealth – and in this article, we will discuss banks in different countries that are most likely to stay afloat even if the economic situation gets hard.
This is just a short post, and we would like to invite you to our portal where you can read the full text of our analytical article on the best banks to store money. Our experts help investors around the world to choose the best banks and open accounts on a daily basis, and we write articles on international banking, business, investment, tax optimization, and much more. You are welcome to join our community of money-wise individuals and take advantage of our knowledge base of articles!
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Reliable Banks
If we talk about the world’s most reliable banks, the top positions are traditionally occupied by European financial institutions (Landwirtschaftliche Rentenbank, Zuercher Kantonalbank, BNG Bank, and so on). However, Chinese banks are becoming stronger players every year, and some of them also occupy high positions in the top 10 ranking.
We cannot say that Chinese banks have started dominating the global financial landscape, but the trend is evident. Let’s look at the players in the top ten list compiled by such reputed organizations as Fitch, Moody’s, and S&P:
- Chinese banks take 4 positions
- US banks take 2 positions
- European banks take 2 positions as well
- The UK takes 1 position
- Japan takes 1 position as well
While this rating is based on market capitalization, it cannot be considered absolute as there are other important factors to be taken into account. If we look at the size of the bank’s assets, its debt obligations, or cash reserves available, our rating will contain different banks from other countries, and it will be proved by the factual data which is just as reliable. All that complicates the matter of choosing a bank, of course.
Another trend to be considered is the growing impact of cryptocurrencies on the world financial market. If we look at market capitalization, the 2022 rankings brought the top spot for Bitcoin and 4th place for Ethereum.
Largest Banks in 2023
Let’s see which banks are currently on the global top ten list:
- Industrial and Commercial Bank of China Ltd.
- China Construction Bank Corp.
- Agricultural Bank of China Ltd.
- Bank of China Ltd.
- JPMorgan Chase & Co.
- Bank of America Corp.
- Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group Inc.
- HSBC Holdings PLC
- BNP Paribas SA
- Credit Agricole Group
And here are the global trends that influence the rating and the banks worldwide:
- As of the end of 2022, the assets of the 100 major banks fell by 1.5%.
- Lending in China decreased by 0.5% due to the measures taken by the People’s Bank of China.
- The most impressive growth figures were shown by UBS Group AG, which rose from the 34th to the 20th position in the global ranking.
- Deutsche Bank AG went down from the 22nd to the 27th position, and its assets fell by 13%.
- As the European Union regulators become more and more concerned about liquidity, the European banks are highly likely to be required to follow more stringent standards in the future.
World’s Largest Banks by Total Assets
Would you like to find out the top ten banks that hold the largest share of the world’s assets? Here they are:
- ICBC, China
- China Construction Bank, China
- Agricultural Bank of China, China
- Bank of China, China
- JPMorgan Chase, USA
- Bank of America, USA
- Mitsubishi UFJ Financial, Japan
- HSBC, UK
- BNP Paribas, France
- Citigroup, USA
And though this is not the only criterion to be taken into consideration when you choose a proper bank for your needs, it may well be important for some of you.
World’s Safest Banks
What is the sense of choosing the bank with the highest market capitalization if it is not stable and safe enough? With that in mind, let’s look at the world’s ten most stable and safe banks according to Fitch, Moody’s, and S&P:
- KfW, Germany
- Zuercher Kantonalbank, Switzerland
- BNG Bank, Netherlands
- Landwirtschaftliche Rentenbank, Germany
- Nederlandse Waterschapsbank, Netherlands
- L-Bank, Germany
- Kommunalbanken, Norway
- NRW.BANK, Germany
- Swedish Export Credit Corporation, Sweden
- Caisse des Depots et Consignations, France
If your aim is to choose a bank for you, it would be wrong to rely on the rankings only, though. No matter how large, reliable, and secure the bank may be and how high its position in the ranking is, the most important thing is to make sure that the bank will be able to satisfy your needs and preferences. And this is the reason why we recommend seeking the assistance of our experts: on the one hand, we know the market, and on the other hand, we know what questions to ask to identify your financial needs. And then we will simply match your needs with the best option currently available.
Conclusion
Choosing a suitable bank has never been an easy procedure – and the more complicated are your needs and preferences, the narrower the choice. What is more, we should take into account the prospects as the economic situation in a particular country or banking sector may be deteriorating, which will surely influence the decision. Need a well-balanced solution for depositing and protecting your assets? Follow the above link to read more or book a session with our seasoned expert who will tell you everything about the current goings-on in the global financial sector and find the options you will surely appreciate!
