• Ad Age , Monday, March 2, 2009 10:30 AM

As Uncle Sam props up the beleaguered bank business, uncertainty about their future has sparked a consumer crisis of trust in the institutions, Beth Snyder Bulik reports. The underlying problem is widespread confusion about just the government intervention means for banks -- and which are the most endangered.

While the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. guarantees deposits up to $250,000, there's still worry about when and how consumers can recoup their money in the event of a bank failure. "I know smart people who understand banking, but they're still moving their money around or taking it out," says Mary Beth Sullivan, managing partner at Capital Performance Group.

A handful of banks, however, are seizing what they see as an opportunity. The day after President Barack Obama's address to a joint session of Congress, The Wall Street Journal was littered with ads from major banks with the following message: We are a safe haven. "It's not just opportunity. We almost see it as our responsibility to adjust to the voice of the consumer," says Ben Stuart, senior vp-brand marketing at Charles Schwab.

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