Our industry is as heavily capitalized as we've ever been. If we don't have enough cash to facilitate your request, we can usually get it within 1 week. We have access to an enormous amount of cash. This kind of hysteria is completely unfounded.

Let me explain how banking works: Banks try to keep cash in branches as low as possible. Cash sitting idly in vaults costs us money. We'd rather have that money working elsewhere than sitting in vaults. We take steps to ensure that our cash utilization is very high. IOW - Hollywood has told you that banks have piles upon piles of cash sitting in a back rooms somewhere. That is pure fantasy. We try to keep cash to the bare minimum we need to operate.

Because we have a limited amount of cash on hand at any given moment, large requests need to be facilitated by special order. This way we can ensure that your unreasonable cash request doesn't prohibit normal people from doing normal business. In addition to that, when you make one of these unreasonable requests, we're going to make you sign an indemnity agreement. This is a CYA from us absolving us of responsibility when you get mugged or your house burns down with all of your cash with it. It's not unreasonable of B of A to request time and documentation.

Bottom line, the same people that guarantee greenbacks are guaranteeing your deposits via FDIC. The feds are good for the money. Stop the paranoia. Stop the panicking. Your bank is going to continue to operate. You're going to be able to continue to use your cards to make purchases. You don't need large sums of cash on hand. If you want a few weeks of expenses to make you feel good, fine. You don't need $50k - $100k in cash though.