The last time I was a federal employee I was in the Army. I worked all kinds of overtime with no extra pay, the benefits were ok, and they did pay me for falling out of the sky.

Otoh, my dad was career civil service. Left the Army after WW2, went to the post office, then to the Navy as a civilian. His retirement pay was always in the bank on time. He used his 3+ YEARS of sick leave (annual leave could only be banked to 60 days) as a buffer once he retired. He didn't get rich, but he enjoyed what he did.

I guess you take the good with the bad regarding government employment.

Oh, as to the banks. I keep an amount of cash on hand. Banks are for money you don't need right now. My part-time jobs feed the kitty. It's all not in one spot, and it's hidden fairly well. Of course, should the house burn down, I be screwed. Oh well.