Ok, so by reading the title of this topic you already know what yer walking into here.  I'm gonna ask now.....and I have been mining for a bit and have a few coins in a few pool accounts.....so im not %100 clueless but I have to be at around %99.3 on the clueless meter.  Here goes.....ok...gonna ask now...meow....


I can see that in my account for a pool (say BTCGuild for instance) that it says I have 2.5***** bitcoins.  And I know I can "move" these to a "wallet account" like at MyBitCoin.  But, I hear its best to keep these coins in a more secure "wallet" like on a thumb drive.  And I have even gone as far as to follow a guide to create such a drive.  But my question is...when I put cash in my real life wallet, its cash or paper if you will.  When I put a credit card in my wallet its not cash but its linked to a company that has my cash (and is keeping it secure)....so what ON EARTH an i putting in a Bit-Coin-USB-Thumb-Drive-Wallet?  Why is it more secure THAT way?

Trying to figure this out....Im SURE Im a moron..but it just isn't clicking.