What is the FDIC?

The FDIC – short for the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation – is an independent agency of the United States government. The FDIC protects depositors against the loss of their insured deposits if an FDIC-insured bank or savings association fails. FDIC insurance is backed by the full faith and credit of the United States government.

For simplicity, the term “insured bank” is used to mean any bank or savings association that has FDIC insurance. To check whether a bank or savings association is insured by the FDIC, call toll-free 1-877-275-3342 or look for the official FDIC sign where deposits are received. Beginning in 2007, insured banks will display this new official FDIC sign:

What does FDIC deposit insurance cover?

FDIC insurance covers all types of deposits received at an insured bank, including deposits in checking, NOW, and savings accounts, money market deposit accounts, and time deposits such as certificates of deposit (CDs).

FDIC deposit insurance covers the balance of each depositor’s account, dollar-for-dollar, up to the insurance limit, including principal and any accrued interest through the date of the insured bank’s closing.

The FDIC does not insure money invested in stocks, mutual funds, life insurance policies, annuities, or municipal securities, even if these investments were bought from an insured bank.

The FDIC does not insure U.S. Treasury bills, bonds, or notes. These are backed by the full faith and credit of the United States government.

How much insurance coverage does the FDIC provide?

The basic insurance amount is $250,000 per depositor, per insured bank.

The $250,000 amount applies to all depositors of an insured bank.

Deposits in separate branches of an insured bank are not separately insured. Deposits in one insured bank are insured separately from deposits in another insured bank.

Deposits maintained in different categories of legal ownership at the same bank can be separately insured. Therefore, it is possible to have deposits of more than $250,000 at one insured bank and still be fully insured.