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To protect your deposits if a U.S. bank fails, first confirm the bank is FDIC-insured, then total your deposits at that bank by depositor and legal ownership category. The standard limit is $250,000 per depositor, per insured bank, per ownership category; it includes principal and accrued interest through the date the bank closes. If a balance exceeds the limit that applies to it, consider moving funds to another insured bank or using a genuinely separate eligible ownership category—not simply opening another account.
How much of your money is protected if your bank fails?
The FDIC’s standard deposit-insurance limit is $250,000 for each depositor, at each insured bank, in each ownership category. The amount includes principal and interest accrued through the bank’s closing date. See the FDIC’s Deposit Insurance Basics.
Coverage is calculated across accounts, not by account number or branch. If you have multiple accounts in the same ownership category at the same bank, the FDIC adds them together. A second checking account or an account at another branch of the same bank does not create another $250,000 limit. Separate categories can qualify for separate coverage, but only when the relevant category rules and account facts are satisfied. The FDIC explains the basic calculation in Deposit Insurance at a Glance and Understanding Deposit Insurance.
Check coverage bank by bank and category by category
- Verify the legal bank. Confirm that the institution holding the deposit is FDIC-insured. The FDIC’s consumer materials point customers to BankFind to check institutions. Starting March 1, 2026, the FDIC says to look for its official digital sign on bank websites and apps, and, where applicable, certain ATMs. Treat a sign as a cue and verify the institution independently.
- List every deposit at each bank. Include checking, savings, certificates of deposit, and other deposit accounts, along with accrued interest when estimating balances. Combine accounts held at different branches if they are at the same bank.
- Sort deposits by depositor and ownership category. Add together accounts that belong to the same depositor in the same category at the same insured bank. Do not assume a different account label, product, or branch means a different category.
- Estimate coverage and check complex arrangements. Use the FDIC’s Electronic Deposit Insurance Estimator for a case-specific estimate. Consult the FDIC’s category rules for trusts, businesses, retirement accounts, and other situations where eligibility depends on details.
- Address any amount above the applicable limit. Consider moving some funds to a different insured bank or, where the facts genuinely qualify, holding deposits in a distinct ownership category. The legal ownership and FDIC rules—not just the title on an account—control.
Ownership categories can change the calculation
FDIC categories include single accounts, certain retirement accounts, joint accounts, trust accounts, employee-benefit plan accounts, business or organization accounts, and government accounts. Each has requirements. Do not assume a trust, business, or other account receives a particular amount of coverage based on its name alone. Review the FDIC’s Your Insured Deposits guide and the rules for the specific category.
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Take extra care with fintech, brokered, and custodial deposits
A financial technology app, brokerage, or other intermediary may arrange for deposits to be held at a partner bank. Identify the actual bank holding the money and ask the intermediary for written information about the account structure, the legal depositor, and the records maintained for each owner’s funds. The platform’s brand is not proof that a particular balance is insured.
Pass-through coverage is not a separate insurance category or an extra limit. It may apply when the underlying ownership is real, the bank’s records disclose the agency relationship, and records make each owner and ownership interest ascertainable. The FDIC assesses these requirements when the bank fails. See Pass-through Deposit Insurance Coverage.
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What FDIC insurance does—and does not—cover
Deposit insurance applies to eligible deposits at FDIC-insured banks. It does not turn investments or insurance products into insured bank deposits: stocks, bonds, mutual funds, life insurance, annuities, municipal securities, and Treasury securities are not covered as deposits. FDIC insurance also does not protect against theft or fraud. The FDIC outlines these limits in its consumer overview and insured-deposits brochure.
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What happens when an insured bank closes?
The FDIC may arrange for a healthy bank to take over insured deposits, or it may pay depositors directly. The FDIC’s stated goal is to make deposit-insurance payments within two business days, but that is not a guarantee for every account; cases requiring supplemental documentation can take longer. Follow notices from the FDIC or acquiring bank and review Payment to Depositors.
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Keep account statements and agreements, and, if relevant, trust documents and records from any intermediary. If funds exceed the insurance amount that applies, the uninsured balance may become a claim against the failed bank’s receivership; full repayment of that excess is not assured. The FDIC’s When a Bank Fails: Facts for Depositors, Creditors, and Borrowers describes the process.
Quick Recap
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