FDIC Insurance Increase

Great news on bank CD investments and money market accounts.  Now the safety of investing in high CD rates and savings accounts is even stronger.  On October 3, 2008, FDIC deposit insurance temporarily increased from $100,000 to $250,000 per depositor through December 31, 2009.  The deposit insurance coverage limits refer to the total of all deposits that an account holder (or account holders) has at each FDIC-insured bank.  The notification from FDIC reads as follows:

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) is an independent agency of the United States government that protects against the loss of insured deposits if an FDIC-insured bank or savings association fails. FDIC deposit insurance is backed by the full faith and credit of the United States government. Since the FDIC was established, no depositor has ever lost a single penny of FDIC-insured funds.

FDIC insurance covers funds in deposit accounts, including checking and savings accounts, money market deposit accounts and certificates of deposit (CDs). FDIC insurance does not, however, cover other financial products and services that insured banks may offer, such as stocks, bonds, mutual fund shares, life insurance policies, annuities or municipal securities.

There is no need for depositors to apply for FDIC insurance or even to request it. Coverage is automatic.

To ensure funds are fully protected, depositors should understand their coverage limits. The FDIC provides separate coverage for deposits held in different account ownership categories. The coverage limits shown in the chart below refer to the total of all deposits that an accountholder has in the same ownership categories at each FDIC-insured bank. The chart shows only the most common ownership categories that apply to individual and family deposits, and assumes that all FDIC requirements are met.

Basic FDIC Deposit Insurance Coverage Limits^*

Single Accounts (owned by one person), $250,000 per owner

Joint Accounts (two or more persons, $250,000 per co-owner

IRAs and certain other retirement accounts, $250,000 per owner

Trust Accounts, $250,000 per owner per beneficiary subject to specific limitations and requirements.

Corporation, Partnership and Unincorporated Association Accounts, $250,000 per corporation, partnership or unincorporated association

Employee Benefit Plan Accounts, $250,000 for the non-contingent, ascertainable interest of each participant

Government Accounts, $250,000 per official custodian

Non-interest Bearing Transaction Accounts, Unlimited coverage – only at participating FDIC-insured banks and savings associations **

^* On January 1, 2010, the standard coverage limit will return to $100,000 for all deposit categories except IRAs and Certain Retirement Accounts, which will continue to be insured up to $250,000 per owner.

^** Unlimited deposit insurance coverage is available through December 31, 2009, for non-interest bearing transaction accounts at institutions participating in FDIC’s Temporary Liquidity Guarantee Program.

This entry was posted on Friday, October 31st, 2008 at 9:18 pm and is filed under Money Rates. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.