Keeping Your Money Safe
September 24, 2008
With everything going on in the financial world lately – the Treasury taking over Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the collapse of Lehman Brothers and IndyMac Bank, and the government bailout of AIG – it’s no surprise that investors are wondering if their money is safe.
Thankfully, there are safety measures in place for various types of accounts and investments. Here is a rundown of the different safetynets in place for each type of account or investment you may have:
Banks: Bank deposits are ensured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). Basically, the FDIC insures deposits up to $100,000 per owner, per bank. If you have $100,000 or less in your name at any FDIC-insured bank or savings association, you have nothing to fear. Since the limit is per owner, that means you could actually have more coverage than you think (for example, if you and your spouse have a joint account with $300,000 at one bank, $200,000 is insured – $100,000 for each “owner”).
In addition, if you have certain types of retirement accounts, such as an individual retirement account, you’re eligible for even more coverage – up to $250,000 per owner, per bank. However, the FDIC does not insure money invested in stocks, bonds, mutual funds, life insurance policies, annuities and municipal securities, even if you bought those investments at an FDIC insured bank.
If you want to make sure that your deposits are below the FDIC limits, please visit EDIE The Estimator. EDIE the Estimator can calculate your FDIC insurance coverage for each FDIC-insured bank where you have deposit accounts.
Credit unions have similar coverage through the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA).