FDIC and SIPC: Important Allies in Uncertain Times

Worried about the next financial crisis? Reacquaint yourself with two important allies: the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) and the Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC).

The FDIC. The FDIC is an independent agency of the U.S. government and provides up to $250,000 in protection for qualified bank accounts in case of a bank failure. The insurance applies to each unique account owner, regardless of the number of accounts held at the failed bank.

Knowing how ownership is defined can be tricky. For example, every individual who is a co-owner of a joint account receives $250,000 of coverage as long as each has equal withdrawal rights and has signed the bank card. Each uniquely designated beneficiary of a revocable trust receives $250,000 in coverage when certain requirements are met. But coverage for irrevocable trusts is generally limited to $250,000. All accounts owned by a corporation or partnership at the same bank are generally limited to $250,000 of coverage.

The SIPC. The SIPC is a nonprofit membership corporation that is overseen by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The SIPC helps preserve investment accounts when a participating brokerage firm goes out of business and assets are missing. In that situation, the SIPC will work to restore the cash and securities held in your account at the time of closure, with protection of up $500,000. That includes up to $250,000 for cash.

The SIPC does not safeguard you from market losses or worthless stocks, nor protect you from bad investment advice. In addition, certain types of investments, such as commodities futures contracts, generally do not qualify for coverage.

Protection is determined by the way you hold accounts. For example, if you have a regular taxable brokerage account and an IRA with the same firm, each account is generally eligible for separate coverage.

Keep in mind that your financial institution must be an FDIC or SIPC member to qualify. For more information about determining your level of protection, contact our office.

 

Call us at (219) 769-3616 with your questions, or email them to gward@swartz-retson.com