Even in the wake of several spectacular bank failures that have diminished the funds that backstops deposit insurance, the average bank customer shouldn’t worry too much about losing their money in the event of more banking chaos, experts say.
Key Takeaways
- About half of U.S. adults are worried about whether their insured deposits are still safe after recent bank collapses.
- At the end of 2022, the FDIC's Deposit Insurance Fund had $128.2 billion, equal to 1.27% of all the deposits insured by the government.
- Since then, three banks have collapsed, costing the fund a total of $35.5 billion.
- The fund can continue paying even if it goes into the red, but the debt ceiling fight may complicate that process.
After several highly publicized bank collapses—including the second, third, and fourth-largest ones in history—many bank customers are starting to wonder if their money is truly safe. A Gallup poll last week found that about half of U.S. adults were worried about the safety of the money they’d stashed in banks and other financial institutions.
According to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, those worries are misplaced—the FDIC guarantees deposits up to $250,000, far more than most individual customers have in their accounts.
Still, the FDIC itself doesn’t have unlimited money. If enough banks flounder at once, it could deplete the fund that backstops deposits. However, experts say even in that event, bank patrons shouldn’t worry about losing their FDIC-insured money.
When a financial institution like Silicon Valley Bank fails, the FDIC steps in to get insured depositors all their money back. To do this, it uses the Deposit Insurance Fund, which is paid for by banks themselves. At the end of 2022, the fund had $128.2 billion, equal to 1.27% of all the deposits insured by the FDIC.
Since then, bailing out depositors at Silicon Valley and Signature banks in March cost a total of $22.5 billion, and the First Republic bank rescue in April is likely to cost about $13 billion according to the FDIC.
With costs quickly mounting, it’s easy to imagine a scenario where a cascade of bank failures, especially if they’re larger banks, exhausts the fund completely. Fortunately for depositors, the fund can continue paying even if it goes into the red, as happened in the wake of the great financial crisis in 2009—the law allows the FDIC to borrow up to $100 billion from the U.S. Treasury.
That option might not be available, however, if the bank failures coincided with a breach of the debt ceiling, which could hobble the government’s ability to borrow and lend money.
If the government were to default on its debt, the U.S. have bigger worries than the health of the Deposit Insurance Fund.
“We're going to be worrying about Social Security getting paid, and whether the federal government will have to pay more to borrow money for the rest of eternity,” said David Wessel, director of the Hutchins Center on Fiscal and Monetary Policy at the nonpartisan Brookings Institution think tank.
In that event, one last institution could still come to the rescue: the Federal Reserve, which, during the financial crisis of 2008, gave “blank check” lending totaling $1 trillion at its peak into the financial system to keep it from collapsing completely.
“The Federal Reserve spent a lot of money that it created itself during the great global financial crisis,” Wessel said. “So if it gets to a point where some humongous bank like Bank of America or JPMorgan fails, which would be devastating, we have evidence now that the Fed will step in.”
Creating a large amount of money out of thin air would stoke inflation down the road, meaning that in the end, the cost of those bank failures would be borne by everyone in the form of higher prices.
The bottom line according to Wessel: money in banks is likely safe so long as it’s protected by the FDIC deposit insurance which—for the moment—covers accounts up to $250,000.
“If I had more than $250,000, I don't think I'd put it in one bank,” Wessel said.
FAQs
One way we do this is by insuring deposits to at least $250,000 per depositor, per ownership category at each FDIC-insured bank. The FDIC maintains the Deposit Insurance Fund (DIF), which: Insures deposits and protects depositors of FDIC-insured banks and. Helps fund our resolution activities when banks fail.
Has anyone lost money on uninsured deposits? ›
Uninsured depositors have lost their money in just 6% of all bank failures since 2008. But before that, it was the norm for uninsured depositors to lose it all when a bank went bust.
Who protects your money in deposit accounts if the bank fails? ›
A: The FDIC (Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation) is an independent agency of the United States government that protects bank depositors against the loss of their insured deposits in the event that an FDIC-insured bank or savings association fails.
Could FDIC run out of money? ›
Still, the FDIC itself doesn't have unlimited money. If enough banks flounder at once, it could deplete the fund that backstops deposits. However, experts say even in that event, bank patrons shouldn't worry about losing their FDIC-insured money.
Is your money safe here's what deposit insurance covers? ›
Q: What is deposit insurance? A: FDIC deposit insurance covers the depositors of a failed FDIC-insured depository institution dollar-for-dollar, principal plus any interest accrued or due to the depositor, through the date of default, up to at least $250,000.
Why don t millionaires worry about FDIC insurance? ›
Millionaires don't worry about FDIC insurance. Their money is held in their name and not the name of the custodial private bank.
Has anyone ever lost money in a FDIC-insured account? ›
Since 1933, no depositor has ever lost a penny of FDIC-insured funds. Today, the FDIC insures up to $250,000 per depositor per FDIC-insured bank. An FDIC-insured account is the safest place for consumers to keep their money.
Can banks seize your money if the economy fails? ›
The short answer is no. Banks cannot take your money without your permission, at least not legally. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) insures deposits up to $250,000 per account holder, per bank. If the bank fails, you will return your money to the insured limit.
Are banks collapsing in 2024? ›
State regulators closed Republic First Bank in April 2024, marking the first bank failure of the year. Fulton Bank entered into an agreement with the FDIC to purchase most of Republic First's $6 billion in assets and to assume most of its $4 billion in deposit liabilities.
What happens to a CD if the bank fails? ›
Key Takeaways. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) insures CDs held at member institutions for up to the deposit insurance limit of $250,000. This limit is applicable to the total of eligible account types for a deposit holder at each member institution.
What is NOT covered? The FDIC does not insure money invested in stocks, bonds, mutual funds, life insurance policies, annuities or municipal securities, even if these investments are purchased at an insured bank.
What to do if you have more than 250k in the bank? ›
How to Insure Bank Deposits Over $250,000
- Open an Account at a Different Bank. FDIC coverage limits are per bank. ...
- Add a Joint Account Owner. ...
- Split Funds Between Ownership Categories. ...
- Use a Network Bank.
By law, after insured depositors are paid, uninsured depositors are paid next, followed by general creditors and then stockholders. In most cases, general creditors and stockholders realize little or no recovery.
Are uninsured deposits safe? ›
There are risks involved with an uninsured certificate of deposit (CD). Investors put their money at risk all the time in uninsured options like mutual funds, annuities, life insurance policies, stocks, and bonds. 5 Each individual has to decide if the higher interest rates are worth the risk.
What happens to uninsured funds when a bank fails? ›
By law, after insured depositors are paid, uninsured depositors are paid next, followed by general creditors and then stockholders. In most cases, general creditors and stockholders realize little or no recovery.
What are the financial consequences of being uninsured? ›
Uninsured people often face unaffordable medical bills when they do seek care. In 2022, uninsured nonelderly adults were nearly twice as likely as those with insurance to say they have difficulty affording health care costs.
Do you lose all your money when a bank collapses? ›
For the most part, if you keep your money at an institution that's FDIC-insured, your money is safe — at least up to $250,000 in accounts at the failing institution. You're guaranteed that $250,000, and if the bank is acquired, even amounts over the limit may be smoothly transferred to the new bank.
