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 ever lost money in an FDIC-insured bank? ›
No depositor has ever lost a penny of insured deposits since the FDIC was created in 1933. The FDIC official sign -- posted at every insured bank and savings association across the country -- is a symbol of confidence for Americans.
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.
Is it true that if the bank account is FDIC-insured your money is safe even if the bank fails? ›
In the unlikely event of a bank failure, the FDIC acts quickly to protect insured depositors by arranging a sale to a healthy bank, or by paying depositors directly for their deposit accounts to the insured limit. Purchase and Assumption Transaction.
What happens when FDIC runs 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.
Can banks seize your money if economy fails? ›
Banking regulation has changed over the last 100 years to provide more protection to consumers. You can keep money in a bank account during a recession and it will be safe through FDIC and NCUA deposit insurance. Up to $250,000 is secure in individual bank accounts and $500,000 is safe in joint bank accounts.
What are 3 things not insured by FDIC? ›
The FDIC does not insure:
- Stock Investments.
- Bond Investments.
- Mutual Funds.
- Crypto Assets.
- Life Insurance Policies.
- Annuities.
- Municipal Securities.
- Safe Deposit Boxes or their contents.
Wealthy people do not leave large amounts of money in saving/checking accounts earning no interest or income. Instead they invest their money in stocks, bonds, real estate, mutual funds, etc.
What happens to safe deposit boxes when a bank closes? ›
The FDIC does not insure the contents of safe deposit boxes at banks. If your bank fails, you likely will be able to retrieve the contents of your safe deposit box. If another bank acquires your bank's branches, you can contact that bank to ask about accessing your safe deposit box.
What happens to a CD if the bank fails? ›
The FDIC Covers CDs in the Event of Bank Failure
But the recent regional banking turmoil may have you concerned about your investment in case of a bank failure. CDs are treated by the FDIC like other bank accounts and will be insured up to $250,000 if the bank is a member of the agency.
Millionaires don't worry about FDIC insurance. Their money is held in their name and not the name of the custodial private bank. Other millionaires have safe deposit boxes full of cash denominated in many different currencies.
What is the downside of FDIC? ›
The FDIC isn't loved by everyone though. Detractors believe forced deposit insurance creates moral hazard in the banking system and encourages depositors and banks to engage in riskier behavior.
What are the drawbacks of the FDIC? ›
FDIC rules restrict the ability of banks to take brokered deposits and the interest they can pay. Despite these restrictions, there has been a pattern of greater reliance on brokered deposits before a bank fails and greater losses to the FDIC from failed banks that are heavily reliant on brokered deposits.
Does FDIC cover 2 accounts at same bank? ›
The FDIC adds together all single accounts owned by the same person at the same bank and insures the total up to $250,000.
Are credit unions safe from bank collapse? ›
Credit unions are insured by the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA). Just like the FDIC insures up to $250,000 for individuals' accounts of a bank, the NCUA insures up to $250,000 for individuals' accounts of a credit union. Beyond that amount, the bank or credit union takes an uninsured risk.
Should I be worried about my bank failing? ›
If the bank fails, you'll get your money back. Nearly all banks are FDIC insured. You can look for the FDIC logo at bank teller windows or on the entrance to your bank branch. Credit unions are insured by the National Credit Union Administration.
Have depositors ever lost money in a bank? ›
Uninsured depositors have lost their money in just 6% of all bank failures since 2008.
Has anyone ever lost money in a savings account? ›
yes, you could lose money in a traditional savings account if the bank failed and you had more than the insured FDIC them out of 250,000 in that bank. Remember it doesn't matter how many accounts you have at the bank that fails they add them all up and you're insured up to 250,000.
Has anyone ever lost money in a bank? ›
Between 1929 to 1933, depositors lost about $1.3 billion when their banks failed. Today, FDIC insures depositors' money up to $250,000 per depositor for each account ownership category if the bank is a member of the FDIC.
How many FDIC banks fail per year? ›
Summary by Year
| Years | Bank Failures | Total Assets (Millions) |
|---|
| 2023 | 5 | $548,705.0 |
| 2022 | 0 | $0 |
| 2021 | 0 | $0 |
| 2020 | 4 | $458.0 |
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