According to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., investors have lost $114 million over the last three years to bank failures because they went over the FDIC’s $100,000-per-depositor insurance limit, or because they deposited their money unknowingly in uninsured banks.
Protect against such losses by heeding these safety steps:
• Double check that your bank is FDIC insured. The agency has an online database of insured institutions at www3.fdic.gov/idasp. Or, you can call them at 877.275.3342.
• Review the accounts that you and your family have at the bank. Make adjustments to your accounts to make sure they’re within the insurance limits.
• Check your institution’s coverage amounts on the EDIE, the agency’s electronic deposit insurance estimator, at www2.fdic.gov/edie.
• Review your coverage before you open a new account, inherit or win any money, or if you have money at two different banks that end up merging.