FDIC coverage limits by ownership category
Quick-reference table of FDIC deposit insurance coverage by account ownership category, with notes on how each is calculated at an insured bank.
The standard FDIC deposit insurance amount is $250,000 per depositor, per insured bank, per ownership category. This limit was made permanent by the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010. The per-category structure means a single depositor can hold more than $250,000 in total insured deposits at a single bank by spreading across different ownership categories. The table below summarizes coverage for the most common categories applicable to consumer and small-business deposits.
For an authoritative coverage calculation on your specific situation, use the FDIC's EDIE estimator. EDIE returns the exact insured-amount figure under the FDIC's regulations and is the resource to consult before consolidating large balances at a single bank.
| Ownership category | Per-bank coverage | How calculated |
|---|---|---|
| Single accounts | $250,000 per owner | All single-owner deposits at the bank for one person aggregate against the limit. |
| Joint accounts | $250,000 per co-owner | Each co-owner's interest is treated equally; a two-owner joint account is covered up to $500,000. |
| Certain retirement accounts (e.g., self-directed IRAs) | $250,000 per owner | Traditional, Roth, SEP, and SIMPLE IRA deposits at the bank for one person aggregate within this category. |
| Trust accounts (revocable and irrevocable, including POD/ITF accounts and living trusts) | $250,000 per owner per eligible beneficiary, up to $1,250,000 per owner | Since April 1, 2024, revocable and irrevocable trust deposits share one category. Coverage = owners × eligible beneficiaries (max five counted) × $250,000. See POD and trust coverage. |
| Employee Benefit Plan accounts | Per participant's non-contingent interest | Covers the participant's interest in deposits of a defined benefit or contribution plan. |
| Corporation, Partnership, or Unincorporated Association accounts | $250,000 per entity | The legal entity is the depositor; coverage is per entity, not per owner. |
| Government accounts | Per category rules | Specialized coverage rules apply for public-unit deposits; see FDIC guidance. |
How a household can extend coverage at one bank
Combining ownership categories is the legitimate way to extend coverage at a single insured bank. A two-spouse household can hold:
- A single account in Spouse A's name — up to $250,000.
- A single account in Spouse B's name — up to $250,000.
- A joint account in both names — up to $250,000 per co-owner, so $500,000.
- A self-directed IRA for each spouse — up to $250,000 per spouse, so $500,000.
- Trust accounts (POD/ITF designations or a living trust) — $250,000 per owner per eligible beneficiary, capped at $1,250,000 per owner (five beneficiaries).
Without any trust accounts, those categories alone add up to $1,500,000 of potential coverage at a single bank for a two-person household ($250,000 + $250,000 + $500,000 + $500,000). Trust accounts can add more. The exact figure depends on how each account is titled; EDIE confirms it.
Worked examples
These are illustrations of the published rules, not a substitute for EDIE:
- One person, three accounts, one category. A checking account, a savings account and a CD, all in one person's name with no beneficiaries, are all "single accounts." They are added together and insured to $250,000 in total — not $250,000 each.
- Single-owner account with a POD beneficiary. Adding one eligible payable-on-death beneficiary moves the account into the trust category: coverage up to $250,000 for that owner and beneficiary, separate from the owner's single-account coverage.
- Single owner, POD to a spouse and two children. One owner × three eligible beneficiaries × $250,000 = up to $750,000 in the trust category.
- Joint owners with two POD beneficiaries. Two owners × two beneficiaries × $250,000 = up to $1,000,000.
Spreading across banks
Each insured bank is a separate bucket of per-category coverage. Two banks means two buckets, three means three. For balances meaningfully above the per-bank-per-category limits, splitting across institutions is mechanically simple and reliable. The administrative cost — additional logins, statements, and tax forms — is real but small.
Important caveat: "different branches of the same bank" is not different banks. The legal charter is what counts. Some companies own multiple separately-chartered banks under one brand; some don't. Verify charter status using the FDIC's BankFind Suite if you're consolidating large balances and assuming separate coverage based on brand identity.
What FDIC coverage does not include
FDIC insurance covers deposit products: checking, savings, MMAs (the bank deposit kind), CDs, NOW accounts, and similar. It does not cover:
- Stocks, bonds, mutual funds, ETFs — these are governed by SIPC (broker failure coverage), not FDIC.
- Money market mutual funds (different from MMA bank deposits).
- Cryptocurrency holdings.
- Annuities, life insurance.
- Contents of a safe deposit box.
- Losses from theft or operational error (consumer-protection statutes cover many of these separately).
For the full plain-English treatment of FDIC coverage and exclusions, see our FDIC insurance guide. For credit unions, the equivalent regime is NCUSIF coverage administered by the NCUA — see NCUA insurance.
Source
The authoritative source for FDIC coverage rules is the FDIC itself, at FDIC.gov. Coverage rules are codified in 12 CFR Part 330. The standard $250,000 amount was made permanent by Section 335 of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (2010).
Frequently asked questions
Is FDIC insurance per account or per person?
Neither exactly. It is $250,000 per depositor, per insured bank, per ownership category. All of your accounts in the same ownership category at the same bank are added together; accounts in different categories (single, joint, retirement, trust) are insured separately.
How many accounts can one person have covered at one bank?
There is no limit on the number of accounts, but the number of accounts doesn't increase coverage. Coverage grows only by using different ownership categories or different FDIC-insured banks.
Is the FDIC limit still $250,000 in 2026?
Yes. The standard maximum deposit insurance amount is $250,000, as published on FDIC.gov when this page was reviewed on 2026-10-03. It has been $250,000 since 2008 and was made permanent in 2010.
How does FDIC coverage work for a POD account?
A payable-on-death account is a trust account for FDIC purposes. It is insured up to $250,000 per owner for each eligible beneficiary, counting at most five beneficiaries, so the maximum is $1,250,000 per owner per bank across all of that owner's trust accounts.
Is a joint account covered for more than $250,000?
Yes. Each co-owner's share of all joint accounts at the bank is insured up to $250,000, so a joint account with two owners can be covered up to $500,000, provided the joint-account requirements are met.