What happens if my bank goes bust?
When a bank fails, the FDIC or a state regulatory agency takes over and either sells or dissolves the bank. Most banks in the US are insured by the FDIC, which provides coverage up to $250,000 per depositor, per FDIC bank, per ownership category.
If your bank fails, up to $250,000 of deposited money (per person, per account ownership type) is protected by the FDIC. When banks fail, the most common outcome is that another bank takes over the assets and your accounts are simply transferred over. If not, the FDIC will pay you out.
When a bank is at risk of going bust, there is usually a run on the bank when the bank's customers try to withdraw the money in their accounts before the bank closes. There is a government scheme in place which will compensate account holders of a bank that has failed, but only up to a limited sum.
You'll get your money back (usually). You may receive a check in the mail for the remaining balance, unless the bank suspects terrorism or other illegal activities. You can also go to a branch and receive a cashier's check for the account balance.
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.
While every bank failure is unique, there are standard policies and procedures that the FDIC follows in making deposit insurance payments. It is the FDIC's goal to make deposit insurance payments within two business day of the failure of the insured institution.
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.
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.
A bank account is typically the safest place for your cash, since banks can be insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. up to $250,000 per depositor, per insured institution, per ownership category.
Ensure Your Bank Is Insured
If a bank or credit union collapses, each depositor is covered for up to $250,000. If your bank or credit union isn't FDIC- or NCUA-insured, however, you won't have that guarantee, so make sure your funds are at an institution covered by deposit insurance.
Are credit unions safer than banks?
Generally, credit unions are viewed as safer than banks, although deposits at both types of financial institutions are usually insured at the same dollar amounts. The FDIC insures deposits at most banks, and the NCUA insures deposits at most credit unions.
Of course, the bank must return any remaining funds in your account but may hold on to them to cover any negative balance or fees. In some cases, the bank may hold the funds if your account is flagged for suspicious activities, which is increasingly common.
Cash machines (ATMs)
If you just want to withdraw cash, the easiest option is probably a free ATM. Use Link's free cash locator to find the one nearest to you.
First and foremost, it is essential to choose a bank that is insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). The FDIC insures deposits up to $250,000 per depositor, per insured bank. This means that if your bank fails, you can still get your money back up to the insured amount.
The bottom line is that your money should be safe at your bank, although you might consider spreading your wealth around to multiple banks if you have more than $250,000 in any one bank account.
A recent CNBC Select and Dynata Banking Behaviors Survey found that 40% of respondents who reported having withdrawn cash from their savings say they did so to cover fixed bills, such as a car payment. The second most cited reason, at 38%, was to cover variable expenses like groceries.
Bank of America is just one place below JPMorgan Chase on both the 2023 G-SIBs list and the Federal Reserve's list of the largest U.S. banks, which is why it was chosen in our research as one of the safest banks.
Unless your bank has set a withdrawal limit of its own, you are free to take as much out of your bank account as you would like.
Most deposits in banks are insured dollar-for-dollar by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. This insurance covers your principal and any interest you're owed through the date of your bank's default up to $250,000 in combined total balances. You don't have to apply for 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 at an FDIC insured bank?
No depositor has ever lost a penny of insured deposits since the FDIC was created in 1933.
Each depositor in a bank is insured upto a maximum of ₹ 5,00,000 (Rupees Five Lakhs) for both principal and interest amount held by him in the same right and same capacity as on the date of liquidation/cancellation of bank's licence or the date on which the scheme of amalgamation/merger/reconstruction comes into force.
A report posted on the Social Science Research Network found that 186 banks in the United States are at risk of failure or collapse due to rising interest rates and a high proportion of uninsured deposits.
| Bank | Assets | FDIC Insured? |
|---|---|---|
| U.S. Bank | $651 billion | Yes |
| PNC Bank | $557 billion | Yes |
| Truist | $528 billion | Yes |
| Goldman Sachs | $521 billion | Yes |
The consequences would likely be catastrophic: cash machines, debit cards would all stop working, threatening the entire financial system with collapse. It is this scenario that is keeping governments enthralled to the banks.
