Your money is generally safe in a bank, under most circumstances. However, it depends on the rules used by all banks, which have been set up by the federal government.

Your money is safe if you have less than or up to $250,000 (increased from $100,000) deposited into a checking account, negotiable order of withdrawal (NOW) or savings account, money market deposit account, or time deposits such as certificates of deposit (CDs) in any one account in a federally insured bank. However, if you have more than $250,000, or any amount invested in stocks, bonds, mutual funds, life insurance policies, annuities, or municipal securities, or some retirement accounts, which total over $250,000, then your money is not safe. Needless to say, if the bank or savings association is not federally insured, none of your money is “safe.”

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) does not insure your deposits held in separate branches of the same insured bank, but deposits in one insured bank are insured separately from deposits in another insured bank.

For more information, see BankingQuestions.com.