FDIC insurance

FDIC Coverage for Brokerage Accounts: What’s Insured and What’s Not

Many investors know that FDIC insurance protects bank deposits – but confusion often arises when brokerage accounts hold cash. Does FDIC apply? The answer depends on how and where the funds are held.

Here’s what you need to know about FDIC insurance coverage in brokerage accounts.

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🏦 What Is FDIC Insurance?

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) is a U.S. government agency that insures deposits at participating banks up to:

• $250,000 per depositor
• Per ownership category
• Per insured bank

This insurance does not protect investments in stocks, bonds, or mutual funds – only deposit accounts, such as:

• Checking accounts
• Savings accounts
• Money market deposit accounts (MMDAs)
• Certificates of deposit (CDs)

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💰 How FDIC Coverage Applies in Brokerage Accounts

Cash Sweep Programs

Many brokerage firms offer “sweep programs”, which automatically move uninvested cash into:

• FDIC-insured bank accounts, or
• Money market mutual funds (not FDIC-insured)

If your cash is swept into an FDIC-partner bank account, it is insured up to $250,000 per bank, under your name.

✅ Example:
If your broker sweeps cash into 3 different partner banks, you may have up to $750,000 insured, assuming no other accounts at those banks.

Popular brokerage firms like Fidelity, Schwab, and E*TRADE use multi-bank sweep programs to maximize FDIC protection.

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Brokered CDs

When a brokerage sells Certificates of Deposit (CDs) from insured banks, those CDs are covered by FDIC – as long as the bank is FDIC-insured, and the total across all accounts at that bank doesn’t exceed $250,000.

📌 Key Rule: The insurance is applied per depositor, per bank, not per brokerage.

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Cash in Brokerage Accounts Not Swept to Banks

Cash that stays in the brokerage account and is not swept to an FDIC-insured institution is not covered by the FDIC. Instead, it may be protected under SIPC insurance, up to:

• $250,000 for cash,
• And $500,000 total including securities

But SIPC does not insure against bank failure, only brokerage failure.

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🔍 What’s Not Covered by FDIC (Even in Brokerage Accounts)

• Stocks, bonds, ETFs, mutual funds
• Annuities, insurance products
• Crypto assets
• Money market mutual funds
• Commodities or futures

These may be protected by SIPC, not FDIC, and market losses are never insured.

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🧾 How to Check Your Coverage

To find out how much of your brokerage cash is insured:

1. Log into your brokerage account
2. Look for the “Cash Sweep” or “Core Account” section
3. Check whether the funds are swept into FDIC-insured program banks
4. Use the FDIC’s EDIE Tool to estimate coverage per bank

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🏢 Examples of FDIC-Insured Brokerage Sweep Programs

Brokerage	FDIC Partner Banks	Maximum Coverage	Notes
Charles Schwab	Up to 6 banks	$1,500,000	Schwab Bank Sweep
Fidelity	Up to 5 banks	$1,250,000	FDIC-Insured Deposit Sweep
E*TRADE	Multiple banks	$500,000–$1,000,000	Default varies by account
Merrill Edge	Up to 5 banks	$1,250,000	Bank of America affiliated

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🧠 Final Thoughts

FDIC insurance in brokerage accounts only applies to cash – and only if it’s held in FDIC-insured partner banks. It is not automatic for all brokerage cash, and understanding where your funds are held is crucial.

To protect your cash:

• Choose brokerages with FDIC sweep programs
• Understand the per-bank limits
• Use multiple ownership categories if needed
• Don’t assume money market funds are FDIC-insured – many are not

Read more:

Insurance in the U.S. Securities Market – Insurance in the U.S. Securities Market

• Clearing House Default Insurance – Clearing House Default Insurance
• Excess SIPC and Private Insurance Programs – Excess SIPC and Private Insurance Programs
• Hedge Funds and Securities Insurance – Hedge Funds and Securities Insurance
• Insurance for Investment Advisors – Insurance for Investment Advisors
• SIPC Insurance – SIPC Insurance