
Credit unions are not regulated by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). Instead, they are regulated by the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA), an independent federal agency created by the U.S. Congress to regulate, charter, and supervise federal credit unions. The NCUA provides federal insurance for deposits at credit unions, protecting members' accounts at each federally insured credit union, including principal and any posted dividends, up to a limit of $250,000 per individual depositor and per account ownership category. This coverage is similar to the FDIC's protection for banks, with both agencies offering nearly equal protections for deposits.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Credit unions federal insurance provider | National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) |
| Banks federal insurance provider | Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) |
| NCUA insurance coverage | Up to $250,000 per individual depositor and account ownership category |
| FDIC insurance coverage | Up to $250,000 per individual depositor and account ownership category |
| NCUA insurance coverage extension | Open accounts with different credit unions |
| FDIC insurance coverage extension | Holding deposit accounts at banks |
| NCUA insurance coverage applicability | Federal and most state-chartered credit unions |
| FDIC insurance coverage applicability | Banks that are members of the FDIC |
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What You'll Learn

The National Credit Union Administration (NCUA)
The NCUA's Share Insurance Estimator lets consumers, credit unions, and their members know how its share insurance rules apply to member share accounts—what's insured and what portion, if any, exceeds coverage limits. The NCUA insures up to $250,000 in any account category held by a member. This includes common products like checking accounts, savings accounts, money market accounts, and certificates of deposit (CD) options. To extend NCUA coverage, individuals can open accounts with different credit unions.
The NCUA also runs programs designed to help credit unions stay afloat if they face financial hardship. To protect against the failure of credit unions, the NCUA implemented a 12-month examination cycle for federally insured credit unions to detect problems before they became insurmountable.
The NCUA's goals for 2021 and beyond include advancing economic equity and justice within the credit union movement and building on the agency's ACCESS program. Plans include enhancing support for minority depository institutions, ensuring compliance with fair lending laws, advancing initiatives to close the wealth gap, and proactively considering future challenges like climate change to mitigate risks.
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NCUA insurance coverage
Credit unions are not FDIC-insured, but they are protected by the federal government. The National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) was created by the U.S. Congress to regulate, charter, and supervise federal credit unions. The NCUA fund insures up to $250,000 in any account category held by an individual. This includes common products like checking accounts, savings accounts, money market accounts, and certificates of deposit (CD) options. Credit union members don't need to apply for share insurance coverage as it's provided automatically when they join a federally insured credit union.
The Share Insurance Fund insures individual accounts at federally insured credit unions for up to $250,000, and a member's interest in all joint accounts combined is insured for up to $250,000 as well. The Share Insurance Fund also separately protects IRA and KEOGH retirement accounts for up to $250,000. The fund is administered by the NCUA and backed by the full faith and credit of the United States. No one has ever lost insured deposits at a federally insured credit union.
To extend NCUA coverage, individuals can open accounts with different credit unions. It's important to note that the NCUA does not insure safe deposit boxes or their contents, digital assets like cryptocurrencies, or money invested in stocks, bonds, mutual funds, life insurance policies, annuities, or municipal securities.
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FDIC insurance
Credit unions are not insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). Instead, they are protected by the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA), a federal agency created by the US Congress to regulate, charter, and supervise federal credit unions. The NCUA fund insures up to $250,000 in any account category held by a member. This includes common products like checking accounts, savings accounts, money market accounts, and certificates of deposit (CD) options. If a member holds multiple account types at the same credit union, the NCUA can cover $250,000 for each of those accounts. For example, if someone has a trust and a checking account with the same credit union, the NCUA will insure up to $500,000 of their money.
The FDIC, on the other hand, provides deposit insurance for banks, protecting customers' money in the event of bank failure. FDIC insurance covers up to $250,000 per individual depositor at each FDIC-insured bank and is automatic when opening a deposit account. Deposit accounts include traditional accounts like checking accounts, savings accounts, and certificates of deposit (CDs).
To summarise, while credit unions are not FDIC-insured, they are protected by the NCUA, which provides similar deposit insurance coverage and protections.
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State-chartered credit unions
Credit unions are financial institutions that provide banking services and are created, owned, and operated by their participants. They are not-for-profit enterprises that enjoy tax-exempt status. In the United States, credit unions are divided into two categories: state-chartered and federally chartered. State-chartered credit unions fall under the regulatory authority of their respective state's financial services division. These credit unions adhere to state-specific regulations and guidelines, but not all states have such laws in place.
State regulatory authorities often have a much greater familiarity with their local credit unions than the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) has with federally chartered credit unions. Federal credit unions have maximum interest rate regulations, whereas different states may have higher or no limits on interest rate charges. Some states do not grant credit union charters, so there may not be state-chartered credit unions in certain states. In such cases, credit unions must be federally chartered.
To extend NCUA coverage, individuals can open accounts with different credit unions. Additionally, some non-members of the NCUA benefit from similar protections granted by the state where a credit union is located. Some also have private insurance. It is always a good idea to ensure that the credit union is insured by the NCUA or has other forms of protection.
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Federal credit unions
Credit unions are not insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). Instead, they are protected by the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA), a federal agency created by the US Congress to regulate, charter, and supervise federal credit unions. The NCUA fund insures up to $250,000 in any account category held by a member. This includes common products like checking accounts, savings accounts, money market accounts, and certificates of deposit (CD) options. If a member holds multiple account types, the NCUA can cover $250,000 for each of those accounts. For example, if a member has a checking account and an individual retirement account (IRA), the NCUA will cover up to $500,000 of their money.
Credit unions are not-for-profit organisations that aim to help their members save money and access affordable lending. They are often community-focused and committed to fostering inclusion and cooperation. For example, the DC Credit Union in Washington, D.C., serves District Government employees and under-served communities by offering banking services and loans at reasonable rates and with low fees.
The NCUA also runs programs to help credit unions stay afloat financially. Since its inception in the 1970s, no credit union has lost insured savings. All deposits at federally insured credit unions are protected by the National Credit Union Share Insurance Fund, with deposits insured up to at least $250,000 per individual depositor. Credit union members can calculate their insured funds using the NCUA's Share Insurance Estimator.
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Frequently asked questions
No, credit unions are not regulated by the FDIC. The FDIC provides federal insurance for deposits at banks, while the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) provides federal insurance for deposits at credit unions.
The NCUA is the government agency that insures deposits at member credit unions. It was created by the U.S. Congress to regulate, charter and supervise federal credit unions. The NCUA's counterpart to banks is the FDIC.
The NCUA insures up to $250,000 in any account category held by a member. This coverage is similar to that provided by the FDIC. The NCUA also offers additional protection for certain types of accounts, such as jointly owned accounts.
















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