Deposits Are Safe in Federally Insured Credit Unions (2024)

FAQs

Deposits Are Safe in Federally Insured Credit Unions? ›

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 have never lost a penny of insured savings at a federally insured credit union.

Just like banks, credit unions are federally insured; however, credit unions are not insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). Instead, the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) is the federal insurer of credit unions, making them just as safe as traditional banks.

Like banks, which are federally insured by the FDIC, credit unions are insured by the NCUA, making them just as safe as banks.

Which is Safer, a Bank or a Credit Union? As long as you are banking at a federally insured institution, whether it is a credit union insured by the NCUA or a bank by the FDIC, your money is equally safe. Credit unions are owned by the members—your savings account at a credit union is a share of ownership.

All your SAFE Credit Union funds are NCUA insured (much like FDIC for a bank) to at least $250,000. Myth – The minimum deposit and ongoing balance requirement is higher than I can afford.

Experts told us that credit unions do fail, like banks (which are also generally safe), but rarely. And deposits up to $250,000 at federally insured credit unions are guaranteed, just as they are at banks.

The FDIC provides deposit insurance to protect your money in the event of a bank failure. Your deposits are automatically insured to at least $250,000 at each FDIC-insured bank.

First, bankers believe it is unfair that credit unions are exempt from federal taxation while the taxes that banks pay represent a significant fraction of their earnings—33 percent last year. Second, bankers believe that credit unions have been allowed to expand far beyond their original purpose.

Credit unions tend to have fewer branches than traditional banks. A credit union may not be close to where you live or work, which could be a problem unless your credit union is part of a shared branch network and/or a large ATM network such as Allpoint or MoneyPass.

JPMorgan Chase, the financial institution that owns Chase Bank, topped our experts' list because it's designated as the world's most systemically important bank on the 2023 G-SIB list. This designation means it has the highest loss absorbency requirements of any bank, providing more protection against financial crisis.

Should I have my money in a bank or credit union? ›

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.

NCUA vs. FDIC

The NCUA insures credit union accounts, while the FDIC provides insurance for bank accounts. They both come with the same limits on insurance coverage. A decision about whether to store money in a credit union or bank shouldn't be affected by which federal agency insures the institution.

Switching from a bank to a credit union can save you money and give you peace of mind knowing you have a trustworthy banking partner that puts your interests above those of outside shareholders.

SAFE Credit Union is headquartered in Folsom and is the 16^th largest credit union in the state of California. It is also the 85^th largest credit union in the nation. It was established in 1940 and as of December of 2023, it had grown to 751 employees and 235,222 members at 21 locations.

However, because credit unions serve mostly individuals and small businesses (rather than large investors) and are known to take fewer risks, credit unions are generally viewed as safer than banks in the event of a collapse. Regardless, both types of financial institutions are equally protected.

bank in a recession, the credit union is likely to fare a little better. Both can be hit hard by tough economic conditions, but credit unions were statistically less likely to fail during the Great Recession. But no matter which you go with, you shouldn't worry about losing money.

NCUA vs. FDIC. The NCUA and FDIC are very similar; they provide government-backed deposit account insurance. While the NCUA applies to federally insured credit unions, the FDIC insures bank deposits.

FDIC insurance covers deposits in all types of accounts at FDIC-insured banks, but it does not cover non-deposit investment products, even those offered by FDIC-insured banks. Additionally, FDIC deposit insurance doesn't cover default or bankruptcy of any non-FDIC-insured institution.

If a couple has a joint money market deposit account, a joint savings account, and a joint CD at the same insured bank, each co-owner's shares of the three accounts are added together and insured up to $250,000 per owner, providing up to $500,000 in coverage for the couple's joint accounts.