Fidelity Brokerage Account Insurance Coverage and Protection

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Fidelity offers insurance coverage for your brokerage account through its FDIC insurance. This coverage protects your cash and cash equivalents up to $250,000.

Fidelity also offers SIPC (Securities Investor Protection Corporation) insurance, which protects your securities up to $500,000, including a $250,000 limit for cash claims.

This insurance coverage is designed to give you peace of mind and protect your investments in case of a market downturn or other financial emergency.

What Fidelity Insures

Fidelity offers protection for your investments through various insurance programs.

Fidelity is FDIC insured, which means your uninvested cash balance is protected in case of bank failure.

Fidelity's Deposit Sweep Program channels your cash into banks that carry FDIC insurance, but only a portion of your cash balance may be eligible for FDIC coverage, depending on the program option selected.

Fidelity Cash Management Accounts, most IRAs, and health savings accounts (HSAs) are eligible for FDIC insurance coverage for the entire balance held in the account.

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All Fidelity brokerage accounts are covered by SIPC, which protects your securities, including money market funds held in a brokerage account.

Here's a breakdown of the types of accounts covered by SIPC and FDIC insurance:

It's essential to understand the coverage limits for your Fidelity accounts, which can vary depending on the account type and ownership structure.

Fidelity's Deposit Sweep Program

Fidelity's Deposit Sweep Program is designed to provide FDIC insurance coverage for its banking customers. This program involves automatically sweeping uninvested cash balances in eligible Fidelity accounts into deposit accounts at one or more Program Banks that participate in the FDIC's Deposit Insurance Program.

The program allows Fidelity to offer expanded FDIC coverage by spreading deposits among multiple banks. Fidelity currently has about 20 banks available for Fidelity Cash Management and IRA accounts, although new deposits at any point in time are subject to bank capacity limits.

Customers can have up to $5 million of uninvested cash covered by FDIC insurance, assuming all banks have available capacity. Excess funds will be swept to the Fidelity Government Money Market Fund – Class S, also referred to as the Money Market Overflow fund.

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Please note that these lists may change over time as program banks are added or removed. You can find a current list of participating program banks on Fidelity's website.

Here is a summary of the key facts about Fidelity's Deposit Sweep Program:

  • 20 banks available for Fidelity Cash Management and IRA accounts
  • Up to $5 million of uninvested cash covered by FDIC insurance
  • Excess funds swept to Fidelity Government Money Market Fund – Class S

Insurance Coverage

Fidelity's Deposit Sweep Program offers FDIC insurance coverage to eligible customers.

Not all Fidelity accounts are eligible for the Deposit Sweep Program, which means they may not be covered by FDIC insurance.

FDIC insurance does not cover losses due to market fluctuations or the value of investments held within Fidelity brokerage accounts.

Investments in stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and other securities are subject to market risks and are not protected by FDIC insurance.

Fidelity's approach to FDIC insurance coverage is similar to other financial institutions that provide both banking and brokerage services.

The specifics of each institution's coverage can vary, so it's essential to review the terms and conditions for FDIC insurance offered by different banks.

Cash Balances Insured Up to $5 Million

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Fidelity's Deposit Sweep Program offers FDIC insurance coverage to eligible customers, but not all accounts are eligible.

Cash balances in Fidelity accounts are FDIC insured up to $5 million. This is a significant safeguard for depositors, protecting them in case of bank failure.

To be eligible for FDIC insurance, Fidelity customers must have uninvested cash balances swept to one or more accounts at Fidelity's partner banks.

Fidelity's Cash Management Account earns interest on uninvested cash balances, and interest accrues daily. The account pays interest on the last business day of the month.

Here's a comparison of Fidelity's Cash Management Account with other cash management accounts:

Excess of SIPC

Excess of SIPC provides additional protection beyond the standard SIPC coverage. Fidelity offers this excess coverage, which kicks in when SIPC coverage is exhausted.

The excess coverage has a total aggregate limit of $1 billion. This means that if a large number of customers file claims, the excess coverage will help cover the remaining losses.

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Excess of SIPC only covers securities held in brokerage positions, including mutual funds and securities held in book entry form. This means that it won't cover investment losses due to market fluctuations.

There's no per customer dollar limit on coverage of securities, but there is a $1.9 million limit on coverage of cash awaiting investment. This is the maximum excess of SIPC protection currently available in the brokerage industry.

Excess Deposit Amounts

If you have more than $245,000 in uninvested cash in your account, Fidelity's FDIC-Insured Deposit Sweep Program will maximize your eligibility for FDIC insurance by allocating uninvested cash across multiple program banks.

This means you could have up to $5 million of uninvested cash covered by FDIC insurance, assuming all the banks have available capacity.

For amounts in excess of FDIC insurance limits, excess funds will be swept to the Fidelity Government Money Market Fund – Class S, also referred to as the Money Market Overflow fund.

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This fund is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency, and you could lose money by investing in it.

The Money Market Overflow fund is the first source of funds to settle any debits to your account.

Note that SIPC protection and excess of SIPC coverage do not cover investment losses in customer accounts, including losses due to market fluctuation.

Eligibility and Comparison

Eligibility for Fidelity's FDIC insurance is through its Deposit Sweep Program, which sweeps uninvested cash balances to partner banks for FDIC insurance.

Fidelity customers can potentially have deposits insured up to the maximum FDIC coverage limits. This is because the program allocates uninvested cash across multiple program banks to maximize eligibility.

To be eligible for FDIC insurance, you must have a Fidelity account that participates in the Deposit Sweep Program. This includes Fidelity Cash Management Account, Individual Retirement Account (IRA), and Health Savings Account (HSA) accounts.

If you have more than $245,000 in uninvested cash in your account, the program will allocate it across multiple banks to maximize FDIC insurance coverage, potentially up to $5 million.

Cash Management Comparison

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When comparing cash management accounts, it's essential to consider the interest rates offered. Fidelity's Cash Management Account has an APY of 2.35%, which is lower than some other options.

Fidelity's Cash Management Account also has a monthly maintenance fee of $0, which is a plus. However, the FDIC insurance limits offered by Fidelity are up to $5 million, which is a significant amount.

If you're already investing with Fidelity, getting a cash management account there makes sense. But if you're looking for higher rates, you might want to consider other options.

Here's a comparison of some popular cash management accounts:

By reviewing this comparison, you can make an informed decision about which cash management account is right for you.

Fidelity's Insurance Coverage Comparison

Fidelity's Insurance Coverage Comparison is a crucial aspect to consider when choosing a financial institution. Fidelity offers FDIC insurance through its Deposit Sweep Program, which sweeps uninvested cash balances into deposit accounts at partner banks, providing deposit insurance for that uninvested cash.

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Fidelity's approach to FDIC insurance coverage is similar to other financial institutions that provide both banking and brokerage services. However, the specifics of each institution's coverage can vary, so it's essential to review the terms and conditions for FDIC insurance offered by different banks.

To provide FDIC insurance coverage for its banking customers, Fidelity uses a mechanism called the "Deposit Sweep Program." This program involves automatically sweeping uninvested cash balances in eligible Fidelity accounts into deposit accounts at one or more Program Banks that participate in the FDIC's Deposit Insurance Program.

Fidelity's Deposit Sweep Program allows customers to benefit from FDIC insurance coverage on their eligible banking deposits. The program spreads deposits among multiple banks, offering expanded FDIC coverage.

Here's a comparison of Fidelity's FDIC insurance coverage with other institutions:

Note that while Fidelity's APY is competitive, other institutions like Betterment Cash Reserve and Wealthfront Cash Account offer higher yields.

Understanding Insurance

FDIC insurance coverage is a vital safeguard for depositors, protecting them in case of bank failure.

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The FDIC insurance coverage limits apply to different types of accounts and ownership structures, so it's essential to understand the specifics.

FDIC insurance coverage limits vary, but it's worth noting that the standard coverage limit is $250,000 per depositor, per insured bank.

Fidelity offers brokered CDs, which are issued by banks for the customers of brokerage firms, and these are eligible for FDIC insurance.

Deposits swept into the Fidelity FDIC-Insured Deposit Sweep Program are eligible for FDIC insurance, subject to the standard coverage limits.

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What Is Insurable?

When you have money in a bank account, you want to know it's safe. FDIC insurance coverage is a safeguard that protects depositors in case of bank failure.

Brokered CDs issued by banks for brokerage firms, like Fidelity, are eligible for FDIC insurance. This is because the deposits are obligations of the issuing bank, not the brokerage firm.

Cash balances in Fidelity's FDIC-Insured Deposit Sweep Program are swept into an FDIC-Insured interest-bearing account at one or more program banks. This makes them eligible for FDIC insurance, subject to coverage limits.

Deposits that are swept to a money market mutual fund are not eligible for FDIC insurance, but they are eligible for SIPC coverage under SIPC rules.

Insurance Coverage Limitations and Exclusions

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Not all Fidelity accounts are eligible for FDIC insurance coverage, so it's essential to check if your account qualifies for the Deposit Sweep Program.

FDIC insurance does not cover losses due to market fluctuations or the value of investments held within Fidelity brokerage accounts.

Investments in stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and other securities are subject to market risks and are not protected by FDIC insurance.

Fidelity's Deposit Sweep Program sweeps uninvested cash balances into FDIC-insured accounts at partner banks, but it's crucial to understand the coverage limits that apply to different types of accounts and ownership structures.

Here's a breakdown of the key points to keep in mind:

  • FDIC insurance does not cover market losses or investment values.
  • Only eligible accounts qualify for FDIC insurance through the Deposit Sweep Program.
  • Investments in securities are not protected by FDIC insurance.

Review and Distinctions

Fidelity offers a wide range of investment accounts, including taxable investment accounts, IRAs, and 529s.

You can open a Fidelity Cash Management Account, which is a nonbank cash account that's FDIC insured up to $5 million.

For joint accounts, FDIC insurance coverage is based on the number of co-owners in the account, not each co-owner's balance.

Distinction Between Single and Joint Accounts:

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Single ownership accounts are covered up to the individual account owner's balance.

For joint accounts, coverage is based on the number of co-owners in the account.

If you have a joint checking account with your spouse, the account would be covered up to $500,000 ($250,000 x 2).

Joint accounts are a great way to share financial responsibilities with a partner, but it's essential to understand how FDIC insurance works in this type of account.

Coverage for joint accounts is based on the number of co-owners, not the total balance in the account.

Expand your knowledge: Joint Account

Review

Fidelity is a reputable investment brokerage that serves a massive client base of over 43 million people, with a staggering $11 trillion under administration.

Their investment options are incredibly diverse, including taxable investment accounts, IRAs, 529s, and more.

Fidelity's Cash Management Account is a unique offering that combines the features of a checking and savings account, and it's FDIC insured for up to $5 million.

You can easily set up direct deposit to a Fidelity Cash Management Account by providing your routing and account number to your employer's payroll manager.

Fidelity's vast array of investment choices includes mutual funds, ETFs, individual stocks, bonds, and even crypto.

Vanessa Schmidt

Lead Writer

Vanessa Schmidt is a seasoned writer with a passion for crafting informative and engaging content. With a keen eye for detail and a knack for research, she has established herself as a trusted voice in the world of personal finance. Her expertise has led to the creation of articles on a wide range of topics, including Wells Fargo credit card information, where she provides readers with valuable insights and practical advice.

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