How to check the safety of your credit union (2024)

— -- Q: How do I know that the money I have in my credit union is safe?

A: You may know if your money at a brokerage firm or bank is safe. But what about your cash stored at a credit union?

Past Ask Matt columns addressed the safety nets for money at your broker and at your bank.

Credit unions are different. They are not-for-profit cooperative financial institutions created to provide savings and loan services for members of a group with a common bond, such as employees of a company, a particular profession or other affinity group. Credit unions are regulated by the National Credit Union Administration, or NCUA, or by state agencies. The NCUA oversees the safety and soundness of all credit unions.

If you want to check up on your credit union, make sure it's federally insured by the NCUA and look at its finances, you can do that any time. Go to the NCUA's website at www.ncua.gov, click on the "Credit Union Data" link on the left-hand side of the page below where it says Data and Services. Next, click on the Find a Credit Union link, type in the credit union's name and click the Find button.

You can then choose to view the Financial Performance Report or the official regulatory document, called the 5300 report. This report will tell you how well capitalized the credit union is and even let you see how many of the loans are going bad.

What about your asset protection? Credit unions are backed by the NCUA, through the NCU Share Insurance Fund, which is backed by the U.S. government. Individual accounts are backed up to $100,000, with additional coverage up to $250,000 for certain retirement accounts. Joint accounts may qualify for coverage of up to $200,000.

You can get more information about your insurance here

Matt Krantz is a financial markets reporter at USA TODAY and author of Investing Online for Dummies. He answers a different reader question every weekday in his Ask Matt column at money.usatoday.com. To submit a question, e-mail Matt at mkrantz@usatoday.com. Click here to see previous Ask Matt columns.

How to check the safety of your credit union (2024)

FAQs

How do I know if my credit union is safe? ›

You can tell if your credit union is federally insured by NCUA by searching for a credit union in Find a Credit Union (Opens new window). In addition, credit unions must display in their offices the official NCUA insurance sign.

Is my money at risk in a credit union? ›

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.

How do I check my bank safety? ›

To look up your account's FDIC protection, visit the Electronic Deposit Insurance Estimator or call the FDIC Call Center at (877) 275-3342 (877-ASK-FDIC). For the hearing impaired, call (800) 877-8339. Accounts at credit unions are insured in a similar way, by the National Credit Union Association (NCUA).

How do I know if my credit union is FDIC insured? ›

Is my bank insured by the FDIC? You can check your bank's website or check the FDIC website, which has a searchable database of all FDIC-insured banks.

Can a credit union crash like a bank? ›

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.

Which bank is least likely to go bust? ›

Chase Bank

This designation means it has the highest loss absorbency requirements of any bank, providing more protection against financial crisis. Chase is also the largest bank in the U.S. in terms of asset size.

Is my credit union safe from collapse? ›

Are Credit Unions FDIC Insured? No. Credit unions are insured by the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA). Just like the FDIC insures up to $250,000 for individuals' accounts of a bank, the NCUA insures up to $250,000 for individuals' accounts of a credit union.

Are any credit unions in financial trouble? ›

National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) credit unions had seven conservatorships/liquidations in 2022 and two so far in 2023. While credit unions have experienced several failures in 2022, there were no Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.

Are credit unions safe if banks fail? ›

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

Can banks seize your money if the economy fails? ›

It indicates an expandable section or menu, or sometimes previous / next navigation options. Your money is safe in a bank, even during an economic decline like a recession. Up to $250,000 per depositor, per account ownership category, is protected by the FDIC or NCUA at a federally insured financial institution.

How do I know if my bank is safe from collapse? ›

If the bank fails, you'll get your money back. Nearly all banks are FDIC insured. You can look for the FDIC logo at bank teller windows or on the entrance to your bank branch. Credit unions are insured by the National Credit Union Administration.

Are CDs at credit unions insured? ›

Key Takeaways. A typical certificate of deposit (CD) often works similarly whether a bank or a credit union issues it. Credit union and bank CDs may be insured for up to $250,000 in the event of financial institution failure.

Where do millionaires keep their money if banks only insure 250k? ›

Millionaires can insure their money by depositing funds in FDIC-insured accounts, NCUA-insured accounts, through IntraFi Network Deposits, or through cash management accounts. They may also allocate some of their cash to low-risk investments, such as Treasury securities or government bonds.

Is it safe to have more than $250000 in a bank account? ›

The standard deposit insurance coverage limit is $250,000 per depositor, per FDIC-insured bank, per ownership category. Deposits held in different ownership categories are separately insured, up to at least $250,000, even if held at the same bank.

Are credit unions at risk of failing? ›

Credit unions do fail from time to time, too, and have seen a few more failures in recent years than banks.

Is NCUA safer than FDIC? ›

One of the only differences between NCUA and FDIC coverage is that the FDIC will also insure cashier's checks and money orders. Otherwise, banks and credit unions are equally protected, and your deposit accounts are safe with either option.

Should I worry about my money in a credit union? ›

Money held in credit union accounts is insured through the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA). Many types of accounts are covered by insurance such as checking, savings, certificates of deposit, money market accounts, and others.

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