All About NCUA Insurance

The NCUA insures deposits at federal credit unions and is responsible for their chartering and regulation. Your assurances of up to $250,000 per person and ownership category are certified by the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) if your NCUA-insured credit union fails.

If you're not already a credit union member but could benefit from personalized financial services, higher investment returns, and cheaper costs, consider opening an account.

What is the NCUA?

The NCUA is a government organization that acts autonomously to manage the National Credit Union Share Insurance Fund. The United States government guarantees this federal insurance program with its complete resources.

The National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) insures deposits up to $250,000 per member-owner and ownership category in federal credit unions. The NCUA could provide insurance to credit unions chartered and regulated by state authorities. Nearly all credit unions are covered by NCUA insurance.

A similar government agency that works only with banks is the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), which serves the same purpose as the NCUA. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) oversees financial institutions and controls the Federal Deposit Insurance Fund, the financial institutions' ownership category that meets FDIC insurance requirements. Your deposits at an FDIC-insured bank are safe from insolvency of the bank.

Which Accounts Are Insured by the National Credit Union Administration?

When you open an insured account with a financial institution member of the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA), you are immediately eligible for deposit insurance. Knowing which NCUA ensures financial products are offered by credit unions and which are not.

Personal Retirement Arrangements Stocks, bonds, mutual funds, annuities, life insurance plans, municipal securities, and safe deposit boxes are not covered by NCUA insurance, even if purchased through a federally insured credit union.

Conventional Insurance Up to the Limits Set by NCUA

NCUA insurance is determined in part by the ownership category of the account in addition to the type of account. There is a $250,000 limit on NCUA coverage for each insured credit union, each member-owner, and each account ownership type. The following types of account owners qualify for NCUA insurance:

Accounts for Employee Benefit Plans

Insurance coverage is limited to $250,000 for all of a member's accounts at a specific credit union, regardless of the funds they hold in any given ownership category. Let's say you and your spouse have a joint checking account with a $500,000 balance. The money is fully insured because each of your funds in the same category is eligible for $250,000 in coverage per member-owner, so each of you receives $250,000 in coverage.

It can be challenging to determine if your deposits at a credit union are insured. If you want to see if your savings are safe, you can use a tool provided by the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA). You can safeguard some of your savings by transferring them to a federally insured bank or another NCUA-insured credit union if your total deposits exceed the NCUA's coverage limits.

Defend Your Money

With the security of NCUA insurance on your credit union deposits, you can rest easy. Keeping a close eye on your finances will also help safeguard your credit score. Unpaid overdrafts, penalties, and fees can lead to your account being sent to collections, which can harm your credit score even if credit union activities and account balances are not included in your credit report.

Experian provides free access to your credit report and credit score, so you can keep an eye on them and ensure they're secure. The free Experian credit monitoring service is another option for keeping tabs on your credit score and any possible changes.

The Proper Way to Dig Into Stocks

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