What Is the FDIC?

By Jason Hall – Updated Sep 14, 2025 at 9:52 PM

Key Points

FDIC ensures depositor confidence, insuring up to $250,000 per member bank account.
FDIC supervises banks for operational safety and intervenes during failures.
Not all bank products, like stocks or cryptocurrencies, are covered by FDIC insurance.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. (FDIC) is the federal agency most people know as the insurer for bank deposits. But it's more than just that. It also oversees and supervises member financial institutions, including U.S. banks and thrifts.

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FDIC seal. — Image source: Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.

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Asset

An asset is a resource used to hold or create economic value.

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About the Author

Jason Hall is a contributing Motley Fool stock market analyst with more than a decade of experience writing about dividend stocks and long-term investing. He has been with the company since 2012 and previously spent over 10 years in technical sales in the printing and information services industry. Jason also founded and operated a small food manufacturing business.

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