EDIE the Estimator can calculate your FDIC insurance coverage for each FDIC-insured bank where you have deposit accounts.

Information and tips to help you if you are thinking about or already using online banking systems.

Debit cards, which work like electronic checks, are becoming more widely used as an alternative to credit cards to pay for goods and services. To help you better understand how the two types of cards work and the potential benefits and concerns, we offer this quick guide.

Learn how to wisely choose, or use, a prepaid card.

FDIC Consumer News provides practical guidance on how to become a smarter, safer user of financial services. This Winter 2008/2009 Special Edition includes tips that focus on helping you spend less, save more, protect yourself again fraud, and borrow wisely.

This is a comprehensive brochure that describes how credit union member accounts are insured up to $250,000 by the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA), an agency of the federal government, and describes the variety of insured accounts.  It includes examples of insurance protection for various size families and explains how to structure accounts to gain the most protection.

Video of well-known financial advisor Jane Bryant Quinn emphasizing the safety of money placed in federally insured credit unions.

Worried about your accounts?  At this site you can go to a brochure that briefly describes how most credit union member accounts are federally insured by the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA).  This site also includes other publications and brochures that provide consumer information about NCUA, financial education and the NCUA Share Insurance Fund.  Some of the brochures are offered in English as well as in Spanish.

This website contains an interactive share insurance calculator where members can calculate coverage.  Also, all NCUA share insurance protection information is available at this website.

Knowing how to secure your financial well-being is one of the most important things you’ll ever need in life.  This brochure covers the basics of saving and investing and includes key tips on making money grow over time.  Sections include: (i) Define Your Goals, (ii) Make a Financial Plan, (iii) Determine Your Risk Tolerance, (iv) Investment Products: Your Choices, (v) How to Pick a Financial Professional, and (vi) Avoid Problems.

The SEC’s new Web site, Investor.gov, offers a wealth of information on how to become a smarter investor.  Use retirement calculators, tools, and games to increase your financial knowledge.  Or read articles on products such as mutual funds, variable annuities, and 529 college savings plans.  The site also can help you figure out what questions to ask before investing and where to get the answers.

Variable annuities have become a part of the retirement and investment plans of many Americans. This brochure is a general description of variable annuities – what they are, how they work, and the charges you will pay.  The brochure also includes detailed information on death benefits, surrender charges, tax-free “1035” exchanges, bonus credits and a number of other related topics that can help you determine whether a variable annuity is right for you.

The practice of spreading money among different investments to reduce risk is known as diversification. By picking the right group of investments, you may be able to limit your losses and reduce the fluctuations of investment returns without sacrificing too much potential gain.  To learn more about this investment strategy, read the SEC’s online materials on diversification. 

Asset allocation involves dividing an investment portfolio among different asset categories, such as stocks, bonds, and cash. Some financial experts believe that determining your asset allocation is the most important decision that you’ll make with respect to your investments – that it’s even more important than the individual investments you buy.  With that in mind, you may want to check out the SEC’s online materials on asset allocation. 

Federal and state securities laws require brokers, investment advisers, and their firms to be licensed or registered, and to make important information public. That’s why smart investors always check out the background of anyone promoting an investment opportunity. The information is easy to get, and one phone call or web search may save you from sending your money to a con artist, a bad financial professional or disreputable firm. 

Ask questions – that’s the best advice the SEC can give you about how to invest wisely.  In the SEC’s “Ask Questions” brochure, you’ll find some questions that you should ask about investment products, the people who sell those products, and the people who provide investment advice to you.  It also includes some helpful tips on how to monitor your investments and handle any problems.

FDIC Consumer News is a quarterly publication that provides practical financial tips and information. The article It's Amazing: How a Small Savings Account Can Get Big Over Time explains how saving even small amounts of money can result in a substantial sum over time.

Tips and strategies for handling your finances at different stages of life.

Many families looking for a way to save for a child’s college education consider investing in a 529 plan, a tax-advantaged savings plan designed to encourage saving for future college costs. This online brochure explains the basics of 529 plans.  Topics covered include: prepaid tuition plans vs. college savings plans, federal and state tax benefits, fees and expenses (and how to avoid some of the extra fees), and impact on financial aid eligibility.  

Over the past decade, American investors increasingly have turned to mutual funds to save for retirement and other financial goals. Mutual funds can offer the advantages of diversification and professional management. But, as with other investment choices, investing in mutual funds involves risk.  In addition, fees and taxes can diminish a fund’s returns. This brochure explains the basics of mutual fund investing — how mutual funds work, what factors to consider before investing, and how to avoid common pitfalls.