Its a little scary out there right now.  So I thought I would check and see what the FDIC covers and what it does not.

The FDIC protects checking and savings accounts, CD's, and money-market savings accounts, but not stocks, bonds or mutual shares even if you purchased them from a FDIC bank. 

Your bank accounts are covered up to $100,000.  IRA that are held in CD's and money market accounts are covered up to $250,000.

The best way to protect your money by dividing it up between banks.  Putting it in different branches of the same bank will not guarantee protection of funds over the maximum guarantees.  If it is really important to you to keep your money in the same bank, then do it by categories, i.e. Your name, your spouse's name, a joint accounty, trust accounts under someone other then you as beneficiary.

If you bank happens to fail, you should have access to your funds within 24 hours in most cases. 

If you should have over the covered amount by the FDIC, generally you will recover 70 cents on the dollar.  But let's don't go there.  Make your money safe.  Talk to your banker and find out what is the best strategy for you.