How safe is the money in my bank account after the SVB collapse? (2024)

How safe is the money in my bank account after the SVB collapse? (1)

By Kristina Rex

/ CBS Boston

WELLESLEY - Following the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank in early March, many people are wondering: is my money safe?

"I'm thinking about where I want to move my money," Leah Spiezio told WBZ as she left the Bank of America ATM. "Do I want to take it out? Do I want to put it under the mattress? I don't know."

Many people nationwide have similar questions right now. "When it comes to banking, everybody is impacted," explained Misty Lynch, a Certified Financial Planner and owner of Sound View Financial Advisors in Walpole. "That's definitely a question that people have been very concerned about lately, and they have a good reason," she explained.

Silicon Valley Bank, which has a branch in Wellesley, closed nearly two weeks ago. SVB, a bank largely focused on the tech industry, started to sell its investments after the federal interest rate hikes made their long-term investments lose value. Due to the unprecedented interest rate environment, their portfolio performance led them to a rapid sale of assets in efforts to raise capital, which panicked depositors and caused them to withdraw their assets.

Clients lost faith and flocked to the bank to withdraw their money, causing the bank to collapse and the FDIC to take over. Since the collapse, the government has guaranteed that all depositors will receive all of their money back.

However, the implications of the SVB collapse had many customers and experts worried that people will lose faith in the banking system in general, which could send the economy into a spiral.

So, should you be worried?

"Absolutely not," says Jay Zagorsky, an economics professor at the Questrom School of Business at Boston University.

Why? The FDIC protects any deposits up to $250,000, per person, per bank account, and the large majority of depositors have less than that insured amount.

However, if you are someone - maybe a business owner - with more than $250,000 in the bank, there's more you can do to stay safe:

Split up your money

Open multiple bank accounts with less than $250,000 in each to guarantee your money is federally insured.

Consider investing

"What I've helped a lot of people do lately is look at how much it costs to be them," Misty Lynch explained, encouraging people to invest or consider high yield savings accounts. "Look at an emergency savings account, and if that's 3 to 6 months, and that means I have another $100-$200,000 or whatever they have in the bank... We might think of better opportunities for that money to start to work for them instead of the bank, meaning they can invest in other things that might produce better returns or income in the future."

Consider a Massachusetts bank

"Massachusetts is one of the special places in the world where we have extra insurance," Jay Zagorsky said. He's talking about DIF: the Depositors Insurance Fund, which covers any and all deposits past the FDIC-protected $250,000 made into 76 different Massachusetts banks.

All in all, the takeaway: don't let the SVB collapse send you into a panic. "The government is not going to let, in my opinion, major banks, like Bank of America, or Chase, or Wells Fargo go under," Zagorsky said.

Kristina Rex

How safe is the money in my bank account after the SVB collapse? (2)

Kristina Rex is a reporter for WBZ-TV News.

How safe is the money in my bank account after the SVB collapse? (2024)

FAQs

How safe is the money in my bank account after the SVB collapse? ›

The FDIC protects any deposits up to $250,000, per person, per bank account, and the large majority of depositors have less than that insured amount. Open multiple bank accounts with less than $250,000 in each to guarantee your money is federally insured.

Is my money safe with SVB? ›

IS MY MONEY SAFE? Yes! No one lost any money on deposit as a result of this transaction. Depositors of Silicon Valley Bridge Bank, N.A., will automatically become depositors of First-Citizens Bank & Trust Company.

What happens to money in Silicon Valley Bank collapse? ›

Silicon Valley Bank is closed, so the FDIC formed the Deposit Insurance National Bank of Santa Clara to consolidate insured and uninsured deposited into one institution. All deposits of SVB were transferred to the National Bank of Santa Clara, and insured depositors had access to their funds on March 13.

Should I pull out my money from the bank? ›

Your money is safe in a bank with FDIC insurance. A bank account is typically the safest place for your cash, since banks can be insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. up to $250,000 per depositor, per insured institution, per ownership category.

Should I take my money out of the bank in 2024? ›

First and foremost, it is essential to choose a bank that is insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). The FDIC insures deposits up to $250,000 per depositor, per insured bank. This means that if your bank fails, you can still get your money back up to the insured amount.

Will SVB account holders get their money back? ›

The FDIC will commence a liquidation process of assets that SVB valued at more than $200 billion — but the actual dollar amount those assets fetch is likely to be less. "Uninsured depositors will get a recovery, and may even get a full recovery, but that will happen at some point in the future," Ricks said.

Is my money safe in the bank right now? ›

Your money is as safe as it can be in the bank. Between depositor insurance, emergency loans and bank sales, the government works hard to protect what you have.

Who benefits from Silicon Valley Bank collapse? ›

Among the financial services companies receiving money from SVB customers were Brex, JPMorgan Chase, Morgan Stanley and First Republic Bank.

Which banks are failing in 2024? ›

The news: Last Friday, Pennsylvania financial regulators seized and shut down Philadelphia-based Republic First Bank in the first FDIC-insured bank failure of 2024.

Will the Silicon Valley Bank collapse lead to a recession? ›

The recent failure of multiple midsized banks has put the effects of high inflation and high interest rates into perspective leading to heightened concerns for a recession among consumers.

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.

What is the safest bank in the US? ›

JPMorgan Chase, the financial institution that owns Chase Bank, topped our experts' list because it's designated as the world's most systemically important bank on the 2023 G-SIB list. This designation means it has the highest loss absorbency requirements of any bank, providing more protection against financial crisis.

Can the government take money from your bank account in a crisis? ›

The government can seize money from your checking account only in specific circ*mstances and with due process. The most common reason for the government to seize funds from your account is to collect unpaid taxes, such as federal taxes, state taxes, or child support payments.

Is it good to have $100,000 in the bank? ›

While reaching the $100,000 mark is an admirable achievement, it shouldn't be seen as an end game. Even a six-figure bank account likely won't go far enough in retirement, which could last as long as 30 years.

Is Capital One bank safe from collapse? ›

Your money is safe at Capital One

The FDIC insures balances up to $250,000 held in various types of consumer and business deposit accounts.

Is my bank 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.

Will depositors get their money out of SVB? ›

The transfer of all the deposits was completed under the systemic risk exception approved yesterday . All depositors of the institution will be made whole. No losses associated with the resolution of Silicon Valley Bank will be borne by taxpayers.

What happens to everyone's money in SVB? ›

However, the Treasury Department, the Federal Reserve, and the FDIC announced they would make sure all depositors with accounts at SVB and Signature Bank would have access to their funds by the next day – beyond just the $250,000 guaranteed by the FDIC.

Can SVB customers access their money? ›

In an effort to shore up confidence in the banking system, the U.S. Treasury Department, Federal Reserve and Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. said Sunday that all Silicon Valley Bank clients would be protected and have access to their funds.

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