Regardless of the bank’s operating conditions, your money is insured by the FDIC. Deposits with an FDIC-insured bank or savings institution will continue to be protected up to at least $250,000.
Please see additional information regarding deposit insurance.
A. The Federal Reserve System has and will continue to meet the currency needs of banking customers. Be assured that sufficient resources are available to handle customer needs.
Keep in mind, the safest place for your money is inside a bank. Banks will continue to ensure that their customers have access to funds either directly or electronically, and inside an FDIC- insured bank, your funds are protected by the FDIC.
If you prefer, you can also contact the FDIC in writing through our FDIC Deposit Insurance Form via the FDIC Information and Support Center at: https://ask.fdic.gov/fdicinformationandsupportcenter/s/.
The FDIC also has a team of subject matter experts available to answer your questions. Please call 1-877-ASK-FDIC (1-877-275-3342) and ask to speak to a Deposit Insurance Subject Matter Expert between 8:30AM- 5:00PM Monday-Friday.
A. Customers with questions can contact the FDIC toll-free at 1-877-ASK-FDIC or 1-877-275- 3342 or TDD 800-925-4618 for information about accessing banking services or how to reach their bank. This hotline operates from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time Monday through Friday and 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Please note the FDIC does not have access to your specific bank account information. For immediate assistance, you should contact your bank directly. Additional information can be found online at https://www.fdic.gov/COVID- 19/index.html.
A. Some bank branches heavily impacted by COVID-19 may have limited personnel in place to respond to calls and some may need to temporarily close to protect their employees. You can use the FDIC's BankFind to obtain a bank’s contact information, and you can contact the FDIC if you have questions at 1-877-ASK-FDIC (1-877-275-3342).
A. Here are some steps for wiring money to or from an institution:
You should understand the identification verification process at the receiving institution. Some institutions will accept incoming wires for non-customers but will require proof of your identity before they release the funds. Ensure you have the identification required or explain up front what you have and ask the bank if that is acceptable. Also, determine up front whether there are any fees associated with wiring funds.
A. Protect your personal and financial information. Understand that some people may take advantage of COVID-19 by using fraudulent websites, phone calls, emails, and text messages claiming to offer “help” but may be trying to trick people into providing Social Security numbers, bank account numbers, and other valuable details. Do not divulge your bank or credit card numbers or other personal information over the phone unless you initiated the conversation with the other party and you know that it is a reputable organization. In addition, you should be cautious about online solicitations. Be on guard against imposters who contact you claiming to be government employees or volunteers and who ask for personal financial information or money. Reject offers to cash a check for someone in exchange for a fee, even if the bank makes the funds available to you right away, as it may later turn out that the check was fraudulent.
A. Contact your employer to ensure that payroll operations are functioning as normal and to verify that funds were sent to the correct account, and when they are scheduled to be deposited into your account.
A. If you feel ID theft is a concern, or have reason to believe you may be a victim of ID theft, you may place a "fraud alert" on your credit file, by contacting the fraud department at one of the three major credit bureaus for which contact information appears below:
P.O. Box 740241, Atlanta, GA 30374- 0241
P.O. Box 9554, Allen, TX 75013
Fraud Victim Assistance Department, P.O. Box 2000, Chester, PA 19016
You only need to notify one credit bureau. The one that processes your fraud alert will notify the other two. Those two then must place fraud alerts in your file.
Placing a “fraud alert” on your credit file can help prevent a thief from opening new accounts or making changes to your existing accounts. Be aware, however, that placing an alert on your credit file also may prevent you from opening an account unless the bank can contact you and positively confirm your identity and that you are applying for credit.
In addition, people who think their personal information has been misused should contact the local police. They also can contact and file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission by phone at 877-IDTHEFT or 1-877-438-4338 or TDD 1-866-653-4261 or on the Internet at www.identitytheft.gov/.
As always, protect your Social Security number, bank account and credit card numbers, and other personal information, especially in response to unsolicited requests from strangers.
Fraudsters may try to trick you into divulging personal information, or they may steal sensitive mail or documents from homes and offices.
A driver’s license and a state ID card for non-drivers are the most commonly used IDs for proof of identity. These documents should be replaced as soon as possible. Contact the Department of Motor Vehicles in the appropriate state.
The Social Security Administration’s (SSA) card replacement process requires another form of identification, such as a driver’s license. For more information, call 1-800-772- 1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778) or go to www.SSA.gov and click on “Get Or Replace A Social Security Card.” The website also provides information about Social Security benefit payments at www.socialsecurity.gov/emergency.
Contact your financial institution. You can call the FDIC’s toll-free number 1-877-ASK- FDIC (1-877-275-3342) for bank contact information. Once connected, your financial institution should explain the process for replacing your cards, checks, and financial records. If you kept documents in your bank’s safe deposit box, you may want to inquire to the institution about how you can access your box.
For credit cards, if you are unsure of which financial institution issued your card, contact information for the four major credit card companies appears below:
If you do not remember the credit cards you have, you can obtain your credit report from one of the three major credit bureaus (Equifax at 1-800-525-6285, Experian at 1-888-397-3742, or TransUnion at 1-800-680-7289). Your credit report should list all credit cards in your name and a copy of this information may be provided to you at no cost under a new federal law. For details, contact a central service set up by the credit bureaus at 1-877-322-8228 or go to www.annualcreditreport.com/index.action.
A. You should contact the bank at the address your credit card specifies (or through an alternative mechanism provided by the bank) and provide information regarding the disputed transactions no later than 60 days after the bank sent the first statement containing the disputed charges. The bank has 90 days to investigate and resolve the dispute. For more information about credit card dispute resolution procedures, see: https://www.fdic.gov/consumers/assistance/protection/errorresolution.html.
In order for the FDIC to investigate your concerns, you must submit specific details regarding the incident in writing. You can submit your complaint or inquiry online at the FDIC Information and Support Center at https://ask.fdic.gov/fdicinformationandsupportcenter/s/. Alternatively, you can submit a complaint or inquiry by fax to the Consumer Response Center at 703-812-1020.
A. As of March 16, 2020, FDIC employees have been mandated to work from home to limit exposure from COVID-19. There may be some delays in processing physical mail. To avoid delays, and if possible, it is recommended that complaints and inquiries be submitted to the FDIC Consumer Response Center by visiting the FDIC Information and Support Center at https://ask.fdic.gov/fdicinformationandsupportcenter/s/. From there, consumers may submit an inquiry or complaint, check on the status of a submission, and view the FDIC’s response. Please be aware you will need to create a user account in order to track the status of a complaint or inquiry and to securely view certain documents the FDIC obtained from a bank, which may contain personally identifiable information.