The Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC) is a nonprofit organisation that protects investors' stocks, bonds, and other securities in the event that their brokerage firm goes bankrupt and assets go missing. SIPC coverage is limited to $500,000 in securities, with a $250,000 limit for cash held in a brokerage account. All Fidelity brokerage accounts are covered by SIPC, including money market funds held in a brokerage account. In addition to SIPC protection, Fidelity also provides its customers with excess of SIPC coverage, which would only be used if SIPC coverage is exhausted.
Characteristics | Values |
---|---|
What is SIPC? | The Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC) is a nonprofit organization that protects stocks, bonds, and other securities in case a brokerage firm goes bankrupt and assets are missing. SIPC is not a governmental agency and does not cover investment losses due to market fluctuation. |
SIPC coverage limit | $500,000 in securities, including a $250,000 limit for cash held in a brokerage account. |
Fidelity accounts covered by SIPC | All Fidelity brokerage accounts are covered by SIPC. This includes money market funds held in a brokerage account since they are considered securities. |
"Excess of SIPC" coverage | In addition to SIPC protection, Fidelity provides its brokerage customers with additional "excess of SIPC" coverage through Lloyd's of London. The excess coverage would only be used when SIPC coverage is exhausted. |
Total "excess of SIPC" coverage | $1 billion |
"Excess of SIPC" coverage limit for cash awaiting investment | $1.9 million |
What You'll Learn
- SIPC covers up to $500,000 in securities, including a $250,000 limit for cash held in a brokerage account
- All Fidelity brokerage accounts are covered by SIPC
- SIPC is not a governmental agency and does not cover investment losses
- Fidelity provides additional excess of SIPC coverage
- SIPC does not cover certain assets, e.g. precious metals
SIPC covers up to $500,000 in securities, including a $250,000 limit for cash held in a brokerage account
The Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC) is a nonprofit organisation that offers protection for stocks, bonds, and other securities in the event that a brokerage firm goes bankrupt and assets are missing. It is important to note that SIPC is not a governmental agency and does not cover investment losses due to market fluctuations.
SIPC covers up to $500,000 in securities, which includes a $250,000 limit for cash held in a brokerage account. This means that if a brokerage firm files for bankruptcy and your assets are missing, SIPC will cover your losses up to $500,000, with a maximum of $250,000 for cash held in the brokerage account.
Fidelity's brokerage accounts are covered by SIPC, which includes money market funds held in a brokerage account as they are considered securities. This means that if Fidelity, as a brokerage firm, were to go bankrupt and your assets were missing, your Fidelity brokerage account would be protected by SIPC up to the limits mentioned above.
In addition to SIPC protection, Fidelity also provides its customers with "excess of SIPC" coverage. This additional coverage would only come into effect if the SIPC coverage is exhausted. It is important to note that, like SIPC, this excess coverage does not apply to investment losses in customer accounts due to market fluctuations. The total aggregate excess of SIPC coverage available through Fidelity's policy is $1 billion.
While SIPC coverage has a per-customer limit of $250,000 for cash awaiting investment, Fidelity's excess of SIPC coverage offers a higher limit of $1.9 million for this category. This demonstrates Fidelity's commitment to providing its customers with additional protection for their cash holdings.
Both SIPC and excess of SIPC coverage are limited to securities held in brokerage positions, including mutual funds held in brokerage accounts and securities held in book-entry form. It is important to note that certain assets, such as commodity futures contracts, precious metals, investment contracts, and fixed annuity contracts that are not registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, are typically not eligible for SIPC protection.
In summary, SIPC offers protection for investors by covering up to $500,000 in securities, with a $250,000 limit for cash held in a brokerage account. Fidelity's brokerage accounts are covered by SIPC, and the company also provides additional "excess of SIPC" coverage for its customers, demonstrating their commitment to safeguarding customer assets.
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All Fidelity brokerage accounts are covered by SIPC
The Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC) is a nonprofit organisation that protects stocks, bonds, and other securities in the event that a brokerage firm goes bankrupt and assets are missing. SIPC is not a government agency and does not cover investment losses due to market fluctuation.
Fidelity also provides its customers with additional "excess of SIPC" coverage through Lloyd's of London. This excess coverage will only be used when SIPC coverage is exhausted. Like SIPC, excess protection does not cover investment losses in customer accounts, including losses due to market fluctuation. Fidelity's total aggregate excess of SIPC coverage is $1 billion. Within this, there is no per-customer dollar limit on the coverage of securities, but there is a per-customer limit of $1.9 million on the coverage of cash awaiting investment. This is the maximum excess of SIPC protection currently available in the brokerage industry.
Both SIPC and excess of SIPC coverage are limited to securities held in brokerage positions, including mutual funds if held in your brokerage account, and securities held in book-entry form. Certain assets are not eligible for SIPC protection, including commodity futures contracts, precious metals, investment contracts (such as limited partnerships), and fixed annuity contracts that are not registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission under the Securities Act of 1933.
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SIPC is not a governmental agency and does not cover investment losses
The Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC) is a nonprofit organisation that protects stocks, bonds, and other securities in the event that a brokerage firm goes bankrupt and assets are missing. It is not a governmental agency and does not cover investment losses due to market fluctuation.
SIPC coverage protects assets held in brokerage accounts, including stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and money market funds. It is important to note that SIPC coverage does not include certain assets, such as commodity futures contracts, precious metals, investment contracts (like limited partnerships), and fixed annuity contracts that are not registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission under the Securities Act of 1933.
Fidelity provides its customers with additional "excess of SIPC" coverage. This excess coverage is provided by Lloyd's of London, Axis Specialty Europe Ltd., and Munich Reinsurance Co. and would only be used if SIPC coverage is exhausted. It is important to note that, like SIPC, this excess protection does not cover investment losses in customer accounts, including those resulting from market fluctuation.
Fidelity's excess of SIPC coverage has a total aggregate limit of $1 billion. While there is no per-customer dollar limit on the coverage of securities, there is a per-customer limit of $1.9 million for the coverage of cash awaiting investment. This is the highest level of excess SIPC protection currently available in the brokerage industry.
Both SIPC and excess SIPC coverage only apply to securities held in brokerage positions, including mutual funds held in a brokerage account, and securities held in book-entry form. It is important to understand that neither SIPC nor the additional coverage protects against the loss of market value of the securities.
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Fidelity provides additional excess of SIPC coverage
Fidelity provides its customers with additional "excess of SIPC" coverage. This excess coverage is only used when SIPC coverage is exhausted. The total aggregate excess of SIPC coverage available through Fidelity's policy is $1 billion. Within this, there is no per-customer dollar limit on the coverage of securities, but there is a per-customer limit of $1.9 million on the coverage of cash awaiting investment. This is the maximum excess of SIPC protection currently available in the brokerage industry.
Like SIPC, excess protection does not cover investment losses in customer accounts, including losses due to market fluctuations. For example, fraud claims would not be covered if the brokerage firm was still operational. Both SIPC and excess of SIPC coverage are limited to securities held in brokerage positions, including mutual funds if held in a brokerage account, and securities held in book-entry form.
Certain assets are not eligible for SIPC protection. These include commodity futures contracts, precious metals, investment contracts (such as limited partnerships), and fixed annuity contracts that are not registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission under the Securities Act of 1933.
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SIPC does not cover certain assets, e.g. precious metals
The Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC) is a federally mandated, private, nonprofit organisation that protects investors in the event of a brokerage firm's financial collapse or bankruptcy. While SIPC insurance covers a wide range of securities, there are certain assets that are not eligible for protection.
One such exclusion is precious metals. Any investments in precious metals, such as gold, are not covered by SIPC insurance. This means that if you hold precious metals in a brokerage account and the firm fails, you will not be able to recover your losses through SIPC coverage.
Other assets that are typically not covered by SIPC insurance include commodity futures contracts, investment contracts (such as limited partnerships), and fixed annuity contracts that are not registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission under the Securities Act of 1933.
It's important to note that SIPC insurance also does not cover investment losses due to market fluctuations or bad investment advice. The protection is specifically designed to safeguard investors' assets in the event of a brokerage firm's failure, where customer assets are missing or at risk.
Therefore, it is crucial for investors to understand the scope of SIPC coverage and carefully consider the types of investments they hold in their brokerage accounts. While SIPC insurance provides a level of protection, it does not cover all types of assets or investment losses.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, all Fidelity brokerage accounts are covered by SIPC insurance. This includes money market funds held in a brokerage account since they are considered securities.
The Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC) is a nonprofit organisation that protects stocks, bonds, and other securities in the event that a brokerage firm goes bankrupt and assets are missing. The SIPC will cover up to $500,000 in securities, including a $250,000 limit for cash held in a brokerage account.
In addition to SIPC protection, Fidelity also provides its customers with "excess of SIPC" coverage. This coverage will only be used when SIPC coverage is exhausted and does not cover investment losses in customer accounts. The total aggregate excess of SIPC coverage available through Fidelity's policy is $1 billion.
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) is a US government agency that insures cash deposits at FDIC member banks, generally up to $250,000 per account. Fidelity offers an FDIC-Insured Deposit Sweep Program for certain accounts, which provides FDIC insurance for cash balances.