If the recent stock market woes have you thinking about placing some of your money into deposits at an FDIC-insured bank or savings institution, remember this: The FDIC fully protects you or your family if your deposits at an insured institution total less than $100,000. You or your family also can qualify for more than $100,000—potentially much more—at one insured institution if you are able to hold your accounts in different ownership categories, such as individual accounts or joint accounts. But if your funds total more than $100,000 at a single institution, you should take the time to understand your coverage and how to properly structure your accounts, because you could be at risk of losing some of your funds if the institution fails.

The FDIC has staff and information that can help you learn more about how to qualify for more than $100,000 in coverage. You may start by checking out our deposit insurance information on the FDIC Web site at www.fdic.gov. Call toll-free (877) ASK-FDIC—that's (877) 275-3342. Or, write to the FDIC Division of Supervision and Consumer Protection at 550 17th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20429, or fax to (202) 942-3098. You also can send an e-mail using the Customer Assistance Form on the Internet at www2.fdic.gov/starsmail/index.asp.

Do you Have Questions About Credit Cards or Debit Cards?

We'd like to know. Send us your questions about topics such as: Choosing a card Using a card Fees and penalties Your privacy Protecting against fraud Your rights and responsibilities Error resolution Write by October 15th to: Jay Rosenstein, Editor, FDIC Consumer News, 550 17th Street, NW, Room 7100, Washington, DC 20429. You can also send e-mail to jrosenstein@fdic.gov or a fax to (202) 898-3870. Please include your name, address and phone number. No names will appear in print without permission.

Reminder: Our Consumer News Arrives by E-Mail

The FDIC offers our quarterly FDIC Consumer News by e-mail sent directly to your computer at home or work. After each new edition is posted to our Web site, you can get an e-mail telling you about the issue and linking you to any story that interests you. You'll find out about the newsletter as soon as it's published, it can't get lost or delayed in the mail, and you can share stories with anyone who has an e-mail address. The online version contains the same information as our printed newsletter.

If you'd like to try our free online delivery service, send an e-mail to listserv@peach.ease.lsoft.com and type "Subscribe FDIC-consumernews" (make sure you include the hyphen) and your name in the message area. You can still receive FDIC Consumer News in the mail, even if you subscribe to our e-mail service.