Skip to main content
U.S. flag
An official website of the United States government
Dot gov
The .gov means it’s official. 
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.
Https
The site is secure. 
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.
Financial Institution Employee’s Guide to Deposit Insurance

Accounts Held by IDI as Trustee of Irrevocable Trust

Accounts Held by IDI as Trustee of Irrevocable Trust (12 C.F.R. § 330.12)

View Accounts Held by IDI as Trustee of Irrevocable Trust as a PDF

I.  Definition

To qualify under this category, an account must be held by an IDI as a trustee of an irrevocable trust. This category is applicable whether the IDI as trustee holds the trust funds in a deposit account at the IDI, or whether the IDI as trustee places the funds into a deposit account at another IDI.

No aggregation with other accounts

Deposit insurance coverage for irrevocable trusts in this category is separate from, and in addition to, deposit insurance coverage for other ownership categories.

In this section, the phrase “trust funds” means funds held by an IDI as a trustee for an irrevocable trust. “Trust estate” means a beneficiary’s or principal’s determinable and beneficial interest in trust funds (under this category, trust estate does not refer to the interests of heirs in a decedent’s estate).

II.  Insurance Limit

The FDIC insures each trust fund owner or beneficiary represented for up to $250,000. This insurance is separate from, and in addition to, the insurance provided for any other deposits of the owners or the beneficiaries.

Allocated and unallocated funds

The FDIC regulations for this ownership category recognize that an IDI trustee might deposit allocated or unallocated funds as the trustee of irrevocable trusts. The term “unallocated funds” means the IDI trustee commingles money from multiple irrevocable trusts and then deposits the commingled funds.

In contrast, allocated funds are not commingled—these funds simply belong to a specific irrevocable trust. Both allocated and unallocated funds follow the FDIC’s rules for pass-through deposit insurance coverage: deposit insurance coverage passes through the IDI trustee to the trust owners and beneficiaries, assuming satisfaction of the FDIC’s requirements for pass-through coverage.

III.  Requirements

The requirements for obtaining coverage of up to $250,000 for each owner or beneficiary represented are the following:

  • The account records must indicate that the funds are held by the trustee pursuant to a fiduciary relationship.
  • The account must be supported by an irrevocable trust established by statute or trust agreement with an IDI as trustee.
  • The IDI must be able to provide documentation as to the interests of the owners or beneficiaries.

For More Information from the FDIC

Call Toll-Free
1-877-ASK-FDIC (1-877-275-3342)

Calculate deposit insurance coverage using the FDIC’s Electronic Deposit Insurance Estimator (EDIE)

Read more about FDIC deposit insurance on our Deposit Insurance webpage

View frequently asked questions on deposit insurance coverage

Order FDIC deposit insurance products through the FDIC Online Catalog

Submit deposit insurance questions online using the FDIC Information and Support Center

Submit deposit insurance questions by U.S. Mail
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
Attn: Deposit Insurance Unit
550 17th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20429

Last Updated: May 29, 2024