FDIC and sipc

Know Your Limits - FDIC

    The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation protects money deposited in banking institutions.  Investment products are not insured by the FDIC.  For example mutual funds, annuities, life insurance policies, stocks and bonds are all not covered under the FDIC. 

FDIC Website - http://www.fdic.gov

Know your Limits - SIPC

    The Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC) covers cash and securities held by you at a brokerage firm.   The protection is against fraud and loss of the actual securities.  SIPC will step in where those securities you own are lost or misappropriated from a brokerage account.

SIPC Website - http://www.sipc.org