The National Credit Union Administration insures credit union deposits up to $250,000 per member, per institution, per ownership category through the National Credit Union Share Insurance Fund (NCUSIF). When a credit union member dies, NCUA provides a 6-month grace period during which insurance coverage is maintained as if the member were still alive, giving heirs time to restructure accounts without losing coverage.

Death notification

The NCUA does not receive death reports — you should notify the credit union directly when a member dies. NCUA share insurance coverage is maintained for 6 months after the member's death, providing time to restructure accounts. If a credit union fails during this period, the NCUA treats the deceased as still alive for insurance purposes.

Deadline: Restructure accounts within 6 months of death to preserve full NCUA share insurance coverage

Survivor benefits

The NCUA offers 4 benefits for surviving family members.

6-Month Grace Period for Share Insurance

The NCUA insures a deceased member's accounts as if they were still alive for 6 months after death (12 CFR 745.2(e)). During this grace period, insurance coverage does not change unless accounts are restructured. This allows heirs and estate administrators to reorganize accounts without losing coverage. The grace period will not be applied if it would result in less coverage than would otherwise apply.

Amount: Up to $250,000 per member, per credit union, per ownership category

Joint Account Coverage After Death

Joint accounts receive $250,000 in NCUA coverage per co-owner. When one co-owner dies, the 6-month grace period preserves the deceased co-owner's share of coverage while the account is administered. After 6 months, the surviving co-owner's share is added to their individual accounts and subject to the $250,000 single-account limit.

Amount: $250,000 per co-owner

POD/Trust Account Coverage Changes

Payable-on-death (POD) and revocable trust accounts receive $250,000 in coverage per owner per beneficiary, up to $1,250,000 per owner (for 1-5 beneficiaries). The 6-month grace period does NOT apply to POD/trust accounts — when the account owner dies, coverage transfers directly to the named beneficiaries and is recalculated based on their own ownership interests. Note: Effective December 1, 2026, the NCUA is simplifying trust account insurance rules (12 CFR Part 745 final rule) by establishing a single unified "trust accounts" category covering revocable trusts (including formal trusts, POD, ITF, testamentary, and Totten Trust accounts) and irrevocable trusts, all calculated as $250,000 per beneficiary up to $1,250,000 per owner at five or more beneficiaries.

Amount: $250,000 per owner per beneficiary (up to $1,250,000 per owner for 1-5 beneficiaries)

Decedent's Estate Account Coverage

Funds held in the decedent's name or in the name of an executor or administrator are covered as a separate insurance category up to $250,000 in aggregate. This is separate from the deceased member's individual account coverage. Either the decedent must have been a credit union member, or all beneficiaries of the estate must be members.

Amount: Up to $250,000 in aggregate for all estate accounts at the same credit union

When someone dies

Notifying the NCUA after a death

5-step process, 5 required documents, and 4 survivor benefits.

View details →

Frequently asked questions

NCUA insures up to $250,000 per member, per federally insured credit union, per ownership category. Different ownership categories (individual, joint, revocable trust, retirement) are insured separately, so one person can have more than $250,000 in total coverage at the same credit union.

Use the NCUA's Share Insurance Estimator at mycreditunion.gov. Enter your credit union, account types, and balances to see your exact coverage. You can also verify that a credit union is federally insured using the NCUA Credit Union Locator.

NCUA covers share (savings) accounts, share draft (checking) accounts, money market accounts, and share certificates (CDs). NCUA does not cover stocks, bonds, mutual funds, life insurance policies, annuities, or safe deposit box contents, even if purchased through a federally insured credit union.

No. NCUA share insurance does not cover digital assets, cryptocurrencies, or accounts held by third-party providers of digital assets. Even if a credit union partners with a cryptocurrency platform, the digital assets are not insured by the NCUSIF. Only traditional deposit accounts (savings, checking, money market, share certificates) are covered.