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America is a land of opportunity. According to the United States Census Bureau, recent data indicates over six million new businesses were created in 2003, the latest year for which data is available. It appears that for every business that was created another business met its demise. Does this mean these business enterprises failed?

Not necessarily. The United States Census Bureau records closures of companies with employees, but they do not look further into the specific circumstances for the closure. When a business closes its doors, there can be many reasons for what’s statistically a “failure,” including a sale or merger, which may actually be a sign of robust financial health or good prospects. When a business closes, it may be because the investors have lost their investments or because they have sold out profitably.

Selling out profitably is known as an exit strategy; it is also known as “cashing out”. If you have a business that manufactures or distributes a product that suddenly becomes very popular, you may be presented with a once in a lifetime opportunity. Here are two examples.

An inventor of a device that permits parents to regulate the time that their children can watch television wins best of show in a commercial competition for innovative products. Commercial interest in purchasing the product is intense, but funds to manufacture are insufficient. Another company manufactures a device that is related to pets. For twenty years they struggle. They pitch it to a “Big Box” store and sign a proposal to test market it in fifty stores; if successful, it will be rolled out to 200 to 300 stores with wholesale purchase orders for $1000 per week per store. If the product sales meet expectations, how will the manufacturer afford to pay to produce the immense quantity of product required?

Both of these situations are in need of a bridge over troubled water called purchase order financing. Purchase order financing can be complicated and complex in details, but the concept is simple.

When a manufacturer or distributor has a large purchase order from a creditworthy customer, a commercial finance company will issue a Letter of Credit to guarantee that a factory producing the product will be paid. When the goods are shipped and delivered to the customer (i.e. the big box store) the commercial finance company pays the factory. The customer is invoiced for the product. An account receivable is created, which will be paid to the commercial financing company that provided the letter of credit. Purchase order financing is the bridge that makes the deal possible. Accounts receivable financing, or factoring, is the back end financing that guarantees payment to all concerned. This may involve one company on both sides of the transaction, or two companies- a purchase order financing company and an accounts receivable financing company with an intercreditor agreement to contractually obligate all parties to be repaid.

The Free Dictionary defines bridge as a verb, – .to make a bridge across; “bridge a river”

To bring together, join- cause to become joined or linked; “join these two parts so that they fit together”.

Simon and Garfunkel were an extremely popular band staring Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel. They became famous in 1965 with their hit single “The Sound of Silence”. Their music was featured on the academy award winning film, The Graduate. They were well known for their close harmonies and sometimes unstable relationship. Their last album was called “Bridge Over Troubled Water” which featured a single with the same title. They broke up in 1970. In 1981 they reunited for one more concert called: “The Concert in Central Park” which attracted 500,000 people.

The lyrics to “Bridge Over Troubled Water” are:

When youre weary, feeling small,

When tears are in your eyes, I will dry them all;

I’m on your side. when times get rough

And friends just can’t be found,

Like a bridge over troubled water

I will lay me down.

Like a bridge over troubled water

I will lay me down.

When you’re down and out,

When you’re on the street,

When evening falls so hard

I will comfort you.

I’ll take your part.

When darkness comes

And pains is all around,

Like a bridge over troubled water

I will lay me down.

Like a bridge over troubled water

I will lay me down.

Sail on silvergirl,

Sail on by.

Your time has come to shine.

All your dreams are on their way.

See how they shine.

If you need a friend

I’m sailing right behind.

Like a bridge over troubled water

I will ease your mind.

Like a bridge over troubled water

I will ease your mind.”

The bottom line: Simon and Garfunkel were right. Like a bridge over troubled water, purchase order financing combined with accounts receivable financing will “ease your mind” and help you overcome “troubled waters” when a huge sales opportunities are on the table and exponential growth and financing are necessary to your success.

Copyright © 2007 Gregg Financial Services

www.greggfinancialservices.com

When working, I listen to Bloomberg Television. Commentators and guests banter about the stock market, the Federal Reserve, interest rates, corporate stock, and national news. The day changes, the news is similar, but never trumpery.

As interesting as daily stock market news is to me, I often wonder if market reports matter when most investors are too busy and distracted to pay attention. Investors stay-tuned for the closing market averages; if the market is up, all is right with the world. If the market is down, “I’m in it for the long haul.” If the market cascades unexpectedly, investors second-guess investment decisions.

“Buy! says the Bull” “Sell!”, says the Bear. Who is Right? Stock and bond trading is a tug-of-war between the Bears and the Bulls (similar to the Democrats and the Republicans): one group sees what’s right, the other group sees what’s wrong. Both are opportunists.

If too many become Bulls, the suspicious Bears salivate; when the Bear corrals the Bull, the Bulls know their time is near. Bear traders see the glass half-empty; bull traders see the glass half-full. Together, they make a “market” where stocks, bonds, mutual funds, options, commodities, and derivatives are traded. The Bull and the Bear each get it right, but seldom at the same time; that’s how markets are made.

“Securities markets are a fast-moving, glamorous, complex, multi-billion-dollar business.” The largest located in New York, London, and Tokyo and and the emerging markets located in Sao Paulo, Karachi, and Jakarta, and they all have a history.

In the 13th century, a small group of investors issued 96 shares of the Bazacle Milling Company in Toulouse, France. Trading paper for grain did not catch French imagination (or anyone’s) until the 18th century and the beginning of the Industrial Revolution.

* The 1700’s brought innovation and advancement: 1712 – Thomas Newcomen patents the atmospheric steam engine.
* 1756 – John Smeaton invents hydraulic cement.
* 1769 – Nicolas Cugnot invents the motorised carriage.
* 1775 – Alexander Cummings invents the flush toilet (thank God).
* 1778 – Oliver Pollock, a New Orleans businessman, creates the $ symbol
* 1798 – Income tax introduced by British parliament (but of course)

New York Stock Exchange investors started “ringing the trading bell” in 1790. A 12 foot high wooden stockade separated that “trading floor” from the British and the Indians. On May 12th, two years later, 24 traders and merchants met under a Buttonwood tree at 68 Wall Street to sign the “Buttonwood Agreement” that empowered them to trade securities for commission. Their agreement is the first of many for the NYSE.

Essentially, stock market entrepreneurs sold paper in place of commodities. Trading cows, land, or lumber became too cumbersome. Further, selling a companies “paper” raises capital for the company, and gives ownership to the investor. Farmers harvest the grain, “listed ” companies process and investors hope they do it right so they can shop for groceries.

The French voiced what every investor sometimes feels: if you cannot hold it in your hand, ownership is risky, while local farmers did not like big city highfalutin ideas. Holding a tangible object may be at the root of all risk concerns. Don’t make a promise, take me to the store so I can have “it”.

On Friday afternoons, I would visit my 82 year-old grandfather. Grampa would sit in his sun porch while I asked him questions about his youth. He owned a lumberyard and believed in tangible goods. I was working for Merrill Lynch at the time, and we always talked about the stock market. One day he said, “The stock market is filled with thieves and hoodlums. It is not as safe and predictable as real estate.”

On his first point, I could not agree; on Grampa’s second point, I would agree that many folks have more value in their real estate (home) than their stock market portfolio. However, real estate prices are contracting, and the stock market is up today. Further proof you should own a little of both because it’s all about asset allocation.

Financial planners who work on commission only seem like a real bargain. After all you don’t have to pay them, yet you get their advice. Seems like you can’t lose, right?

Wrong. Financial planners who work on commission still get paid by you, the only difference is you don’t sign their pay check, the mutual fund companies do.

The financial planners who work on commission only receive fat commissions when you purchase units in the mutual funds they advise you to buy, and they keep getting those commissions each year you remain invested. The fund companies compete for the loyalty of the financial planners, not by delivering great returns for their investors, but by having the best commission structure for the financial planners.

And make no mistake about it: you’re the one paying. The financial planner’s commission check comes out of the management fee you pay as a percentage of your mutual fund investment. These management fees can really add up.

Worse than the management fee is the fact that the financial planner, by accepting commissions from the very fund companies he’s advising you to invest in, has placed himself in a conflict of interest position. Is he really choosing a mutual fund because it’s right for your portfolio? Or is he choosing one that pays him a fat commission?

So be wary of financial planners who work on commission only. There’s no such thing as a free lunch, and in this case, you’re the one buying.

Copyright (c) 2007 Thomas Husnik

The field of corporate finance deals with the decisions of finance taken by corporations along with the analysis and the tools required for taking such decisions. The principle aim of corporate finance is enhancing the corporate value and at the same time reducing the financial risks of the company. In addition to this, corporate finance also deals in getting the maximum returns on the invested capital of the company. The major concepts of corporate finance are applied to the problems of finance encountered by all type of firms.

The discipline of corporate finance can be split into the short term and the long term techniques of decisions. The investments of capital are the long term decisions relating to the projects and the methods required to finance them. On the other hand, the capital management for working is considered as a short term decision that deals with the short term current liabilities and asset balance. The main focus here rests on the management of inventories, cash and, the lending and borrowing on a short term basis.

Corporate finance is also associated with the field of investment banking. Here, the role of the investment banker is the evaluation of the various projects coming to the bank and making proper investment decisions regarding them.

The Capital Structure:

A proper finance structure is required for achieving the set goals of corporate finance. The management has to therefore design a proper structure that has an optimal mix of the different finance options that are available.

Generally, the sources of finance will comprise of a mix of equity as well as debt. If a project is financed through debt, it results in causing a liability to the concerned company. Hence in such cases, the flow of cash has various implications regardless of the success of the project. The financing done by equity carries a lower risk regarding the commitments of the flow of cash, but the result of this is the dilution of the earnings and the ownership. The cost involved in equity finance is also higher in the case of debt finance. Hence, it is understood that the finance done through equity, offsets the reduction in the risk of cash flow. The management has to hence have a mix of both the options.

The Decisions of Capital Investments:

The decisions of capital investments are the long term decisions of corporate finance that are related to the capital structure and the fixed assets. These decisions are based of several criteria that are inter-related. The management of corporate finance attempts to maximize the firm’s value by making investments in the projects that have a positive yield. The finance options for such projects have to be done in a proper manner.

Across the country, there are more and more people who are becoming overcome with debt and are facing financial disaster. If you want to be sure that you have a bright financial future, you need to take measures to get in charge of your finances immediately. Remember, there is no short term cure for your finances, but you are going to have to work to stay in charge of your finances at all times. The following are a few tips that can help you to maintain control of your finances.

#1 – Develop a Budget and Stick with It
Developing a budget that you stick with is a great way to keep in charge of your finances. When you are making up a budget, be sure that it is a budget that you can deal with long term. Make the budget reasonable and be sure that you budget in money to save each month as well. People who have a reasonable budget are less likely to start going out and running up a great deal of credit debt.

#2 – Work to Become Debt Free
Another way that you can stay in control of your finances is to start working on getting rid of all your debt. While becoming debt free can take a bit of time, there are ways that it can be done if you are willing to work on it. Once you become debt free, you will be free from looming debt and will have more money left over each month instead of paying all those credit card bills.

#3 – Organize your Finances
Many people fall into financial disaster by a lack of organization, but keeping your finances organized can help you stay in control of your finances. Make sure that you keep track of bills and when they need to be paid to avoid late fees, and also be sure to keep track of your check book so you do not have a problem and overdraw your account. Simple organizational measures can help you keep better control over your finances.

#4 – Avoid Overspending
One area where many people have a problem is in the area of overspending. If you want to stay in control of your finances you will need to avoid overspending. If you are going to make a large purchase, make sure that it is a planned purchase that you have spent time thinking about. Avoid impulsive shopping that results in you buying things you do not even need.

#5 – Keep Track of your Credit Report
Your credit report is a good gauge of what is going on in your finances and it is important that you keep track of it. By checking up on your credit report, you can see where there are problems and work to fix them. You may also be able to identify any errors on your report that could affect you negatively as well. If you do find errors on your credit report, be sure to call the company and start working on fixing the error to make sure your report is correct.

Some moral issues exist regarding credit card use, ownership, and providing. Credit card companies are faced with the moral issue of offering credit to people that cannot afford to have credit. On the other hand, credit card users are faced with the moral dilemma of maxing out a credit card with the intention of not paying back the debt. Both issues are equally important and both can be viewed as business decisions.

In regards to credit card companies; sometimes, a credit card company will target people with bad credit and/or low income. A credit card will be offered to these people. The credit card will have numerous fees and an astronomically high interest rate. Credit card companies will argue that these fees and high interest rates are necessary in order to offset any losses due to people defaulting on their debt. However, another way to look at it is that a credit card company can charge these high interest rates and numerous fees because people with bad credit and/or low income do not have an alternative option. Therefore, the moral issue of taking advantage of people comes into light. Should credit card companies be allowed to offer these sub standard credit cards to people with few assets? The quick answer is that credit card companies are not doing anything illegal. Then again, the plain for what is legal is far below the plain for it is considered “moral.”

In regards to people; many people take advantage of credit card companies by obtaining many credit cards, “maxing” them out, and then refusing to pay the debt. Basically, this is fraud because the person never had the intention of paying back the debt. Other consumers are hurt by this default by way of higher interest rates and more fees (as discussed above). Therefore, what if a poor person used a credit card to buy food and supplies with the intention of never paying back the debt? Should they be punished? Isn’t that person merely trying to survive and not trying to take advantage of a credit card company? Is it the credit card companies fault for giving such a person a credit card?

I cannot provide any answers to these questions because everybody has a different sense of what constitutes “morals.” There is no general standard for moral behavior. Therefore, the situations presented above are for personal consideration. What do you think the moral standard should be? Do you think that a degree of morality should be infused in the practices of a credit card company and an individual credit user? Would you be willing to pay more fees and a higher interest rate in lieu of a credit card company giving credit cards to people with bad credit and/or low income?

There are various smart financial options for college students. Many college students are unaware of the help that is out there. In the present time, help can come from a number of sources. They range from work study programs, scholarships, student loans, grants, and family help. Depending on the student’s personal needs, the financial situation will be different. The first step to acquiring this assistance is simply asking for it.

Apply for Financial Aid

This is required. Every college bound individual is supposed to fill out a (FASFA). The role of this form is to determine how much money is needed for college. If a young person is below the age of 25 they will need their parent’s tax information. This is to determine how much income is in the household. The Fasfa form will let a person know whether they qualify for student loans and grants. Most likely, they will qualify for some type of loan. If you haven’t done this, do it ASAP.

Refrain From Attaining Student Loans

Since this article is about “smart financial moves”, refraining from getting a student loan would be one of them. If you can, try other methods, but please, anything but a student loan! If you do, you will put yourself in a trap that may take you 10 years or more to get out of. These financial nightmares creep up on you little by little. They are the reason many people are in so much debt. Private loans are the worst because they do not cap the amount of interest they charge a person. They balloon out of control and before a person knows it, the loan is twice the amount. You see, loans accumulate “interest” which is money you didn’t apply for. Over time this interest can add up to $1,000’s extra on your bill. Take my advice, choose something else.

Grants

A grant is money you don’t have to pay back. Now, if you ask me that is more like it. When you fill out your FASFA form, you can apply for grants that way. The Pell grant is very common. If this does not cover it, try applying by filling out some paper work. There are books available on how to get more government grant assistance.

Work Study

Certain schools offer work study programs in which students can work part time on the school grounds. When they work a portion of their tuition is paid. This helps a college student gain valuable work experience, earn extra money and lower their tuition bill at the same time. It is a triple benefit. It is best to apply as early as possible.

Community college

Community college cost less than a four year school. To lower expenses, some students choose this route. They attend a community college for 2 years and then transfer to a 4 year school.

These are some wise financial moves for college students to take. No one has to be in a tough financial situation. It is all up to them and how they choose to deal with it.

Commercial finance is one of the many options available to entrepreneurs seeking capital to start or grow an existing business. This sort of financing is also referred to as asset-based lending, meaning that it is a secured business loan. The borrower guarantees the loan by giving up business assets as collateral for the loan. Another popular phrase for commercial finance is asset-based finance.

Account receivable factoring is one form of commercial finance. This consists of selling open invoices for cash that can be used right away in the business. There are many benefits to this financing option including not giving up equity, being able to take advantage of early payment and volume discounts from your suppliers, you can actually purchase in greater volume from suppliers, and you also accrue no additional debt in your business.

Another popular commercial finance option is purchase order financing because it offers quick cash flow reserves. When any business is growing or expanding their business the cash flow simply isn’t there because of the money it takes to market and produce products. Suppliers also want to be paid with C.O.D. and your customers are on Net-30 terms; so you run into a cash flow problem. Purchase order financing solves this issue by paying for the costs of your goods directly to the supplier, thus giving you more cash to use on more critical business expenditures. To begin with purchase order financing simply obtain a purchase order from your customer, find an approved supplier, place the order through that supplier.

Asset based loans, an additional commercial finance option, provide a short term approach to maximizing cash flow within a business. This form of financing is used as test for a business to show how they would perform with a long term loan. The business who is receiving the asset based loan has a short window to prove that with the proper financing their business model is effective, and that a long term loan would ensure business growth over a long period of time. This form of financing is perfect for the business that can’t afford to wait to establish their business credit. The assets that are accepted as collateral for this type of loan include real property, accounts receivables, and completed inventory.

Other forms of commercial finance include bankruptcy reorganization, expansion financing, import and export financing, inventory loans, secured lines of credit, and merchant account advances. Financing a business is a difficult process, but if you utilize the financing resources available, your business have a much greater chance of success.

It is also good to work on establishing your business credit, ensuring that you separate your personal credit from your business credit. With good business credit scores obtaining large loans and other forms of capital is very simple, and you won’t be one of the 97 percent that actually have a loan application denied. One other strategy that is easy to do and beneficial on your quest for business capital is to use a free business capital search engine.

During every correction, I encourage investors to avoid the destructive inertia that results from trying to determine: how low can we go; how long will this last? Investors who add to their portfolios during downturns invariably experience higher Market Values during the next advance. For just as surely as there is a Santa Claus for every five year old, there is another “value stock” rally for every fingernail biting fifty-five year old. Value Stocks have entered the sixth month of a broad downturn, and nearly 50% of all Investment Grade companies are now down more than 15% from their highs. Seventy percent of those are down more than 20%. Working Capital Model users should be running out of cash about now, while they add more issues to their portfolios, and more shares to existing holdings. Investors know that good companies rarely close their doors, or even cut their dividends.

Corrections are as much a part of the normal Market Cycle as rallies, and they can be brought about by either bad news or good news. (Yes, that’s what I meant to say.) Investors always over-analyze when prices become weak and lose their common sense when prices are high, thus perpetuating the “buy high, sell low” Wall Street lunacy. Waiting for the perfect moment to jump into a falling market is as foolish a strategy as taking losses on investment grade companies and holding cash. Corrections in both Equity and Income securities produce the same kind of hysteria as a spring sale at Macy’s… but in reverse. The fundamental quality of value securities does not change simply because their prices fall in response to market conditions. When all value stocks are moving lower, it’s an opportunity, not a problem. When all [insert: bank, insurance, agriculture, oil, entertainment, travel, transportation, advertising] are lower, it’s an opportunity, not a problem.

During every correction, I’m amazed at the shocked reaction of the Media, the confused explanations emanating from the Market Gurus, and the incredibly poor advice streaming forth from the Oracles of Wall Street… every last one of them. It’s no wonder that the average investor is in a state of panic! If they could buy a new car, a new business suit, or a new house for half price, they would be ecstatic! Why does a lower price for a share of a high quality stock make them go bonkers? The Conventional Wisdom from Wall Street makes it so; the Conventional Wisdom from CPA land reinforces it; the Conventional Wisdom from financial advisors preys upon it. Experienced Investor Wisdom is boldly different. For example: (1) Corrections are always buying opportunities, the broader the correction, the better. Wall Street thrives on the fear and suffering. (2) Rallies are always selling opportunities. Wall Street would rather stroke your greed button with visions of upward only prices. Your accountant doesn’t want you to take profits, and has you convinced that losses are really better than gains. (3) Higher Interest rates are good for investors… so are lower interest rates. Wall Street doesn’t really care. They push short-term vehicles to address investors’ fear of price fluctuation, and shun simplex income producing strategies while they promote complex derivatives that always unwind badly. (4) The calendar year is of no particular investment relevance. (5) Investment performance analysis should be an objective based program monitor instead of 365-day horse race with irrelevant Market indicators. Wall Street used to agree with (4) and (5). Since then they have learned that they make more money from unhappy investors.

Repetition is good for your CPU, so forgive me for reinforcing what I’ve said in the face of every correction since 1979… if you don’t love corrections, you really don’t understand the financial markets. Don’t be insulted, very few financial professionals want you to see it this way and, in fact, Institutional Wall Street loves it when individual investors panic in the face of uncertainty. But uncertainty is the regulation playing field for investors, and hindsight isn’t welcome in the stadium. Rarely do corrections kill good companies, no matter how bad the news, how big the scandal, or how troubled the economic outlook. If you’ve been investing in quality companies and have a secure cash flow within your portfolios, you will weather any storm. Loss taking is never smart, savvy, or necessary… even if it cuts the tax bill. Buy more of lower priced good companies while maintaining smart diversification according to the Working Capital Model. Add to lower priced income securities to reduce the cost per share. Make your retirement plan contributions yesterday!

There is an Investment Mindset Solution for the problems that most people have dealing with corrections, recessions, inflation and the Red Sox. Bad news creates opportunities; so does good news. I’ve never understood why yard-sale prices in the stock market are so scary. And recession? Most people don’t realize that a recession is just two consecutive quarters of lower GDP. Not a big deal until it happens, and then, really good things get done to fix it! In recent years, Wall Street and the media have turned the process of investing into a competitive event. What was once a long-term, goal-directed activity has become a series of monthly and quarterly sprints. The direction of the market isn’t nearly as important as the actions we take in anticipation of the next change in direction. Performance evaluation needs to be “rethunk” in terms of cycles!

The problems, and the solutions, boil down to focus, understanding, and retraining. You need to focus on the purposes of the securities in the portfolio. You need to understand and accept the normal behavior of your securities in the face of different environmental conditions. You need to overcome your obsession with calendar period Market Value analysis, and embrace a more manageable asset allocation approach that centers on your portfolio’s Working Capital. You need to stop looking at your account on line so frequently and go to the movies. You need to elect new people who know how to connect the economic dots and who will restructure the tax code to eliminate all taxation of investment earnings. Corrections fuel rallies, it’s just a matter of time. But for now, relax and enjoy this correction. It’s your invitation to the fun and games of the next rally, when you will see that correction is spelled o-p-p-o-r-t-u-n-i-t-y after all.

Note: The 2nd Edition of “Brainwashing” is here!

Banks vary in size and stature and with the nature of the products and services that are available to you. For the most part banks want to make sure you have confidence in their organization and that your deposits are safe and secure with them. In order to do so they will insure your deposits with the FDIC.

FDIC

The FDIC is the acronym for Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, which is an agency of the government. The primary function of the FDIC is make sure that the deposits of customers are protected and insured in the event a bank would fail or become insolvent. What is great about this is the fact that the FDIC insurance is endorsed by or backed by the United States Government.

Here is how the FDIC operates. Lets look at an individual depositors account with a bank totaling less than $100,000 the complete deposit is fully insured. Also note a depositor is allowed to have more than $100,00 at one FDIC insured bank if and only if the account is able to meet certain requirements. Now as far as retirement accounts the agency will insure up to $250,000 for some retirement accounts.

To determine whether or not your bank or savings association is insured by the FDIC call this toll-free number at 1-877-275-3342 or you can go online at this website www.fdic.gov/deposit/index.

You are probably wondering what types of accounts are insured by the FDIC? Well let’s do a break down.

First of all the FDIC will insure accounts including deposits in checking accounts, NOW, and savings accounts, money market deposit accounts. Coverage also extends to time deposits known as certificates of deposits. (CD). The balance of each account is insured up to the limit which does include principal and any accrued interest through the bank’s closing date.

Many people wonder about how this effects their stocks and bond, life insurance policies and mutual funds or even annuities or municipal securities as they pertain to the FDIC. The bad news is these are not covered by the FDIC even if you were to purchase them from an a bank insured by the FDIC.

If you have any type of U.S. Treasury bills or bonds or even notes these are not insured by the FDIC, however these are covered by the credit and faith of the United States government.

Also your deposits in one bank are not separately insured at a different branch office with the same bank. For example if you have $100,000 in XYZ bank and then you have $50,000 in XYZ bank but at another branch location your total deposits in XYZ bank is $150,000 but you are only insured for $100,000, and this pertains to per depositor per insured bank.

There are different situations which will allow you have more than $100,000 in a bank and still be insured.

These situations can get complicated and detailed and depend on the number of account holders on an account, including whether or not it’s a joint account, revocable trust accounts, living/Family trust accounts or irrevocable trust accounts. Now these are just a few of the situations you will run into regarding the amount of coverage. If you need more information it is best to call the toll free number provided above and for the hearing impaired call 1-800-925-4618 and you will be able to receive information about coverage regarding you own particular situation. Always call the toll free number before you make any assumptions.

Other methods for contacting the FDIC include by mail at the following address: Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation 550 17th Street, NW Washington, DC 20429-9990 or you can email them using the FDIC online customer assistance form by accessing www2.fdic.gov/stars mail.